Europe & Eurasia

Russia Looking for an Exit?

By James J. Coyle

As Russia increases its support for beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, rebels in eastern Ukraine have observed a ceasefire since September 1. The second Minsk ceasefire agreement, signed in February, had been repeatedly violated. But things have changed. Some separatist leaders have left the area, returning to posh jobs in Moscow. Former Donetsk Prime Minister […]

A Failed European Response to Migrant Crisis Will Hurt Transatlantic Ties, says Norwegian Defense Minister

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A failure to deal appropriately with the migrant crisis will cause rifts within Europe that will have serious implications for transatlantic unity, Norway’s Defense Minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide, said at the Atlantic Council on September 24. “How we handle the ongoing refugee crisis will be a test for Europe,” Søreide said while describing the magnitude […]

PKK-Turkey Conflict Could Hurt Kurdish Fight Against ISIS in Syria

By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) operating in Syria and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq have become indirect partners of the Western anti-Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) coalition. In July 2015, however, the Turkish Armed Forces launched airstrikes against PKK targets following an attack that killed two policemen.

Kremlin: Russia Will Take Countermeasures if US Places New Nuclear Weapons in Germany

By AP, International Business Times, and Reuters

From AP:  The Kremlin says Russia will take countermeasures if the U.S. places new nuclear weapons at a base in Germany.

Will the European Union’s Plan to Distribute Migrants Hurt Europe?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

European ministers on September 22 approved a plan that would force EU member states to take in their share of 120,000 migrants, a majority of whom are fleeing the war in Syria. In an unusual break from procedure, which emphasizes consensus on issues of national sovereignty, the ministers decided the issue on the basis of […]

Creating ‘A Piece of America’ in the Carpathian Mountains

Camp America, located at a charmingly rustic resort in Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains, welcomed twenty young Ukrainians for a week in August. For most of them, Camp America—a 24/7 English-language environment where all activities are conducted in English—was their first experience with native English speakers. “I like to tell our students that there are three international […]

Ukraine’s President Poroshenko Says Staying Out of NATO Alliance was a ‘Criminal’ Mistake

By Efrem Lukatsky, AP

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday told the country’s security council that staying out of the NATO alliance was a “criminal” policy that his government is ready to reverse….

Russian Involvement in Syria is Part of Larger Kremlin Strategy to Project Power in Europe and the Middle East

By Stephen Blank

Predictably, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intervention in Syria surprised the West. While it seems we’ve now figured out Putin’s objectives there, how they fit into Russia’s larger strategy still remains obscure. But we must begin to address that larger strategy even if the analysis remains incomplete. Besides sustaining Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as long as […]