Section: The Huffington Post (USA)
Ukraine’s Uncertain Future
Elizabeth Pond, the respected American author who has reported on Eastern Europe for three decades, recently wrote a eulogy for Ukraine. The seizure of Crimea, Russia’s military rout of the Ukrainians in the east, and the humiliating ceasefire imposed on President Petro Poroshenko, she wrote, meant that Ukraine was again “a borderland...
Washington Must Recognize India as another Great Power to Be
Before becoming prime minister India’s Narendra Modi was barred from receiving a visa to visit the U.S. A rising leader in the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he was tied to deadly sectarian violence. But now, backed by an overwhelming parliamentary majority, he leads one of Asia’s most important powers. The Obama...
Weekend Roundup: Pope Pushes Ajar the Door to Modern Families
This week, Pope Francis sought to push ajar the heavy door of doctrine to accommodate the reality of modern families. In China, leaders of the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement sat down for talks with authorities while the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Beijing pondered how to move forward on “the rule of law.” Elsewhere, in...
Six Things to Watch Out for in Ukraine’s Elections
Parliamentary elections take place in Ukraine on Sunday and are expected to show what direction the under-pressure country is taking. After the Maidan movement protests led to the ouster of the Russian-leaning President Yanukovych in February, a more European-friendly President, Poroshenko was elected in May. This election represents the next...
How NSA Spying, Google and Chlorinated Chickens Are Pitting Germans Against Americans — And What to Do About It
These remarks are adapted from a talk at the Center for European Studies at Harvard on October 23. I see an increased nervousness in my country about America. Even though both our countries have an eagle on their coat of arms, people currently are focused on a different bird: the chicken. And not just any old chicken, but the...
The Russians Aren’t Marching, The Russians Aren’t Marching!
The municipal authorities in Moscow this week denied the right to free assembly to a group of Russian ultranationalists who organize the annual (deep) soul-searching extravaganza known as “The Russian March.” “Senseless and merciless,” the Russian March usually covers multiple cities, delivering the greatest spectacle of...
Russia Still Has Some Troops In Eastern Ukraine, NATO Says
* NATO has suspended practical cooperation with Russia * NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg on first visit to HQ (Updates with quotes, background) By Adrian Croft MONS, Belgium, Oct 24 (Reuters) – Russia still has troops in eastern Ukraine and retains a very capable force on the border despite a partial …read more Source: The...
International Roles in Middle East Policies
China has no strategy, but it has a policy. This is what Chinese experts have said in the course of explaining — or justifying — Chinese policy toward the countries of the Middle East. Russia is clinging to its policy because it is a state that understands strategy and what makes a strategy, from geography to natural resources....
EU Agrees To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cuts
* Overall goal of 40-percent cut in emissions by 2030 * EU says sets example for rest of the world to follow * Environmentalists complain compromise fails to do enough (Adds link to text, industry views, energy security) By Barbara Lewis and Alastair Macdonald …read more Source: The Huffington...
Ukraine’s Vote, Russia’s Fate
STOCKHOLM — When Ukraine’s voters go to the polls on Oct. 26, not only the fate of their country will be at stake; so will the future of a significant part of Europe. To put it simply: the future of Ukraine will decide the future of Russia, and the future of Russia will have a substantial impact on the future of Europe. When the...
