Commentary & Analysis

Working with a wide community of experts and thought-leaders, the Eurasia Center delivers cutting-edge analysis and commentary on issues affecting Eurasia and the transatlantic community.

UkraineAlert

Nov 2, 2020

Winners and losers of Ukraine’s local elections

By Brian Mefford

Incumbent mayors emerged as the big winners of Ukraine's recent local elections with voters preferring familiar faces to rival candidates representing the country's major national political parties.

Elections Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 1, 2020

Zelenskyy vows to thwart Kremlin counter-revolution

By Anders Åslund

A new ruling by Ukraine's Constitutional Court threatens to dismantle the entire anti-corruption framework established since 2014 and derail years of historic progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

BelarusAlert

Oct 30, 2020

Belarus uprising enters dangerous new phase

By Doug Klain

Events in Belarus continued to escalate this week as pro-democracy protesters attempted to initiate a nationwide general strike and the Lukashenka regime responded with a heavy-handed crackdown.

Belarus Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 29, 2020

Reform-minded Russian industrialists can help the US contain Vladimir Putin

By Stephen Blank

Independent and reform-minded Russian industrialists are potentially important allies for the United States and other Western powers as they seek to push back against Vladimir Putin's foreign policy adventurism.

Oil and Gas Russia

UkraineAlert

Oct 29, 2020

Kremlin memory wars and the search for a unifying Ukrainian national identity

By Olesya Khromeychuk

Ukraine's post-Soviet quest for an inclusive national identity capable of uniting the country has had to contend with memory wars fueled by domestic political rivalries and renewed Russian imperial ambitions.

Conflict Disinformation

New Atlanticist

Oct 28, 2020

Hopes dim for reformed Kyrgyzstan as new president consolidates power

By Andrew D’Anieri

"Kyrgyzstan stands at a dangerous crossroads," Noah Tucker says, "with leadership in parliament and the executive now firmly held by an unelected leader."

Central Asia Corruption

New Atlanticist

Oct 27, 2020

Georgia’s parliamentary elections are surrounded by uncertainty

By Nino Ghvinadze and Laura Linderman

Amidst a global pandemic and the sudden escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, Georgia is holding its first parliamentary elections since hard-fought electoral reforms were approved in June 2020 and several dramatic developments have increased uncertainty about the outcome.

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions

New Atlanticist

Oct 26, 2020

Five big questions as America votes: Eurasia

By Eurasia Center

Easy answers to the Eurasia region have long eluded both a Trump administration and Vice President Biden when he served in the Obama administration—will an electoral victory now give the next US president the momentum needed to manage these foreign policy challenges?

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 25, 2020

Ukrainian local elections: Zelenskyy fairytale is over

By Anders Åslund

Ukraine's October 25 local elections served as a vote of no confidence in President Zelenskyy's ruling Servant of the People party and reflected a deep sense of disillusionment with all national political parties.

Democratic Transitions Elections

UkraineAlert

Oct 24, 2020

Ukraine’s gas market reforms can fuel change across Eastern Europe

By Aura Sabadus

Ukraine’s post-2014 energy sector experience is both a success story and a role model. It is also proving increasingly persuasive in a neighborhood where energy sector reform is long overdue.

Eastern Europe Energy Markets & Governance

The Eurasia Center’s mission is to promote policies that strengthen stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.