Democratic Transitions

Ukraine’s veterans can transform the country’s postwar political landscape

By Kateryna Odarchenko

While the Russian invasion of Ukraine is still far from over, it already looks likely that Ukrainian military veterans will play a key role in their country's postwar politics, writes Kateryna Odarchenko.

Georgia launches new push to adopt Russian-style foreign agent law

By Mercedes Sapuppo

Georgia’s ruling party has revived plans to pass legislation tightening restrictions on civil society, despite the fact that the same draft law sparked mass protests just one year ago, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

Ukraine’s Belarusian volunteers create headaches for Putin ally Lukashenka

By Alesia Rudnik

Thousands of Belarusians are currently fighting for Ukraine and make no secret of their ambitions to eventually topple pro-Kremlin Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka, writes Alesia Rudnik.

Why Africans hold the future of global democracy in their hands

By Rama Yade

By the end of 2024, the face of political Africa will—theoretically—no longer be the same. With nineteen elections scheduled this year, the continent will see presidents leave who were elected more than ten years ago (in Senegal and Ghana), uncertain civilian transitions (in Chad, Mali, and Burkina Faso), high-stakes elections (as in South Africa), and […]

Ukraine’s partners should link wartime aid to continued reform progress

By Mykhailo Zhernakov, Nestor Barchuk

It is crucial for Ukraine’s international allies to link continued wartime financial assistance with the implementation of reforms, write Mykhailo Zhernakov and Nestor Barchuk.

“Ukraine is Russia”: Medvedev reveals imperial ambitions fueling invasion

By Taras Kuzio

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has underlined the imperialism fueling the invasion of Ukraine by rejecting Ukrainian statehood and declaring "Ukraine is definitely Russia," writes Taras Kuzio.

Isobel Coleman: The arc of history is, in fact, still bending toward greater freedom and prosperity

This speech was delivered by Isobel Coleman, deputy administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the annual Freedom and Prosperity dinner on February 26, 2024. Thank you, Fred, for that introduction. It’s a pleasure to be here with all of you tonight, and to be speaking with you from the Anderson […]

Complicated history helps Russian narratives about Ukraine find a foothold in the Middle East

By the Digital Forensic Research Lab

Across the Arabic-speaking world, the narratives amplified by Russian state media and local media partners are framed in a way that appeals to audiences in the region and their complicated history with the West.

Prime Minister Succès Masra on Chad’s democratic transition and regional challenges

By Daniel Hojnacki

Speaking at the Atlantic Council, Masra outlined the transitional government’s priorities for building stronger and more inclusive democratic institutions.

No opposition candidates allowed in Belarus dictator’s “sham” elections

By Hanna Liubakova

Sunday’s parliamentary and local elections in Belarus were among the most flawed in the thirty-year reign of the country’s authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, writes Hanna Liubakova.