
Latest Articles about Europe's East

Ukraine Cuts Dependence on Russian Nuclear Fuel, Moves Away From Coal
Westinghouse will extend nuclear fuel deliveries to seven of Ukraine’s fifteen nuclear power units to 2021–2025, in line with a contract signed between this firm and Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom. Deliveries to Ukraine under the new deal are to begin immediately after the... MORE

Belarus Repels Challenges to Stability and Sovereignty
The passing of Gene Sharp, the author of the influential 1973 book The Politics of Nonviolent Action, did not go unnoticed across the post-Soviet space. A sampling of headlines in the Russian media say much about the late political scientists’ perception in that realm: “The... MORE

Kremlin Employing ‘Peaceful’ Tactics to Encourage West to Lift Sanctions
On the eve of the presidential election in Russia, the Kremlin is looking for ways to build a case for lifting or weakening Western sanctions. Specifically, the Russian government has been trying to demonstrate a purported readiness to engage in dialogue over the “Ukrainian issue.”... MORE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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