Promoting European strategic sovereignty in the eastern neighbourhood
The EU’s tendency to shy away from security issues has helped make covert operations and military threats Russia’s tools of choice in the region
To remain relevant in the region, the European Union needs a coherent and consistent strategy to promote its interests and values together with the political will to follow this through. ECFR’s Wider Europe programme was launched in 2007 with the aim of fostering this process.
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Hostage state: How to free Bosnia from Dayton’s paralysing grip
Restoring independence to the judiciary and strengthening the rule of law are key to the country’s future stability and success
The best defence: Why the EU should forge security compacts with its eastern neighbours
If the EU is to be more geopolitically influential in its own neighbourhood, it needs to start developing strategic security partnerships with key neighbours to the east and the south
Events
14 Dec
Why Europe needs a vaccine against baseless challenges to election results
In supporting Trump’s lies and his refusal to concede, some eastern European governments are grooming their supporters to reject the result of any election they might lose
How to advance a European solution to Bulgaria’s and North Macedonia’s dispute
North Macedonia was on a seemingly good track towards EU accession, until Bulgaria's objection in November. But it is not too late to break the deadlock
Promoting European strategic sovereignty in the eastern neighbourhood
The EU’s tendency to shy away from security issues has helped make covert operations and military threats Russia’s tools of choice in the region
Military lessons from Nagorno-Karabakh: Reason for Europe to worry
The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war holds important lessons for European defence. European governments should study it urgently.
Glass half full: The EU’s policy on Belarus
The current renaissance of civil society in Belarus has been possible thanks to, among other things, the development of the EU’s dialogue with the country in recent years
Separate ways: Contrasting elections in Georgia and Moldova
Recent elections have seen Georgia’s ruling party dig in, while Moldova’s has lost the presidency
‘Polarus’ in the making: How the Polish government is learning from Russia
The Law and Justice party is learning from Vladimir Putin’s regime. And ordinary Poles are learning how to oppose it.
Hostage state: How to free Bosnia from Dayton’s paralysing grip
Restoring independence to the judiciary and strengthening the rule of law are key to the country’s future stability and success
China goes granular: Beijing’s multi-level approach to the Western Balkans
China’s granular engagement with the Western Balkans is inconspicuous, has the capacity to exploit differences between national policies, and can harness local entrepreneurship to develop ties with the country
Misrule of law: Ukraine’s constitutional crisis
President Volodymyr Zelensky could violate the constitution as he tries to prevent the Constitutional Court from dismantling governance reforms
Lukashenka besieged: Russia’s plans for Belarus
Unrest in Belarus has forced Moscow to look for new ways to strengthen its political and economic control in the country
Publications
Promoting European strategic sovereignty in the eastern neighbourhood
The EU’s tendency to shy away from security issues has helped make covert operations and military threats Russia’s tools of choice in the region
Hostage state: How to free Bosnia from Dayton’s paralysing grip
Restoring independence to the judiciary and strengthening the rule of law are key to the country’s future stability and success
The best defence: Why the EU should forge security compacts with its eastern neighbours
If the EU is to be more geopolitically influential in its own neighbourhood, it needs to start developing strategic security partnerships with key neighbours to the east and the south
Lessons from Belarus: How the EU can support clean elections in Moldova and Georgia
The EU should make use of its significant leverage in Georgia and Moldova to counter their ruling parties’ extensive repertoire of electoral dirty tricks
A new Gaza: Turkey’s border policy in northern Syria
EU member states can find ways to cooperate with Turkey to support stabilisation in parts of the safe zone, without violating their interests and core principle
A problem shared: Russia and the transformation of Europe’s eastern neighbourhood
Failure to strengthen Eastern Partnership states could strengthen Russia and allow authoritarianism to diffuse westward into the EU
The power of perspective: Why EU membership still matters in the Western Balkans
The EU should demonstrate its commitment to the Western Balkans by encouraging countries there to resolve their outstanding disputes
The last of the offended: Russia’s first post-Putin diplomats
Russia’s new generation of foreign policy professionals bring with them a shift in attitudes that challenges centrality of “the West” in Russian foreign policy
Zelensky unchained: What Ukraine’s new political order means for its future
Introduction Volodymyrska Hill, Kyiv, on a June evening in 2019. Kyivans and tourists stroll along the riverside park’s newly relaid paths, many wending their way…
Guarding the guardians: Ukraine’s security and judicial reforms under Zelensky
The EU, US, and NATO must ensure that these services remain high in the minds of the Zelensky administration and of Rada members
Articles
Why Europe needs a vaccine against baseless challenges to election results
In supporting Trump’s lies and his refusal to concede, some eastern European governments are grooming their supporters to reject the result of any election they might lose
How to advance a European solution to Bulgaria’s and North Macedonia’s dispute
North Macedonia was on a seemingly good track towards EU accession, until Bulgaria's objection in November. But it is not too late to break the deadlock
Military lessons from Nagorno-Karabakh: Reason for Europe to worry
The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war holds important lessons for European defence. European governments should study it urgently.
Glass half full: The EU’s policy on Belarus
The current renaissance of civil society in Belarus has been possible thanks to, among other things, the development of the EU’s dialogue with the country in recent years
Separate ways: Contrasting elections in Georgia and Moldova
Recent elections have seen Georgia’s ruling party dig in, while Moldova’s has lost the presidency
‘Polarus’ in the making: How the Polish government is learning from Russia
The Law and Justice party is learning from Vladimir Putin’s regime. And ordinary Poles are learning how to oppose it.
China goes granular: Beijing’s multi-level approach to the Western Balkans
China’s granular engagement with the Western Balkans is inconspicuous, has the capacity to exploit differences between national policies, and can harness local entrepreneurship to develop ties with the country
Misrule of law: Ukraine’s constitutional crisis
President Volodymyr Zelensky could violate the constitution as he tries to prevent the Constitutional Court from dismantling governance reforms
Lukashenka besieged: Russia’s plans for Belarus
Unrest in Belarus has forced Moscow to look for new ways to strengthen its political and economic control in the country
Europe needs to nurture security partnerships or face growing isolation
No matter who wins the US election, the EU will need to play a bigger security role in its neighbourhood
Specials
Russia in the grey zones
What role does Russia play in the breakaway regions of Eastern Europe?
Life in the grey zones
Locked in a shadowy life between war and peace, "grey zones" now litter the map of Eastern Europe
Minsk Monitor
Following high level ministerial meetings on Ukraine, ECFR's Wider Europe team report on the implementation the Minsk agreement
Video
Deep Dive into Russia: Putin – an accidental President?
This week we will have with us Catherine Belton, a renowned business journalist, who has just published a book "Putin's People: How the KGB took back Russia and then took on the West". In the lecture, Catherine will share her findings of KGB networks behind Putin and their interactions with the West.
Deep Dive into Russia: Russia and the OSCE-based European order
This week we will have with us Andrey Zagorsky, professor at MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations) and IMEMO (the Institute of World Economy and International Relations). Andrey will speak about “Russia and the OSCE-based European order".
Deep dive into Russia: Russia’s concept of sovereignty and its implications
This week have with us Lauri Mälksoo, Professor of International Law at the Tartu University and Author of “Russian Approaches to International Law” speaking about Russia’s concept of sovereignty and its implications
Deep dive into Russia: Covid-19’s impact on US elections & US-Russia relations
Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director, Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics provides a view from Moscow on the impact of covid-19 on the US elections in autumn and US-Russia relations
Deep dive into Russia: Russian economy: short, mid and long-term outlook
Sergey Guriev, Professor at Sciences Po and former chief economist at EBRD, focused in this lecture on the Russian economy and gave a short, mid and long-term outlook
Deep dive into Russia: The impact of covid-19 on the international system
Andrey Kortunov, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), analyses the impact of covid-19 on the international system, with a special focus on Russia
The ICTY: A Model for Justice or an Anomaly?
Julian Borger, world affairs editor for The Guardian, and Philippe Sands QC, professor of law at UCL, discuss the ICTY and its efficacy
Russia’s strategy in the Middle East
Kadri Liik gives her analysis on Russia's intervention in the Middle East
What next for US-Russia relations?
Dmitry Suslov, Programme Director at Valdai International Discussion Club, gives his analysis
Turkey’s challenges in a region in crisis
Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, journalist and visiting fellow at ECFR, explains whether the recent migration deal with the EU is workable
Podcasts
Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan’s thawing of the ‘frozen conflict’
The contested Nagorno-Karabakh region is at the heart of a decades-long armed standoff between neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan. The…
Protest movement in Belarus: Will Lukashenko survive the current state (of) crisis?
In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro stepped in as host and welcomes senior policy fellows Kadri Liik and Andrew Wilson as well as political scientist…
The last of the offended: Russia’s first post-Putin diplomats
Kadri Liik presented her latest policy brief “The last of the offended: Russia’s first post-Putin diplomats” in a webinar organised by the Rome Office on…
ECFR Conversation with Ibrahim Kalin
ECFR Conversation with Ibrahim Kalin, Spokesman and Senior Advisor to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Chaired by Julien Barnes-Dacey, Director of ECFR’s…
As covid-19 arrives, Putin disappears – Russia in the age of corona.
How is Russia dealing with covid-19? What impact does the pandemic have on the other underlying political issues in Russia – such as the change…
Geopolitics in the coronavirus era – who will be crowned winner?
Last week’s episode saw our experts dissecting the coronavirus’ implications for Europe. In today's episode, we’re breaking down how the crisis is unfolding in the…
Many elephants in the room: the EU and the Turkey, Syria, coronavirus and refugee crises
The European Union faces a multi-crisis situation at the moment. As the conflict in Idlib and the circumstances at the Greek-Turkish border has erupted, Europe…
Reshuffling Russia’s leadership – old wines in new bottles?
It came as a surprise when Russia’s government resigned just hours after Putin’s announced his plans for a possible referendum of constitutional changes. Host Mark…
How to deal with our Western Balkan neighbours?
North Macedonia and Albania wanted to start negotiations with the EU after having been candidate countries since 2005 and 2014. But the enlargement plans seemed…
Reaching out to Russia – joining hands or getting the mitten?
In this week’s podcast, Mark Leonard, Gustav Gressel and Kadri Liik analyse Macron’s plans and ideas for recreating the European security order, an initiative which…
In the media
Vessela Tcherneva quoted in a Financial Times article on the latest political developments in Bulgaria.
Asli Aydintasbas comments on how Erdogan's ultranationalist friends fuel ruling party tensions.
Engjellushe Morina explains how EU-led processes in Kosovo have lost legitimacy and the trust of the Kosovar population