‘The arrogance of the EU knows no bounds’ - you could see this headline on the front page of a British tabloid any day. Normally, a criticism of the EU’s financial policies lies beneath these slogans, provoking  Eurosceptic sentiment in a dangerous and misleading manner. But there is a bit of truth in the…

 
We have certain beleifs about the world around us, but they are not static: when we receive new information we update our beliefs accordingly. This process is reflected in the Bayes’ Theorem that provides a way to calculate how people digest new information. Bayesian methods are becoming increasinly popular in political analysis. And…

‘First or second-hand, […] original or translated, accurate or inaccurate, the accounts of Russia published in England during this period agree in their general tone of superiority, often amounting to contempt, and in the picture, essentially unchanged throughout the century, which they paint of a backward and barbarous country and people…

As said before, this blog is going to host mainly interviews of experts on the stabilization process in North Caucasus, but before starting with this, it is important to have an overview of the general situation. That is why this post is composed by a brief description of the North Caucasus and a summary of the significant events that occurred in the…

This week Bishkek is up to changing it’s mayor, last week there were gossips about preparing a new revolution; protestants in Jalalabad are erecting tents on the central square of the city. What are the key reasons of Kyrgyzstan’s stable instability?
The question of “why Kyrgyzstan can not stabilize it’s political…

 
The Eastern Partnership programme is stalling, even though on February 25 officials from the EU and Ukraine reaffirmed their joint commitment to sign an Association Agreement in November. President Yanukovych, despite his repeated promises, is reluctant to carry out substantial reforms to Ukraine’s judicial and political systems. The EU…

I am currently studying International Relations in a double Masters Degree program with the University of Kent (UK) and the Higher School of Economics (Russia). These years of study allowed me to build up expertise in International Relations theory, the Eurasian region, the SCO, Politics, theory of conflict and violence, conflict resolution, civil…

The Eastern Partnership is rather fresh policy of the European Union to structure and improve political and economic relations with six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. All of these states are in the closest vicinity of the Russian Federation. What were its reactions in the past and what can we expect in…

It is no surprise that the latest development in the prolonged dispute over the import of EU-produced foodstuffs into Russia should be connected to the horsemeat-scandal that has erupted in the Union in past weeks. This time, Chief Sanitary Inspector Gennady Onishchenko threatens the suspension of all meat imports from Russia’s largest trading…

 
The tense situation over North Korea’s nuclear program continues to escalate. Last year it proclaimed itself a nuclear state in its constitution and then successfully launched a space rocket that is only a little different from one that could carry a warhead. If this months’ test was indeed nuclear then it can be considered as…

My name is Gina Byrne, I am a master’s student studying at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. I spent the first year of this two year degree at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies in University College London. As part of my degree, I am undertaking an internship at the Russian International Affairs Council where I am…

In previous article we pointed out that players of a “New Great Game” are usually divided into two groups - US, UK and NATO, and Russia, China and SCO. As we described principles that form US strategy, it’s necessary to do the same thing with those who play on the “other side”of the game. Russia’s and China’s…