... individual companies and projects. The risk of new sanctions stems from a series of political factors: the Ukrainian crisis and conflict in Donbass, the U.S. elections and the alleged meddling, the developments in the Middle East, etc.
— Regarding Ukraine, the crisis has noticeably stabilized. However, we should not expect any significant breakthroughs in terms of compliance with the Minsk Agreements in the coming year. The stabilization of the situation in Donbass significantly decreases the risk ...
... talk about Afghanistan. The Alliance and Russia are both interested in peace in the Hindu Kush.
This is not what NATO wants. Ukraine and Georgia are a kind of raison d’être for the Alliance. It was in a severe existential crisis. Suddenly, the two ... ... NATO’s lap, thereby extending a lease of life for the Alliance.
Source:
Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union
... the European Union does not have any objections to this, but nuances determine the content of the relations between the two sides.
Twelve Steps Toward Greater Security in Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic Region. Twelve Steps Toward Greater Security in Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic Region
Put bluntly, these nuances are NATO and the European Union. Together, they form the Euro-Atlantic community, which unites most of the planet’s economically developed military powers. This contradiction was barely noticeable during the initial post-Soviet years when Russia was still forming its ...
Common values present an opportunity to rebuild trust
The geopolitical position of Ukraine at the current stage of development of international order is complicated and somewhat challenging. The country is in the zone of interest of the USA and the Russian Federation, as well as Europe. This makes it a point of contention between powerful ...
... authority and the peripheral regional authority. Now, the German-speakers there live peacefully within Italy as citizens of the European Union.
This integration-through-decentralization process into the Italian national identity shows how a widely shared ... ... achievement is particularly spectacular, given the long history of Austrian-Italian conflicts and even wars.
Andrey Kortunov:
“Ukraine-Gate” and Russia
What Would It Mean for Donbass?
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had every reason to refer to the ...
... participating in further repair or maintenance works.
Meanwhile, Germany and the EU have already voiced strong discontent with the U.S. sanctions. Indeed, they benefit from the project. Russia has agreed to preserve a considerable part of its gas transit via Ukraine — this has been one of the key demands to support the project. The European Union has never invited the U.S. to protect them from the NS2, though there was a heated debate inside the EU. Apparently, sanctions emerge as an instrument of towering market competition for the European gas market. Donald Trump has repeatedly ...
...
anniversary of the Eastern Partnership, a political initiative the EU launched in 2009 for developing relations with six eastern countries of the former socialist bloc. The collaboration program with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine was primarily intended as a means for introducing these countries to the European experience and approaches to developing their economies, political institutions and civil society. Given current events, however, Russia has a highly negative perception ...
... a group of Norwegian diplomats
On October 11, 2019, Andrey Kortunov, RIAC Director General, met with a group of Norwegian diplomats. The following issues were discussed during the meeting: the state and dynamics of relations between Russia and the European Union, the development of international cooperation in the Arctic region, the possibility of making progress in resolving the crisis around Ukraine, and various aspects of bilateral Russia-Norway relations.
The meeting was moderated by Rune Resaland, Norwegian Ambassador to Russia.
... Sino-American rivalry.
On the basis of these conclusions, what could be the way forward for Russia and Europe in the next few years?
Russia would do well to review its recent practical steps with a view to refocusing and energizing its policies toward the European Union.
The obvious place to start is in Ukraine. After four-plus years of deadlock, Moscow needs to be proactive on Donbas. This means working closely with Kiev, Paris, and Berlin within the Normandy format. Stage-by-stage implementation of the Minsk agreement, using the Steinmeier formula ...
... President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, with a list of proposals on how the two sides could cooperate in the post-Ukraine political environment. However, some of the EU member countries were very critical of Juncker’s trip to Russia, and ... ... of Brussels.
Later, the Kremlin lost a couple of opportunities to demonstrate its commitment to rebuilding relations with the European Union. It could have engaged Brussels more actively on the issue of Afghanistan or Syria, for example. It could have ...
