After being told by Henry Kissinger that it was time to “modernize” FIFA president Sepp Blatter has turned football into a money machine that is expanding in Africa the Middle East and Asia, and maintaining a profitable scenario for marketing partners in a troubled global economy.
 
Reflecting on how football has become a global…

II. Nordic Countries
 
Shared history and, to a certain extent, culture bind the five smallest and least populous countries of the Arctic Council together. The Nordic countries enjoy close political and cultural ties, as demonstrated by their own inter-parliamentary forum, the Nordic Council. Five years before the First Treaty of Rome created a…

 
The Ukrainian crisis has undermined Russia’s relations with its Western partners in almost all spheres of cooperation, including in the Arctic region. As a result, Russia reinforced its relations and established new partnerships with other emerging countries, notably East Asian countries such as China. In the Russian Foreign Policy…

Or, how answering "Who controls Gaza?" can tell you a lot about why Israel's election is so important.

 

While this was written the day of Israel's election, the analysis still rings true and, sadly, Israel has chosen Netanyhu and chosen to be the Israel that denies its actions and responsibilities in Gaza, just as it…

 
Nearly three years ago, Department Director at IMEMO and RIAC member Andrei Zagorsky went against the grain. He did not believe, as many did, that the Arctic has been witnessing a new period of militarisation due to increased tension over the region’s wealth of resources and newly accessible transport routes. He pointed out in an…

This piece was originally published on Russia Beyond the Headlines.    It’s OK to be jealous of Lee Kuan Yew. The late Prime Minister of Singapore was the hero of the ultimate country-sized success story. For any leader of the developing world, the title of his political testimony – From the Third World to the First &ndash…

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Access to a secure, safe and sufficient source of fresh water is a fundamental requirement for the survival, well-being and socio-economic development of all humanity. Yet, we continue…

Russia and Canada are the two largest Arctic countries. Three-quarters of the Arctic Ocean’s coastlines belong to Russia and Canada. Russia, with an Arctic coastline stretching over 20,000 km2[i], is the biggest Arctic state. The population of the Russian Arctic consists of approximately two million people, including twenty-seven ethnic…

This piece was originally published on Russia Beyond the Headlines. 
 
A top Chinese official said this week that the country’s military budget will grow 10 percent in 2015. The news added fuel to the ongoing discussion about the rumored Asian arms race, which could potentially spark a regional war. But when is an arms race not…

Of course, I understand what you write about the sorry state of affairs in Russia. I am far more optimistic than you about Russia, but can't disagree with most of what you say.  Most discouraging is that I wonder what can feed the hopes of your generation, on which the future of the country depends.  Of course, there is much about Russia…

Canada’s next federal election is this year. It will most likely be held in October 2015. The current Conservative government is hoping to retain its majority through the manipulation of the Ukrainian/Canadian voting base in western Canada by support the Ukraine. The next federal election could be an historic first with a three-way battle…

 Russia and its Arctic Neighbours: After Crimea 
 
Russia’s internationally condemned annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula changed not only international perceptions of Russia’s ambitions, but those in the country itself as well. With supporters proudly proclaiming, “Крым наш!” (“Crimea…