Section: News & Summaries
Time names Merkel Person of the Year
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been named “Person of the Year 2015” by Time magazine. ||| Time magazine on Wednesday named German Chancellor Angela Merkel as its “Person of the Year 2015,” hailing her leadership for navigating debt and refugee crises that threatened to tear the European Union apart. “For asking more of her country than most...
Russian Military and Mercenaries Directly Implicated in Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners
Ukrainian human rights activists believe that over 87 percent of Ukrainian soldiers and half the civilians who have been taken prisoner by Kremlin-backed, pro-Russian militants in the Donbas have been subjected to torture or ill treatment. Additionally, in over 40 percent of the so-called “interrogations,” key roles were played by...
Times names Merkel Person of the Year
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been named “Person of the Year 2015” by Times magazine. ||| Time magazine on Wednesday named German Chancellor Angela Merkel as its “Person of the Year 2015,” hailing her leadership for navigating debt and refugee crises that threatened to tear the European Union apart.“For asking more of her country than most...
Australia and Kazakhstan: a Steppe Forward for Bilateral Ties
Central Asia does not fit comfortably in Europe or the Middle East and can present a challenge for Australian policymakers. However its largest and wealthiest state presents an interesting avenue for Canberra to engage more closely with the region. Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country and home to over seventeen million people,...
Speech of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine’s parliament in Kyiv
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has called on the Ukrainian lawmakers and members of the Government not to miss the chance to build the better future for Ukraine. “If you succeed, you will be the founders of the first democratic and free Ukraine,” Biden said and reminded that “the whole world is watching the struggle of Ukraine...
Even in Theater, War and Displacement Has No Room in Ukraine
As I was walking up Kyiv’s colorful Andriyivsky descent on December 6, three explosions pierced the quiet evening. No one stopped examining the myriad souvenirs on sale in the booths lining the street, no one showed any fear or ran for cover. On the third explosion, one exasperated man exclaimed “Who the hell is blowing up those...
Biden to Ukraine: “The United States stands firmly with the people of Ukraine”
“Today Russia is occupying sovereign Ukrainian territory. Let me be crystal clear: the United States does not, will not, [and] never will recognize Russia’s attempt to annex the Crimea,” US Vice President Joe Biden said in a December 8 address to Ukraine’s parliament.The parliament gave Biden a standing ovation. Geoffrey...
The IMF Outfoxes Putin: Policy Change Means Ukraine Can Receive More Loans
Today the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will reverse its “policy on not lending into arrears.” Historically, the IMF has refused to lend to any country that has not serviced its debt to any sovereign. The IMF staff started contemplating a rule change in the spring of 2013 because nontraditional creditors,...
Nord Stream 2: Downgrading Europe’s Security of Supply Where it Matters
Nord Stream 2 is the latest Russian incarnation meant to bypass Ukraine and bring its gas directly to the European border. It would double the existing Nord Stream capacity to 110 billion cubic meters/year with two additional strings between Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea. In spite of a recently signed shareholders agreement between...
Putin’s Goal is a New Yalta
I recently met with Ilya Yashin, a Russian opposition leader, political activist, and former colleague of the assassinated politician Boris Nemtsov. When I asked Yashin what the West could do to help those brave enough to defy the Russian regime, his main point was that governments and organizations must support Ukraine.The reason is obvious:...