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.

New Atlanticist

May 21, 2018

The Atlantic Council Must be Open to Dialogue—Even if Critics Disagree

By John E. Herbst

I am sorry to see the letter from a group that opposes a private dinner that we are holding with Peter Aven and Mikhail Fridman of Alfa Group. I have the greatest of respect for this distinguished group of people, and we have more often been on the same side when it comes to campaigning […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

May 21, 2018

Oligarchs from Alfa Group Should be Asked Critical Questions at the Atlantic Council Dinner

By The Undersigned (Signatories Below)

Last week we—Russian and US experts and activists—learned that an off-the-record roundtable dinner with Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, principals of the Alfa Group, will be held on May 21 at the Atlantic Council. These Kremlin regime insiders are both listed on the January update of the US government list “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions […]

Russia

UkraineAlert

May 21, 2018

Former Defense Minister Hrytsenko Is Finally Having His Moment in the Sun

By Vitalii Rybak

Anatoliy Hrytsenko, Ukraine’s defense minister from 2005 to 2007, is finally having his moment in the sun. The latest poll shows that 12.7 percent of Ukrainians who have made up their minds would vote for Hrytsenko in the first round of the 2019 presidential election. This is progress compared to his previous results. The 2019 […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 17, 2018

Ukraine’s New Populists: Who They Are and Why They’re Dangerous

By Volodymyr Yermolenko

Populists are flourishing almost everywhere. The demand for simple solutions in a complicated world makes their messages resonate. Ukraine is no exception. The country’s situation with numerous security and economic hardships provides fertile ground for populists. Over the last four years, Ukraine has embraced a number of painful structural reforms that have been partially successful. […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 17, 2018

How to Make Sense of Japan’s Delicate Balance Between Russia and Ukraine

By Maria Shagina

Showing solidarity with other G7 countries following Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine, Japan imposed sanctions on Russia—albeit reluctantly. The Ukraine crisis occurred amid Japan’s efforts to reinvigorate Japan-Russia relations in the hope of solving the long-standing territorial dispute over the Northern territories (the Kuril Islands in Russian). Subsequently, maintaining Japan’s balance between other G7 countries […]

China Japan

New Atlanticist

May 16, 2018

Russia is Anxious About War. Here’s How the United States Should Respond

By Ariel Cohen

US President Donald J. Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal may increase the prospects of instability in the Middle East. However, Russia is likely to interpret this instability through the prism of what many politicians and analysts in Moscow like to call the “approaching global confrontation with the United […]

Russia

UkraineAlert

May 16, 2018

Do Ukraine’s Reformers Have a Real Shot at the Presidency?

By Melinda Haring

Ukraine’s opposition is a mess—but this is hardly news. Through Ukraine’s nearly three decades of independence, its opposition has never gotten its act together. Consequently, the same corrupt elite continues to govern the country of 45 million to its detriment. Ukraine managed to squander the gains of its street revolution in 2004, and as the […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 15, 2018

What Does Ukraine’s New Military Approach Toward the Donbas Mean?

By Vera Zimmerman

Ukraine wants to reframe its approach to resolving the ongoing conflict with Russia. Beginning last month, the military is now in charge of ground operations. The launch of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) replaced the four-year Anti-Terrorism Operation (ATO) and marks Ukraine’s shift to a more active defense. President Petro Poroshenko thinks that the new […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 15, 2018

The Only Way to Improve Ukraine’s Courts

By Mykhailo Zhernakov

No state can function without justice, and Ukraine is no exception.  For years, corruption and the absence of justice, together with Russian military aggression, have held back the country. After four years of struggle and numerous pieces of legislation, there has been little progress. Ukraine started out with a good idea: reformers wanted to create […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

May 14, 2018

Absurd Price Hikes and Epic Hospitality: Kyiv’s Champions League Showcases Best and Worst of Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

Kyiv’s preparations to host the 2018 Champions League Final on May 26 have been something of a rollercoaster ride that has highlighted the very best and worst of Ukraine. The international media buildup to the big match began with a flurry of negative stories criticizing Ukrainian hoteliers and apartment rental services for inflating prices to […]

Ukraine
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