Latest Articles about Europe's East

WEAK AUTHORITY EMBOLDENS ANTI-NATO PROTESTS IN UKRAINE

The post-election crisis of Ukrainian state institutions may undermine President Viktor Yushchenko's and the Orange forces' goal to bring Ukraine into NATO during their term of office. Amid a growing deficit of effective governance, pro-Russia groups find unprecedented leeway to frustrate Kyiv's policies on this... MORE

COALITION TALKS: YUSHCHENKO DECIDES TO STEP IN

President Viktor Yushchenko will strive to carry on as the main powerbroker in Ukraine despite the constitutional reform that came into effect on January 1, 2006. This assertion was probably the main message of Yushchenko’s first speech before the new parliament elected in March. The... MORE

BELARUS: THE MYTH OF “PEOPLE POWER”

On May 23 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka delivered a "state of the nation address" that was broadcast live on Belarusian TV and lasted a relatively modest 51 minutes. The speech was significant for being his first major post-election broadcast, and it provided some rationale behind... MORE

GUAM IN KYIV: ANOTHER SUMMIT OF GOOD INTENTIONS

Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, Vladimir Voronin of Moldova, and Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine met on May 23 in Kyiv for another effort to revitalize the GUAM group of countries. Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus attended as well, in line with his... MORE

ENERGY INSECURITY, FROZEN CONFLICTS PREOCCUPY GUAM SUMMIT

The GUAM summit in Kyiv on May 23 called international attention to the challenges and threats posed to the four member countries by energy insecurity and secessionist conflicts. Furthermore, Moldova and Georgia are the targets of politically motivated Russian embargoes on agricultural products and wine,... MORE

INCONSISTENT LANGUAGE POLICY CREATES PROBLEMS IN UKRAINE

The Party of Regions (PRU), which strengthened its grip on Ukraine's Russophone east and south after the March 26 parliamentary election, continues to probe the government's weaknesses, challenging it on the sensitive issue of language. The PRU-dominated Donetsk regional council has followed the example of... MORE

BELARUS SEEKS TO EMULATE GERMAN-GAZPROM DEALS

President Alexander Lukashenka's government in Belarus is drawing inspiration from German companies' emergent model of relations with Russia's Gazprom, a model blessed by the German government as well and antithetical to market economics. On May 17, top officials of the Belarus government and the state... MORE