Eurasia

Moldova’s New Electoral Bill Divides the Country

In early March 2017, Vlad Plahotniuc, media mogul and head of the ruling Democratic Party in Moldova, proposed a bill to change the country’s parliamentary electoral system from proportional to first-past-the-post. Plahotniuc realized that under the current proportional electoral...

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EU Visa-Liberalization Strengthens Georgia’s Pro-Western Path

The European Union has taken a major step in its long-lasting struggle with Russia for hegemony over Eastern Europe. In a highly anticipated decision, the EU granted visa-free travel to Georgia in February of this year, and is getting...

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Marathon for Navalny: How Should the Russian Opposition Act in Order to Succeed?

The growing protest movements in Russia and the recent gains of the opposition, such as the anti-corruption marches led by Alexei Navalny, did not lead to a radical weakening of the Putin regime. The government’s power is not currently...

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Public Diplomacy as a National Security Tool

In 2014, Russian Chanel One reported that Ukrainian officials had crucified a three year old boy. The heartbreaking story was told by a sole witness named Galina Pyshnika who presented herself as a pro-Russian refuge from Ukraine. This story...

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Tolerating the “Intolerable Partner:” Once Shunned, Bulgaria’s United Patriots Joins the Governing Coalition

Several weeks after winning a plurality in Bulgaria’s late March parliamentary election, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov did something unprecedented: he brought the nationalist United Patriots (Obedineni Patrioti) into his coalition government. The United Patriots is an electoral alliance of...

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The Changing Geopolitics of Natural Gas in the Black Sea Region

Russian dominance over natural gas deliveries into Europe has been weakening, thanks in large part to the new ways in which natural gas can be transported as well as new sources of supply. These developments are transforming the geopolitics...

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Historical Analogies and Western Policymaking Concerning the Baltic Region

Western policymakers charged with making decisions related to the security and defense of the Baltic states face intractable questions pertaining to uncertainty about Russian interests, intentions, and the future. To address these issues, policymakers should employ the invaluable tool...

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The St. Petersburg Bombing: Why It Won’t Bring America and Russia Together

The Syria Strike: Are the United States and Russia On a Collision Course?

What is EU Visa-Liberalization and Why is Russia so Afraid of it?

Al Majalla The European Union is expanding in an untraditional sense by granting Georgia and Ukraine visa-free travel throughout member states. This process was not easy. Both Georgia and Ukraine face immense domestic and regional challenges. Their economic and political...

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