Commentary & Analysis

Nerve-Racking November: Ukraine’s Energy Subsidies Leave Some in the Cold

By Oksana Bedratenko

“The first week of November is so nerve-racking. Until I get the bill, I don’t know if my subsidy has been extended for this heating season and what amount will it cover,” my friend’s mother, a 69-year old pensioner in Kyiv, said when I called to check on her. “With these high utility prices—if the […]

Hungary Descends into Nationalist Bolshevism

By David Koranyi and Chris Maroshegyi

In 2010, Viktor Orbán was swept to power on the back of a populist backlash against Hungary’s left-wing government, which was mired in corruption scandals and criticized for austerity measures it adopted in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Today, Orbán threatens Hungary’s democratic character. As prime minister, Orbán has embarked on a dangerous […]

Here’s How to Fix Public Broadcasting in Ukraine

By Roman Shutov

Zurab Alasania’s resignation from the position of director general of the National TV and Radio Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (NTU) has roused concerns about the future of public broadcasting reform in Ukraine. Although some experts believe it is already too late to reverse reforms, the coming months will determine the future of public broadcasting just […]

Four Swift Blows to Putin’s Influence in Europe

By John E. Herbst

Moscow retains substantial influence in Europe. However, its ability to leverage that influence against Ukraine appears to be declining, as four decisions over the past two months illustrate. Moscow’s intervention in Syria is weakening the Kremlin’s position vis a vis Ukraine in the views of European policymakers. This was evident on October 12 at the […]

Dealing with Putin

By Ashish Kumar Sen

As presidential nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have taken divergent views of Russia and its relationship with the United States. Clinton, a Democrat who as secretary of state presented a big red “reset” button to her Russian counterpart in 2009, has taken a hawkish view of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Trump, on the other hand, […]

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Putin?

Russia’s cyberattacks and its aggression in Syria and Ukraine have created a climate of concern leading up to the US presidential election, but, rather than give in to hysteria, the next administration must consider policy approaches that manage the relationship with Russia and are focused on common interests, a professor of political science said at […]

‘Null Set’ Not the Answer to Putin’s Cyberattacks

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, suggests a measured response The United States must respond to the cyberattacks it has accused Russia of carrying out without triggering an all-out cyber war, retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, said at the Atlantic Council on […]

Why the Revelation of Officials’ Cash, Cars, and a Church Will Change Ukraine for Good

By Anders Åslund

In a bout of extraordinary transparency, 50,000 Ukrainian officials have declared their assets and incomes and it is easily accessible to the interested public. A staggering amount of wealth has been revealed and this very act is likely to have changed Ukraine for good. As declarations arrived on the publicly accessible register, it recorded the […]

Erdogan: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Russian Encirclement

By Stephen Blank

Less than six months ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly complained that the Black Sea had become a Russian lake and sought regional and NATO cooperation against this threat. Russia and Turkey’s long-standing relationship was on the rocks, especially after Turkey had shot down a Russian fighter plane over Syria in November 2015. In […]

United Russia: Party of Crooks and Thieves, and Then Some

By Ilya Yashin

To international observers, Russia’s ruling party might appear to be a typical political organization. But in fact, there is a deep connection between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political party, United Russia, and organized crime. The party has become riddled with corruption and lawlessness, and the way to fortune and unbridled power in Russia today is […]