Foreign Relations: all articles

Wednesday 7th October

Carrots and sticks in Moldova: Russian peacekeepers, big loans and the need for reforms

The rhetoric of the new Moldovan government is not music to the Kremlin's ears. However the powers that be in Chishinau have no choice. Immediately after the present summit of the Community of Independent States, the government has to move ahead with the hard work of serious reform of the economy, judiciary, media and bureaucracy.
Monday 28th September

Will Medvedev meet Obama halfway?

Russia has good reasons to respond positively to Obama's move away from missile defence. But realpolitik suggests they will not prevail

EU-Belarus: can the thaw be for real?

Europe's last dictator recently visited an EU country for the first time in a decade. Europe requires more democracy and economic liberalisation, but only Russia can offer his regime any hope of survival
Monday 21st September

Rid Europe of ‘tac nukes’

After dropping the missile defence system in Eastern Europe, remaining American weapons in Europe should come next
Wednesday 16th September

Battle for Moldova’s political heart

Moldova's long-ruling communists, having recently been dethroned by the four-party Alliance for European Integration (AEI), are struggling to win back lost ground. The frantic activities of communist ex-President Voronin suggest he is not finding democracy easy
Tuesday 8th September

North Caucasus: united we stand, divided we fall!

Responding to oD Russia's recent article by Denis Corboy et al the distinguished Russian commentator Sergei Markedonov disagrees profoundly.  Better to pay attention to the threat political Islam poses to our common values and come up with a joint strategy
Tuesday 1st September

Beware Russia’s three tinderboxes

The West must beware looming crises in North Caucasus, Georgia and Ukraine
Tuesday 18th August

An Insurance Policy for the US-Russia Reset

The "resetting" of US-Russian relations faces many potential pitfalls, says Matthew Rojansky, but the development of US-Russian affinity networks could help the process to keep moving forward
Wednesday 12th August

Europe’s role in Ukraine’s malaise

The EU is wilfully blind to its own role in Ukraine's political destabilisation. The eventual prospect of EU membership is vital for this European country, argues Andreas Umland. It would serve to reconfigure its political discourse and give direction to its people
Monday 3rd August

Medvedev and the new European security architecture

Medvedev's Bush-era dreams of a new regional security architecture appear to be on hold as a result of Obama's "reset". Is there anything left for Europe to respond to in the Russian president's once grand plans?
Wednesday 29th July

Europe, America, Russia: the world-changing tide

An open letter to President Obama is caught in nostalgia and fails to address emerging global realities.
Thursday 16th July

Obama in Moscow - perhaps a B-minus?

President Obama did not perform as well as expected during his recent visit to Moscow argues E. Wayne Merry
Thursday 9th July

Russia – Belarus: an odd couple

Belarus' refusal to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia points its "marriage with Russia"
Wednesday 3rd June

Unlocking the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Reviewing the roots of the roots of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, Alexander Goryanin concludes that Armenia's victory has cost it too much. A more lasting solution will take time
Monday 18th May

Crunch time in the Southern Caucasus

Russia is not happy with events on its southern Caucasus borders
Thursday 7th May

Has Europe dropped the Balkans?

Are the Western Balkans ever going to be part of Europe?  Christophe Solioz reviews the situation since the Thessaloniki Summit of 2003
Friday 1st May

Will There Be a Second Crimean War?

Escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian quarrel over Crimea could destabilise European security
Monday 20th April

Squabbles over the post-Soviet space

Success in 'resetting' US-Russian relations will depend on realism about their future roles in the post-Soviet space
Wednesday 15th April

Russia-Georgia rapprochement? Get real

There can be no Russia-Georgia rapprochement
Wednesday 8th April

Transdniestria and Moldova: unloved, unresolved

A simmering conflict is made all the more intractable by Russian and European indifference. Plus: a blog from the Moldovan protests
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