Ukraine
EU should prevent any disruption of Ukrainian elections
Incumbent Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s supporters are trying to portray opponent Volodymyr Zelenskiy as pro-Russian. But there is no evidence of his “pro-Russianness”, and he has explicitly backed plans to join NATO and the EU, writes Oleg Sukhov.
Ukraine tempted by the Trump model
Voters in Ukraine may be tempted by a Trump-style option at Presidential elections at the end of March. Be careful what you wish for, warns Dmitriy Frolovskiy.
Patriotism, pressure, populism: How Poroshenko can win
In Ukraine’s upcoming presidential election, the candidate disliked by most could actually win, writes Balász Jarábik.
Ukraine’s elections highlight deep divides over natural gas
The direction of Ukraine’s energy policies is of great interest to observers in Brussels and the European capitals, as a stable and prosperous Ukraine would increase overall European energy security, writes Robert Rapier.
Russian Orthodoxy, a security issue in Ukraine
The politico-spiritual move away from Russian Orthodoxy, presented by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as a major national security issue, has deeply angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has political ambitions in the region, writes Willy Fautré.
Azov Sea tensions: OSCE offers its good offices
Ukraine and Russia should seize the opportunity for dialogue and diplomacy at this week’s annual meeting of Foreign Ministers from countries of the world’s largest regional security organisation, the OSCE, write Enzo Moavero Milanesi and Thomas Greminger.
Kerch Strait attack testifies that Kremlin’s aggression has no limits
The leniency of the West encouraged Russia to take its aggression against Ukraine to a new level, writes Mykola Tochytskyi, who puts forward several recommendations.
The Sakharov Prize winner is dying behind Russian bars
The only way to save the Ukrainian citizens from the Russian captivity is consistent international pressure and our unity, writes Mykola Tochytskyi
Russia is undermining Europe’s key democratic institution
Russia’s possible return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe would mean that even institutions created to defend European values are no longer able to do so, writes Volodymyr Yermolenko.
TRACECA could have been the backbone of Belt and Road
In the early 1990’s, the EU had actually paved the way for Euro-Asian connectivity programmes with TRACECA, a programme meant to promote regional transport dialogue. However, its attention to the initiative dwindled over the years, writes Nicola Contessi.
Ukraine’s energy liberalisation opportunity should not be missed
The reform and modernisation of Ukraine’s energy market is vital to the future of Ukraine, but can also play a very important role in the energy security and economic development of the region, and the wider European continent, writes Maxim Timchenko.
Visegrad plus Ukraine = V5?
Ukraine hopes that the Slovak presidency of the Visegrad group will resuscitate stalled cooperation between the group and the Eastern European country. But Kyiv still has a lot to learn about how the V4 does business, warns Hennadiy Maksak.
US-Russia relations beyond Helsinki
For the US, Ukraine is important. For Russia, Ukraine is everything, writes Jacob L. Shapiro for Geopolitical Futures. Jacob L. Shapiro is the Director of Analysis for Geopolitical Futures, a global analysis company founded and led by George Friedman, an...
Ukrainian reforms – is the glass half full or half empty?
Over the last four years, Ukraine has made some tremendous changes to become a functioning market economy and a liberal democracy, a feat which is scarcely recognised by others, writes Ivan Miklos.
The EU has a duty to the population of Donbas
In Donbass, Ukraine is experiencing a catastrophe comparable with the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Now as then, it is urgent to restore the confidence of the affected people in the state and their trust to each other, argues Sergii Parashyn.
Bringing the Eastern Partnership closer to the citizens
The Eastern Partnership can only be successful if people feel and believe in its positive results and see concrete improvements in their daily lives, write Micheil Dschanelidse and Michael Roth.
A low-key Eastern Partnership Summit
Instead of grand declarations, a low-key Eastern Partnership Summit focusing on concrete deliverables can be just what both the EU and the EaP countries need, write Igor Merheim-Eyre and Katarzyna Sobieraj.
Russian blackmail in the Council of Europe?
The Council of Europe (CoE) could become the first European institution to lift sanctions imposed on Russia for annexing Crimea and military aggression in Eastern Ukraine. This would be a major blow to democratic values on the European continent, write Volodymyr Yermolenko and Sergiy Sydorenko.
Speaking with facts about Ukraine’s law on education
It is high time to stop politicizing the new Ukrainian Law on education, writes Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU, Mykola Tochytskyi.
More than javelins, Ukraine needs change
I remember Ukraine as a friendlier place. But my country’s recent uptick of expelling foreigners it considers inconvenient belies a less hospitable, darker trend. The government that grew out of Ukraine’s 2014 “Revolution of Peoples’ Dignity” now has some Ukrainians reminiscing about the more tolerant, less corrupt government it overthrew, writes Serhiy Lyovochkin.
Here’s what a realistic Ukraine settlement may look like
The idea of Ukraine joining NATO should be taken off the table, but the issue of Crimea may be hardest to solve, writes Josh Cohen.
Three risks and three scenarios for Ukraine
Between 2014 and 2017, Ukraine's leadership failed to transform the country's old post-Soviet Russia oligarchic system into a European and Western-style democracy. The transformation is inefficient and slow, and this entails risk, writes Roman Rukomeda.
Europe should stop following US
President Trump walks the talk with his "America First". But US Congress also supports this mantra. It is high time that the EU defends its own legitimate interests, including with respect to trade and energy relations with Russia, writes Tom Sauer.