What It Says on the Tin: Politics and the Eurovision
Why did the Ukrainian entry “1944” receive such attention as a “political” song at the Eurovision Song Contest? Yes, of course Eurovision is political – and well beyond the lyrics of this song, or even the voting in country blocks. The song contest, with its strongly proclaimed apolitical mission, serves …
Azerbaijan’s Predicament in the Nagorno-Karabakh Row
Peace talks have proven to be difficult for Russia as it tries to negotiate settlements between Armenia and Azerbaijan’s fight over Nagorno-Karabakh. In early April Replica Handbags, Baku’s and Yerevan’s military confrontation has claimed more than 100 lives. The conflict has unleashed bottled-up nationalism and rivalry in both sides as they blame each other of …
Will Syrian-Kurds Get Semi-Autonomous Rule in Syria?
While major powers are squabbling in the Syrian peace talks, the Syrian-Kurds are lobbying to also participate in the Geneva talks. Their goal is to establish semi-autonomous rule in Northern Syria. The Syrian-Kurds have taken advantage of the five-year war to extend their territories; and with their major role in fighting the Islamic …
Has Russia Achieved its Goals in Syria?
When Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict late last year, they boasted they would bring an end to the war. And now, peace talks are happening in Geneva; Syrians face uncertainties about their country’s fate while the international community worry if there will be greater instability in the region. While the world panics, …
Russia and Turkey’s Tensions Show Hidden Distrusts
Turkey’s shooting of the Russia’s war plane has ignited fury from both countries. Neither side has backed down from their stance; the heated row reveals Moscow and Ankara’s own underlying tensions behind their alliance in fighting the Islamic State. On 24 November 2015, Turkey shot down a Russian SU-24 plane which was flying along …
What is really going on in Eastern Ukraine?
Interview with Andrea Cellino – Former Team Leader of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine for OSCE Andrea Cellino is a former team leader of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) where he has worked from April 2014 to September …
Bearing witness in eastern Ukraine: the chronicle of a silent war
Some claim that the war in eastern Ukraine does not exist: it is only a strategic gesture of politically sponsored media outlets. Some speak of a silent war, which hardly claimed any victims. Nevertheless, the war in eastern Ukraine does exist. It exists as much as the airport of Donetsk, which …
Why it’s now or never for Russia to save Assad
Russia’s decision to send in military airstrikes to assist Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has drawn international condemnation. Since the outpour of Syrian migrants making their way to Western Europe, world leaders have become more desperate to end the civil war once and for all. The conflict has ravaged the country …
The Military Balance 2015: The Weapons of Today, the Wars of Tomorrow
The Military Balance, provided by the IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies), is considered an authoritative assessment of global military capabilities and defence economics. The recently released 2015 edition offers a deep insight on complex geopolitical changes that have lately affected international relationships. The most important fact underlined by the …
Putin’s Russia. If the Bear Roars Again
A few days ago Michael Fallon, the UK Secretary of Defence, said that “Putin’s Russia is a threat to Europe as great as the Islamic State”. These words underscore a situation of conflict that the Ukrainian crisis and its consequences have sharpened. Anyhow, it seems that Putin’s Russia is showing a …