Belarus’s relations with Russia, the country’s most powerful neighbor and donor, have markedly deteriorated in recent weeks. On the surface, nothing seems to be further complicating the Belarusian-Russian relationship, beyond Russia’s so-called oil-tax maneuver (making oil more expensive for Belarus—see EDM, January 14) and hardline... MORE

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron each conferred with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Berlin and Paris, respectively, on the same day, April 12, between the two rounds of Ukraine’s presidential election. With challenger Volodymyr Zelensky far ahead in the opinion polls,... MORE

It seems logical that, given the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military frequently plays a significant role in political life. The presidential election of 2019 is, therefore, no exception. Almost all major candidates have to some degree used themes of war and the... MORE

In 2014, the dramatic deterioration of political relations between Russia and the West resulted in the Kremlin’s growing emphasis on military-patriotic upbringing of Russian youth. However, in spite of certain seemingly noble goals (e.g., elimination of youth criminality, the integration of less fortunate children and... MORE

In 2019, Romania will face three major defense policy challenges, which, if not handled efficiently, will hinder its ability to deter aggression on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) eastern flank and improve its military posture in the Black Sea region. These challenges affect the... MORE

Although there are still no official statistics as to its size, the exodus of ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers from Kazakhstan has clearly accelerated since Nursultan Nazarbayev resigned as president last month. Nazarbayev was the last central Soviet-era leader of the republic and a man viewed... MORE

On April 10, 2019, at 10 p.m., fireworks lit up the Moscow sky and a gun salute thundered through the city (Vzglyad, April 10). Gun salutes are a traditional way to commemorate important, mostly military-connected Russian holidays, but April 10 was a working Wednesday and... MORE

On April 4, during a meeting, in Brussels, of the European Union–Azerbaijan Cooperation Council, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov emphasized that the two sides “are very close” to reaching a new partnership agreement, with over 90 percent of the issues in question already decided. The... MORE

During his visit to Crimea and Sevastopol, on March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the importance of patriotic education for schoolchildren and teenagers. In his address, Putin emphasized such notions as “patriotism,” “love for the Fatherland,” and “knowledge of history” as the Russian nation’s... MORE

On April 9, Kazakhstani acting president Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, who assumed office on March 20, after the resignation of his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev (see EDM, March 27), delivered his first address to the nation. In his speech, the former speaker of the Senate, whose current term... MORE