By: Shawn Stefanick, Columnist Photo by: Getty Images On February 17, 2018, at the annual Munich Security Conference, Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip renewed his calls for Moscow to withdraw Russian troops from the Trans-Dniester Republic (commonly referred to as Transnistria), a Russian-backed separatist enclave in eastern Moldova.[i] Judging by the lack of discourse in … Continue reading The Frozen Conflict in Transnistria: Why the West Should Pay Attention to Moldova
Category: Europe & Central Asia
Post-Karimov Reform in Uzbekistan: Illusion or Reality?
By: Will Chim, Columnist Photo by: Asia Times For two and half decades, the words “Uzbekistan” and “Karimov” were inextricable – one could not discuss the Central Asian country without mentioning its brutal leader. But since Uzbekistani President Islam Karimov’s death in 2017 after 25 years of rule, many are wondering what comes next. For … Continue reading Post-Karimov Reform in Uzbekistan: Illusion or Reality?
Operation Olive Branch: A Misstep in Russia’s Syria Strategy?
By: Katie Earle, Columnist Photo by: thefuldagap.com Despite Russia’s complicated relationship with Turkey and its prior cooperation with US-backed Kurdish forces, known as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), Moscow consented to a major Turkish offensive against the latter. So far, that decision looks to be a misstep for the Kremlin. At the end of … Continue reading Operation Olive Branch: A Misstep in Russia’s Syria Strategy?
Defeating Digital Discombobulation: Options in Countering Online Disinformation Campaigns
By: Mei Lim, Columnist Photo by: https://www.psychologicalscience.org “Fake news”, “disinformation”, “misinformation”; since the 2016 US presidential elections, these terms have exploded into the public lexicon, bringing awareness to a longstanding problem of online communication: when anyone can publish anything, how do we know anything is true? Focusing on the main types of audiences for disinformation … Continue reading Defeating Digital Discombobulation: Options in Countering Online Disinformation Campaigns
Is a Russian Invasion of Kazakhstan on the Horizon?
By: Alexander Begej, Columnist Photo by: Presidential Press and Information Office, Kremlin President Vladimir Putin’s popularity in Russia is not nearly as strong as it once was. Though Putin will unquestionably win the 2018 presidential election in March, civilian unrest can soon graduate to a regime threatening uprising if it is not kept in check … Continue reading Is a Russian Invasion of Kazakhstan on the Horizon?
Bitcoin and the Dark Web: The New Terrorist Threat?
By: Antonia Ward, Columnist Photo by: money.cnn.com Since it first came into existence in 2009, Bitcoin has been causing controversy, confusion, and consternation in equal measure. The cryptocurrency is valued at 1 bitcoin to $14,122 USD (£10,189.53) at the time of writing (15 January 2017), and is the first decentralized digital currency of its kind, … Continue reading Bitcoin and the Dark Web: The New Terrorist Threat?
Sri Lanka: A Story of China’s Consolidation and India’s Haste
By: Husanjot Chahal, Columnist Photo Credit: NewsInAsia On November 21, 2017, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in India for a three-day visit.[i] The visit marked the eighth interaction between Indian and Sri Lankan heads of state since 2015—suggesting vigorous high-level political engagement. Expediting decisions on joint projects and “solving the problems that have … Continue reading Sri Lanka: A Story of China’s Consolidation and India’s Haste
National Security Figures Need to Explain the Impacts of Climate Change
By: Evan Cooper, Columnist Photo Credit: Task and Purpose In a 2014 Department of Defense document, then Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel sounded the alarm that “Rising global temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, climbing sea levels, and more extreme weather events will intensify the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, and conflict.”[i] Hagel’s warning has borne … Continue reading National Security Figures Need to Explain the Impacts of Climate Change
Undermining the UN, Putin’s Russia Drives Regional Diplomatic Talks on Syria
By: Patrick Hoover, Columnist Photo Credit: Middle East Monitor Russia is increasingly in the diplomatic driver’s seat of the seven-year Syria conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Iranian and Turkish counterparts, Hassan Rouhani and Tayyip Erdogan, in Sochi between November 20 and 25 to issue a joint statement affirming their commitment to a “post-conflict” … Continue reading Undermining the UN, Putin’s Russia Drives Regional Diplomatic Talks on Syria
Russia’s 2018 Election: A Look Inside the Kremlin’s Political Theater
By: Will Chim, Columnist Photo Credit: The Atlantic The election of Vladimir Putin to a fourth term as president of Russia appears to be a foregone conclusion. After all, the world has already experienced 18 years of Putin’s tenure spread over three presidential terms and a stint as prime minster. However, the upcoming March 2018 … Continue reading Russia’s 2018 Election: A Look Inside the Kremlin’s Political Theater