![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/region-europe.jpg)
Latest Articles about Europe's East
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Vladimir-Makei-EDM-January-29-2018.jpg)
Minsk Finds Itself in Diplomatic Tug-of-War With Astana
During Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s meeting in Washington with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on January 16, a suggestion reportedly came up to transfer the venue of talks and negotiations about the war in eastern Ukraine from Minsk to Astana. An avalanche of opinions followed.... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/BPR-government-640x426.jpg)
Belarus: Paradoxes of National Memory and Freedom of Speech
The Belarusian opposition is looking forward to the centennial of the Belarusian People’s Republic (BPR). Proclaimed by a group of nationalist activists on March 25, 1918, this entity existed until December 1918 under German military occupation. The BPR lacked most of the typical trappings of... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1025063876-640x410.jpg)
Moscow Now Wants Missiles Rather Than a Base in Belarus, Minsk Analyst Says
Technological breakthroughs in Russian military aviation and the expansion of a Russian airbase in Kaliningrad mean that the opening of a Russian military airfield in Belarus would do less for Russia’s defense posture than many had thought only a few years ago. At the same... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Anatoly-Bibilov-and-Milorad-Dodik-EDM-January-22-2018-640x386.jpg)
South Ossetian Separatist Leader Becomes Envoy of ‘Russkiy Mir’ in the Balkans and Ukraine
On January 9, the so-called “president” of the Russian-backed “South Ossetian republic” (“Tskhinvali region”), Anatoly Bibilov, undertook a three-day visit to Republika Srpska, a constituent entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. There, he held a meeting with Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and took part in the disputed Day of the Republic celebrations in the... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Belarusian-rally-EDM-January-18-2018-640x480.jpg)
A Year in Review: Belarus Pursues Greater National Consolidation
Belarus experienced multiple ups and downs during 2017, but has emerged with its sovereignty intact and in many ways increasing freedom of action on the international stage. The country overcame its 2.5-year-long economic decline largely due to favorable price dynamics of key Belarusian exports. Structural... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Ulf-Anderson-640x320.jpg)
Like Its Neighbors, Belarus Seeks to Block Russian Propaganda
In a series of moves that may come as a surprise to those accustomed to viewing Belarus as the closest and inalienable ally of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Alyaksandr Lukashenka has taken a series of steps to block Russian propaganda from flowing into his country. These... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Petro-Poroshenko-EDM-January-11-2018-640x427.jpg)
A Year in Review: Ukraine Faced Mixed Fortunes, Missed Opportunities in 2017
Ukraine missed some chances to improve the domestic situation last year, with the fight against corruption not as efficient as Western creditors expected and the economy growing at only a sluggish pace. Among the country’s achievements in 2017 were the long-awaited ratification of the association... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Vlad-Plahotniuc-and-Igor-Dodon-EDM-January-10-2018.jpg)
A Year in Review: Oligarchic Power Consolidation Defines Moldova’s Politics in 2017
Moldova witnessed clear signs of democratic backsliding in 2017, along with window-dressing reforms and paying lip service to its international and domestic commitments. Against this backdrop, the country did experience some consumption-based economic growth, which the government has identified as stability, although the opposition views... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Vladislav-Sobel-640x427.jpg)
Ukrainian Government and Ukroboronprom Deadlocked Over Debt and Production Problems at Mykolaiv Shipyard
Where there is bureaucracy and waste, inevitably there has been the opportunity for on-going corruption. And such a situation is only aggravated by misplaced state secrecy. In Ukraine, there perhaps has been no greater symbol of on-going poor decision making, planning, bureaucracy and waste than... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/EU-belarus-640x360.jpg)
Belarus Moves Slowly Toward More Positive Relationship With Europe
In an October 2017 interview on Lenta.ru, a mainstream Russian online news portal, prominent historian Sergei Volkov was pointedly asked, “Why is it that neighbors and allies of Russia continue to build their state ideologies on anti-Russian rhetoric?” He responded, “That is because all these... MORE