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To keep Ukraine in one piece, and at peace with itself, the Ukrainians evidently need to reform their political system. The West and Russia should help the Ukrainian parties reach an agreement on the parameters of a federal parliamentary republic.
The absence of several Western leaders and the presence of Asian luminaries at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics highlights the rebalancing of Moscow’s foreign policy toward Asia-Pacific.
U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul is leaving Russia after just over two years on the job. His departure is symbolic of the many mismatches in U.S.-Russian relations which exist on both sides.
It has been clear from the beginning that the Sochi Olympics would be a likely target for the terrorists. The contest between the terrorists and the forces of the Russian state is one contest that Russia absolutely must win.
The 50th Munich Security Conference marked the charting of a course toward Berlin’s more robust engagement in the world, including with military means. At the same time, the conference was overshadowed by the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.
Dealing with Ukraine is a test for Russia, as well as for Europe and the United States. Moscow and the Western capitals need to stay out of Ukraine as much as possible, allowing the Ukrainian people to define the country’s national identity.
The Sochi Games have put Russia under scrutiny of the world media. Eurasia Outlook has asked its contributors to look at different aspects of the current Russian reality through the prism of Sochi.
The Sochi Olympics are more politicized than any other Games in recent history. A number of world leaders have announced that they would not attend the Games. However, the Kremlin uses foreign criticism as proof of the West's perennial desire to hold Russia back, and keep it weak.
Russia is demanding to be treated as an equal partner in its relationship with the EU, but Brussels had long ignored this shift, and EU-Russian relations have stagnated as a result. It is time for a fundamental rethink of the EU’s Russia policy.
Russian-American relations today represent islands of targeted and productive cooperation in the midst of a sea of official mistrust and media negativism. It is in the interest of both countries to reclaim new areas of collaboration and to navigate their differences better.
