Latest blog items
Thursday, 1. April 2010  1 comment(s) |
The Age of UncertaintyWestern response to the bombings in Moscow, should not be limited to stating that Russia’s future is uncertain, or criticizing those in Russia who think that the West was behind the attacks. Perhaps one way to tackle Russia’s – and the world’s - uncertainty would be to propose to increase the already existing Russia-NATO cooperation against terrorism and expand it towards Russia’s membership in this organization. It might seem unthinkable but little as we know about the future, it is worth the try. |
| Tuesday, 8. December 2009 0 comment(s) |
How can the West help Russia modernise?Much of President Medvedev’s recent address to the Parliament was dedicated to the task of modernisation of Russia. |
| Wednesday, 16. September 2009 0 comment(s) |
A Birthday Present for PresidentThe relationship between the two most powerful men in Russia is rather mysterious. Having started their leadership in close mutual alliance, President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin seldom reveal how this alliance works in practice: what are the policy ideas, where do they come from and how are they implemented and if not, why? Certainly one will never know for sure, but at least for the time being, the impression is that the two are looking into the same direction but mainly in order to avoid facing one another. |
| Monday, 25. May 2009 1 comment(s) |
The EU-Russia Summit in Khabarovsk, May 21-22, 2009 (as seen on Twitter)This is how the recent EU-Russia summit might have looked like had its participants used the latest social networking utility. Perhaps they do, but what you read here is pure fiction. |
| Thursday, 9. April 2009 0 comment(s) |
Moldova’s post-electoral turmoil and EU’s Eastern PartnershipMoldova’s situation has even wider significance for the EU. As such it shows that the Eastern Partnership, EU’s new initiative to turn its eastern neighbourhood into the ring of friendly, democratic and prosperous countries, is not going to be easy to implement. The EU can not afford relying on the leaders of these countries as sole guarantors of stability and order. Equally misleading is to keep trust in democratic institutions such as elections. On the other hand, opposition groups should be approached with care, too. |
| Friday, 13. March 2009 1 comment(s) |
Venäjä glamourin aikakauden jälkeenYksi kummallinen merkki muutoksesta on nähtävissä Venäjän kiiltäväpintaisissa aikakauslehdissä, jotka suosittelevat nyt uusia tyylejä – halpaa, yksinkertaista ja siistiä. Tämä uusi trendi korvaa 2000-luvun hohdokkaan tyylin, joka oli loistoa, kalliita autoja ja merkkituotteita. Taloudellisten koettelemusten aikana italialainen haute couture menettää suosiotaan. Nyt Venäjän keskiluokka opettelee ansaitsemisen ja kuluttamisen sijaan omistamisen ja säästämisen periaatteita. |
| Thursday, 15. January 2009 0 comment(s) |
The Gas Dispute as It Is Seen in RussiaThe gas crisis is being intensively discussed in Russia, particularly in the printed media. Experts look at Gasprom much more critically than during the gas disputes with Ukraine of the previous years. It is not seen as yet another dispute between the two countries but rather a beginning of a different and more complex game. |
| Friday, 28. November 2008 1 comment(s) |
Russia-US: a bit of Cold War and a lot of economic crisisBy criticizing the US and exploiting the general dissatisfaction with Bush’s diplomacy in the world, Russia’s diplomats appear to have been achieving remarkable success. Russia’s ability to make alliances in Europe was dependent on the growing feeling of alienation between Europe and the US that has emerged after the war in Iraq. The “new Cold War” is as much a product of the Kremlin as it is of the White House in terms of how the US international behavior is perceived. This is something that often goes unnoticed but should be definitely considered when Russia-Europe-US relations are discussed. |
| Wednesday, 15. October 2008 1 comment(s) |
The financial crisis and Russia’s capitalismThe question is what happens in the future when the crisis is over and the big players – the US, Europe, China – re-emerge with renewed strategies and new economic policies. It can well be that many in Russia will look at the years preceding the crisis with nostalgia, the time when it was possible to reap the benefits of global capitalist system yet at the same time criticize it and build “state capitalism” at home. |
| Friday, 19. September 2008 0 comment(s) |
Russia is not the sole cause of EU's troubles in the neighbourhoodThe truth is that contrary to the 19th century, when the small states were pawns in the European power politics, today they are active players with tactics and strategies of their own. Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, as well as Central Asian countries are all playing a complex game making alliances, giving false promises to both Russia and Europe, manipulating with energy issues. It appears that the true believers in power politics are the elites in post-Soviet countries even though most of them would deny that. |
