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Opinion: Trump holds all the cards in Ukraine’s peace gamble — will he use them?

It’s extraordinary how the fortunes of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have changed since they last met in 2019. Back then, at the G20 summit in Canada, Trump was embroiled in domestic legal issues, the Mueller report, and accusations of being Moscow’s candidate. This image wasn’t helped by the disastrous summit […]

Ukraine

November 11, 2024

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Opinion: Moldova's EU integration referendum hangs in the balance, highlighting the dangers of oversimplification

Moldovans headed to the polls on Oct. 20 to elect their next head of state and vote on the future of the country’s European Union integration. With over 98% of the votes counted on Monday, the “yes” vote edged ahead at 50.03%, while the “no” camp, which had maintained a lead since the counting began, […]

Ukraine

October 21, 2024

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Opinion: The central bank can't solve Russia's economic crisis in the face of war and sanctions

Almost three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the West’s financial sanctions have finally started to bite, triggering fierce infighting within the Kremlin over control of Russia’s central bank. Russia’s business community has remained largely silent over the past two years, even as Western sanctions triggered a surge in real interest rates. […]

Ukraine

November 11, 2024

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Opinion: Money-laundering watchdog FATF needs to blacklist Russia

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meets tomorrow, Oct. 22, and is expected to once again debate Russia’s blacklisting. That Russia, a clear state sponsor of terrorism, hasn’t been ousted from an intergovernmental body that sets global standards to combat terrorist financing, money laundering, and related financial crimes, is incredible. It’s remarkable that Russia isn’t […]

Ukraine

October 21, 2024

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Opinion: How EU nations can prevent the worst-case outcome for Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly hopes to exploit any effort by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to enforce a de facto capitulation of Ukraine. How might this plan unfold, and what should EU countries do now? This is how an ideal scenario might look for Russia: Step 1: Trump wants a deal, so Putin might agree […]

Ukraine

November 14, 2024

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Opinion: Putin’s drone strategy shows the cracks in Russia’s war machine

Russia shot down one of its own drones — a large and stealthy S-70 — after it flew uncontrolled into Ukrainian territory in early October, sparking speculation about how Moscow lost control of this valuable asset so publicly. It’s an unforced error that will be keenly felt in Moscow, whose high ambitions for producing its […]

Ukraine

October 23, 2024

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Opinion: With soaring interest rates and stagflation risks, Russia will face deep economic crisis regardless of war’s outcome

The recent hike in Russia’s key interest rate to 21% by the Central Bank in late October has stirred renewed debate among media and economists about the Russian economy’s outlook and how economic trends could influence Kremlin policies. Today, few predict an "imminent collapse" of the Russian economy. However, signs of deteriorating trends and economic […]

Ukraine

November 22, 2024

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Opinion: Canceled Ramstein meeting marks a missed opportunity for Europe to lead on Ukraine

A short trip to Germany instead of the planned state visit. A four-way meeting in the Chancellery instead of the conference in Ramstein to coordinate future aid for Ukraine with some 50 participating states, including numerous heads of state and government. With Hurricane Milton in Florida preventing U.S. President Joe Biden from adhering to his […]

Ukraine

October 24, 2024

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Opinion: Georgescu’s rise exposes the fragility of Romania’s pro-European consensus

The meteoric rise of hardcore nationalist Călin Georgescu in Romania’s first-round presidential election over the weekend is nothing short of remarkable. Georgescu surged from just a few percentage points in polls weeks before the vote to claim over 23% of the electorate, defeating candidates from the country’s two most established parties. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel […]

Ukraine

November 27, 2024

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Opinion: There’s more to Ukraine than Hollywood gangster tropes and war

I recently watched a YouTube video of a Ukrainian performance on “America’s Got Talent.” A friend sent me the link, promising it would amaze me – and it did. You can find the video by searching “Amazing holographic 4D cube show AGT.” However, when the show’s host, Howie Mandel, said, “America’s got love for the […]

Ukraine

October 28, 2024

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Opinion: Russia's alliance of convenience with China is a ticking time bomb

The recent BRICS+ summit in Kazan, Russia — featuring Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — had some observers hailing it as the dawn of an anti-Western world order, led by Moscow and Beijing. The partnership between Russia and China is undeniably formidable. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have met […]

Ukraine

December 6, 2024

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Opinion: Rigged elections have stolen Georgia's European future

In Georgia’s 2012 election, then-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s pro-Western party was defeated by Georgian Dream, a party led by the Russian-backed oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Though widely hailed at the time as a democratic triumph, astute observers warned against celebrating. One such observer was Georgia’s former economy minister, the late Kakha Bendukidze, a businessman and philanthropist who […]

Ukraine

October 31, 2024

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