War in Ukraine

Putin Has Already Won. What Will He Do Now?

By Dean Jackson

Vladimir Putin has already won next week’s presidential election. He is the only viable candidate in a field of Kremlin approved have-beens and sell-outs; considerable administrative resources have been marshaled to secure his first-round victory; and he retains popularity measurably greater than that of his affiliated party. His actions following this long-expected victory will signal […]

Living With Putin Redux

By Ross Wilson

Few people think that the upcoming Russian presidential election will result in anything other than Vladimir Putin’s restoration to the Kremlin. No credible opposition figure exists – or can be allowed to exist given the logic of the Russian system. Putin may not get the 51per cent required for a first round win, but victory […]

Post-Revolutionary Institutional Reform in Egypt: Lessons From the Ukraine

By Nadine Abdalla

 Most historians agree that the first wave of democratic transitions that swept Eastern Europe in the late 1980s – transforming Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic – was  significantly more successful than the second wave that occurred in countries such as Ukraine, Serbia, and Georgia, proving yet again that the road to reform and democracy […]

Ukraine’s President Yanukovych sacks his Defense Minister

By Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

From Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:  Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has sacked Defense Minister Mykhailo Yezhel, replacing him with Dmytro Salamatin.

Time for the EU to End Double Standards on Corruption

By Taras Kuzio

A resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on January 26 called for the release of political prisoners in Ukraine, including former prime minister and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko with “the possible consideration of sanctions if the Assembly’s demands are not met.”

Managing US-Russian Relations During the Year of Political Transitions: A Perspective from Moscow

On January 27, the Atlantic Council held an off-the-record discussion on developments in Russia and in US-Russian relations with Dr. Sergey Rogov, the director for the Institute for US and Canadian Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Ambassador Richard Burt, Senior Advisor at McLarty Associates and member of the Atlantic Council’s Board of Directors, […]

Ukraine Boosts Military Budget by 30%

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Ukraine’s 2012 military spending will increase by around 30 percent, to about $2 billion or 1.1 percent of GDP, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s financial department said on Wednesday.