![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/region-europe.jpg)
Latest Articles about Europe
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Trans-Caspian_International_Transport_Route__TITR__.jpg)
Bypassing Russia, Ukraine Becomes Another “Silk Road” Terminus
Since an uprising unseated the pro-Russian regime of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, relations between Kyiv and Moscow have gone from bad to worse. Responding to a recent ban of Ukrainian imports and seeking a way to reach post-Soviet Central Asian states and... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2__Source_Reuters_.jpg)
Moscow Shifting from Direct Aggression to Building a Fifth Column in Ukraine
Given Moscow’s desire to get out from under the sanctions regime and the almost equal desire of some Western governments to declare victory and lift it, the Kremlin appears likely to do just enough to claim that it has fulfilled the Minsk Accords and the... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/lukashenka_chai.jpeg)
Belarus and the West: A Policy Change Long Overdue
Two recent public opinion polls have highlighted quite revealing results about populations living in Belarus and Ukraine. First, according to the Ukrainian polling firm Rating, the opinions of Ukrainians about Belarus are overwhelmingly positive. In the separatist areas of Donbas (the eastern Ukrainian region encompassing... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Vladimir_Plahotniuc_-_EDM_January_21__2016.jpg)
Regime Change in Moldova: Accomplished but Not Irreversible
On January 20, the Moldovan parliament approved the new government amid violent protests outside the building and opposition protests in the chamber. A presentation of the new government’s program and a questions-and-answers session are legally required, but the ruling democratic party eliminated both from the... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Boris_Gryzlov_-_EDM_January_21__2016.jpg)
Donbas Fields Have Frozen Over, but for Now the Ceasefire Holds
One year ago, bloody battles raged throughout the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. The traditional autumn “rasputitsa” (mud season) usually ends by January: The dirt freezes, allowing trucks, troops and heavy military equipment to maneuver through fields and use unpaved roads. By mid-January 2015, the... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Putin_12.jpg)
Trade War With Russia Prompts Ukraine to Look for New Markets, Transit Routes
Moscow is openly unhappy with the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, which came into effect starting on January 1, 2016. Consequently, Russia has slapped an embargo on Ukrainian food and complicated the transit of Ukrainian goods... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/renzi_merkel.jpg)
Germany Is Real Target of Italy’s Opposition to Russia’s Planned Nord Stream Two
A unique coalition is taking shape in Europe against German-Russian plans to double the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline. Italy has joined a group of countries, mostly from Central-Eastern Europe, in opposing the implementation of this energy project, which is spearheaded by Russia’s state-run gas... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Debaltsevo.jpg)
Russia Bargains and Bluffs for Breakthrough in Ukraine
For months, the various negotiations formats on conflict management in Ukraine appeared deadlocked. But suddenly, in mid-January 2016, signs of a breakthrough in the making have multiplied—bringing both hopes and concerns to all the parties involved. The most meaningful of these signs was United States... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Vlad_Plahtniuc_2.jpg)
Moldova: President Versus Plutocrat
Moldova’s presidency remains the last institutional obstacle to a full takeover of power by the country’s wealthiest businessman, Vladimir Plahotniuc, and his entourage. The latter controls key positions in the judiciary and law enforcement, took over control of the parliament recently, subduing or breaking up... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Vladimir_Plahotniuc_-_EDM_January_14__2016.jpg)
Plahotniuc Reshuffles Moldova’s Parliament, Claims Prime Minister’s Post
Moldova’s wealthiest businessman and shadowy politician, Vladimir Plahotniuc, finally stepped into the limelight on January 13 and announced his candidacy for the post of prime minister (Unimedia, IPN, January 13). Almost overnight, he assembled a heterogeneous collection of satellite parties and splinter factions to ensure... MORE