Latest Articles about Domestic/Social

Zelenskyy’s Mariupol Speech on Donbas Hints at Forthcoming Strategy
Addressing a forum in Mariupol (port city in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Donetsk province) on October 31, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined an upcoming “state strategy for the reintegration of Donbas and Crimea” into Ukraine. The dual-purpose forum included a conference for international and Ukrainian... MORE

Russian Military Lobbies Duma Allies for Increased Defense Funds
In 1961, three days before leaving office, United States President Dwight Eisenhower warned against the military-industrial complex, a term that resonates to this day. But in fact, the outgoing commander-in-chief had originally intended to speak of “a military-industrial-congressional complex” because he believed he saw the... MORE

Oleg Deripaska and His Business Empire: Security Risks for Ukraine
In May 2018, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine placed Russian billionaire and “aluminum magnate” Oleg Deripaska, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as three companies related to him (United Company RUSAL and its Moscow- and Cyprus-based branches, Judson... MORE

Ukrainian Protests Against the Steinmeier Formula—A View From the Ground
“No to Capitulation” protests have swept Ukraine after the country’s delegation to the Minsk Contact Group agreed, on October 1, to the implementation of the so-called “Steinmeier Formula” for the resolution of the Donbas conflict and the withdrawal of forces in two frontline locations (Zolote... MORE

At Second Minsk Dialogue Forum, Belarus Seeks to Redefine Its Reputation
This year’s (October 7–8) Minsk Dialogue forum, entitled, “European Security: Stepping Back from the Brink,” attracted over 700 participants from Europe, Russia, the United States, Belarus and China (Minskdialogue.by, October 10), exceeding the number of attendees at the first such gathering, held in May 2018... MORE

Russian Top Brass Gain Greater Political Weight
The Grom 2019 exercise of Russian strategic forces last week (October 15–17) received limited media attention, which was overwhelmed by the escalation of the Syrian calamity (see EDM, October 17) and the continuation of the Brexit drama. But this year’s Grom maneuvers were, in fact,... MORE

Will Latvia Follow the Estonian or the Ukrainian Path in Orthodox Church Affairs?
The future of Christian Orthodoxy in Latvia faces a choice between the Estonian scenario, in which there will be two Orthodox Churches recognized by Riga (one subordinate to Moscow and the other to Constantinople), or the Ukrainian one, in which there will emerge a single... MORE

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Discusses War and Peace With Russia in Marathon Briefing (Part One)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suddenly lost American strategic policy mentoring at a juncture where he needs it more than ever. The consequences came starkly to light in Zelenskyy’s 14-hour briefing for some 300 Ukrainian and international journalists, hosted by the head of state on... MORE

Russia Claims Uzbekistan Will Soon Join Eurasian Union
On October 2, while on an official visit to Tashkent, the chairperson of Russia’s Federation Council (upper chamber of parliament), Valentina Matviyenko, unexpectedly announced Uzbekistan’s supposed intention to join the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) (RIA News, October 2). Days later, another Russian politician, Farid Mukhamedshin,... MORE

Can Western Support Actually Help Tbilisi in Its Standoff With Moscow?
The ministers of foreign affairs of Georgia and Russia, David Zalkaliani and Sergei Lavrov, respectively, met on September 26, in New York, on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (Kommersant, September 27). This was the first ministerial-level meeting between... MORE