Photo credit: European Parliament Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 galvanized Europe, creating solidarity at a time when many questioned the strength of the European Union (EU). However, eight months since the invasion, cracks are starting to show. Consumers are feeling the pain of record-high levels of inflation that shows no signs of … Continue reading Economic Crisis Threatens European Union Solidarity
Category: Europe & Central Asia
Managing Crises in the Information Age: Escalation Dynamics in the Russo-Ukrainian War
Image: Herman Kahn (1922-1983) Over the course of the now eight-month war in Ukraine, Russia has made vague and indirect threats of nuclear escalation. Those threats become more frequent and overt as Ukrainian counteroffensives gain momentum and the Russian military cedes territory. As President Biden stated on October 11, 2022 in response to some of … Continue reading Managing Crises in the Information Age: Escalation Dynamics in the Russo-Ukrainian War
The Road to Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Re-examining Russia’s Theory of Victory and Prospects for Deterrence
Photo credit: Scientific American Just as many dismissed the possibility of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, academics continue to assert a low probability that Russia will employ nuclear weapons in Ukraine. To be sure, there are many disincentives: the risk of escalation with the US and NATO; the likelihood of being isolated from … Continue reading The Road to Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Re-examining Russia’s Theory of Victory and Prospects for Deterrence
Diminishing Returns: Russia’s Waning Sphere of Influence Amid the Russo-Ukrainian War
Image Source: Russian Ministry of Defense On the evening of September 12, 2022, artillery barrages rang out across the sky. Gunfire and mortar shells pounded small towns while Bayraktar TB2 drones whirred overhead. One could be forgiven for thinking that these events were taken from the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv, launched days earlier, but it … Continue reading Diminishing Returns: Russia’s Waning Sphere of Influence Amid the Russo-Ukrainian War
Environmental Warfare in Ukraine: Should We Prosecute Eco-Crimes Like War Crimes?
A factory and a store burning after being bombarded in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, on March 6, 2022 (Flickr). Ukraine is on the verge of an ecological tragedy. The destruction of industrial facilities and contamination from heavy weaponry means that if Ukrainians are able to return to their homeland, they might not have … Continue reading Environmental Warfare in Ukraine: Should We Prosecute Eco-Crimes Like War Crimes?
Taking My Dream to the Grave: Afghan Women Under Taliban Rule
Photo Credit: Human Rights Watch Farzana Ahmadi had dreamed of holding a government office after graduating university. Now, she says, she will take her dream to the grave. When the United States military left Afghanistan on August 31, 2021, the U.S. had in place a peace deal with the Taliban. The problem, however, is that … Continue reading Taking My Dream to the Grave: Afghan Women Under Taliban Rule
Lest We Ever Forget
Photo Credit: Shutterstock Russia’s war in Ukraine not only victimizes Ukrainians but also negatively impacts minorities throughout the world. By encompassing almost all of the United State’s public, political, and media attention, Putin’s war is revictimizing groups like the Uighurs, the Rohingya, the Yezidis, and many other minority groups who continue to suffer unjustly at … Continue reading Lest We Ever Forget
Will Japan and Russia Ever Be at Peace?
Then-Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida shaking hands with President Vladimir Putin in 2016. Photo Credit: Newsweek Japan On August 9, 1945, merely hours before the B-29 bomber Bockscar dropped the “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, the Soviet Union began its offensive against the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria. Within days, the imperial forces surrendered and ceded control … Continue reading Will Japan and Russia Ever Be at Peace?
From Nordic to NATO: How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine May Affect Sweden and Finland
Photo Credit: NATO The Russian invasion of Ukraine changes the way non-NATO member states prioritize security. There are a variety of reasons why countries do not join NATO, however, these countries are reconsidering as the conflict in eastern Europe approaches its third month. Currently, attention is on the non-NATO Nordic countries of Sweden and Finland. … Continue reading From Nordic to NATO: How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine May Affect Sweden and Finland
Democracy in Danger: How AI-Enhanced Disinformation is Threatening Democracy
Soon after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy circulated on social media, asking Ukrainian soldiers to surrender. It appeared not only on social media, but also on Ukraine’s national television station, Ukraine 24. The entirely faked video demonstrates firsthand the threat which deepfakes pose to democracy. … Continue reading Democracy in Danger: How AI-Enhanced Disinformation is Threatening Democracy