By Brian E. Frydenborg, February 26th, 2015 (updated February 27th-28th)
Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse here
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One of the sad things about looking at current commentary about Russia, America, and the state of their relationship is the lack of measured and reasoned...
During the last part of 2014, optimism steadily raised over the unusually low prices of oil and their allegedly positive economic effects on the economies of oil importing countries. Although some evidence points in this direction, a more thorough assessment leads unfortunately to different conclusions.
The Deceptive Optimism
Late in January, the International Monetary Found (IMF) had released an important update for its World Economic Outlook of October 2014 (WEO). Unsurprisingly, growth predictions...
... frozen and people stop dying. Even that, however, cannot be taken for granted, as continued fighting ahead of the ceasefire’s formal entry into force suggests.
If the truce sticks, it will be the first negotiated arrangement in a newly divided Europe, leaving Russia almost alone on the east, with much of the rest of Europe supporting Ukraine. This split can grow much worse if the conflict in Donbass continues. But even if it stops, reconciliation is not on the cards. This means that in the ...
After the recent Paris massacre, countering Islamic terrorism is once again the centerpiece of the European security agenda, with massive marches in support of the terrorism victims held for the first time after the bombings in Spain on September 11, 2004. EU leaders are ready to discuss a new antiterrorist package aimed at averting another tragedy....
Today's attack against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo marks a turning point in the terror threat on European soil, which could either turn out to be a long overdue wake-up call for the Western governments or on the contrary - if ignored - set up the right conditions for very dark times ahead of us.
The nature of Paris shootout is different from previous ...
Undoubtedly, the plummeting of oil price is one of the most observed and debated topics of this year's end, both for its economic and political implications. These kind of events are hardly ever random, or driven by market forces alone. In this article I will examine the reasons behind this issue, as well as the behavior of the countries involved. I will discuss why widespread theories about this subject miss on some important points, and I will go over those overlooked details at length...
The Shedding of Hopes
In terms of the quest for independence, 2014 has been a bad year for separatist movements in a number of regions in Western European countries (Scotland, Catalonia, Northern Italy, Flanders, Greenland, Corsica, Northern Ireland and the Basque Country). In some countries, the separatists lost referendums and polls, while in others the mass actions of their supporters were unsuccessful....
... participating bodies.
The attendance also included OSCE PA Secretary General Spencer Oliver, OSCE PA Program ManagerMaria Chepurina, SIPRI Director Ian Anthony, Helsinki+40 Advisory Board Member Goran Lennmarker, OSCE PA Vice-President Kent Harstedt, former European Parliament member Tarja Cronberg (Finland), Senior Research Fellow of the Finnish Institute of International Relations Sinikukka Saari, former EU Ambassador to the International Organizations Lars Eric Lundin, and former Director of the Finnish ...
... community. After all even the in subtly ruthless art of diplomacy you reap what you sow in the end. Therefore, any possible disappointment from her or the German establishment would more likely originate from the realization, that not every nation in Europe is so easily condescending with fulfilling any of Berlin's desires. First Among Equals? Indeed, the Russian Federation is not the only country whose relations grew cold with Berlin. If we take a look no further than inside the European Union itself,...
RIAC Report #16
The dramatic developments in Ukraine in 2014 have once again demonstrated the relevance of the cooperative crisis management tools and mechanisms of the OSCE.
Issues of strengthening and reforming the OSCE are once again part of the European agenda.
The 40th anniversary of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe represents an important milestone in the development of the organization and provides an occasion for a frank discussion about the problems ...
