Russia
No shock in Russian election: But can Europe surprise Putin?
26 March 2018
After his re-election, the West is more likely to face Putin the aggressive nationalist than Putin the economic reformer. It should respond firmly.
British foreign policy after Brexit: Hand in hand?
22 March 2018
British foreign policy priorities will change little after Brexit, but London will need to find new ways to rally EU support for them.
Bulletin Issue 119 - April/May 2018
22 March 2018
- The member-states and the EU: Taking back control?, Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
- British foreign policy after Brexit: Hand in hand?, Ian Bond
- Europe's cyber problem, Camino Mortera-Martinez
Plugging in the British: EU foreign policy
06 March 2018
As part of the EU, the UK has been able to leverage the resources of other member-states to support Britain’s foreign and development priorities. After Brexit, that will be harder.
Nord Stream 2: More hot air than gas?
12 January 2018
Some EU member-states see the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as Russia’s latest anti-European weapon. But even if they are right, the threat can be mitigated.
The EU, the Eurasian Economic Union and One Belt, One Road: Can they work together?
16 March 2017
The EU, Russia's Eurasian Economic Union and China's One Belt, One Road initiative may become rival spheres of influence. But could they complement each other instead?
Russia, the West and Eastern Europe: Lenin's long shadow
26 January 2017
Russia's neighbours in Eastern Europe are dogged by their Soviet legacy. Both Russia and the West need better strategies to deal with Europe's contested spaces.
Russia and China: Partners of choice and necessity?
08 December 2016
Russia and China are not natural allies. Western policy should reflect their different interests, not drive them together. China may be the easier one to accommodate.
No denial: How NATO can deter a creeping Russian threat
09 February 2016
Russia is sowing uncertainty about its intentions on NATO's eastern borders. At the Warsaw Summit in June, NATO should take steps to strengthen its deterrence.
The insoluble Syrian problem: Only wrong answers?
29 September 2015
No-one, including Putin, has a peace plan for Syria. The EU should stop pursuing unrealistic military and political aims and focus on helping the war’s victims.
The battle for reform in Kyiv
16 September 2015
The government in Kyiv has introduced some important reforms. But vested interests and corruption are thwarting its efforts to modernise the state and the economy.
Chasing the dragon: Russia's courtship of China
04 August 2015
Russia wants the West to fear a Moscow-Beijing axis. But China sees Russia as a route to Europe, not a destination in itself.
Greek foreign policy: The next ruin?
27 July 2015
Grexit could create a foreign policy mess for Europe. Despite its Russophilia, Syriza's current foreign policy may be the best on offer.
The four horsemen circling the European Council summit
24 June 2015
Grexit, the Mediterranean crisis, Russia's aggression and the British question will continue to sow discord in Europe. Unless leaders can think European, not national.
The Riga Summit: Enter, pursued by a bear
18 May 2015
The future of the EU’s Eastern Partnership is uncertain. Though it is under pressure from Russian hostility and EU apathy, it can and should be saved.
Two cheers for Ukraine
30 April 2015
Ukraine’s reforms are advancing, but the Minsk peace deal is hard to implement; the military situation is threatening; and the economy is tottering. The EU should help more.
The slow dance between Minsk and Brussels
10 April 2015
Buffeted by events in Ukraine, Belarus’s leaders are trying to balance their dependency on Moscow by enhancing ties with the EU. Brussels is responding.
Frozen: The politics and economics of sanctions against Russia
16 March 2015
Western sanctions are hurting Russia more than Europe. They will remain an essential tool to prevent a strong and aggressive Russia dominating its neighbours.
Reduced to rouble? An update on the Russian economy
24 February 2015
The Russian economy is heading for a long recession. Economic collapse, which could still occur, is not in the West's interests.
Russia's war in Ukraine: Is Minsk the end, or just the start?
13 February 2015
Putin was the winner in Minsk. Fighting in Ukraine is paused, not finished. Ukraine must reform faster, while the West adapts to confrontation with Russia.