Journal Articles

Despite Russian setbacks, an end to the war in Ukraine is not yet in sight

by | 5 January 2023 | China, Geopolitics in Eastern Europe, Notes, Ukraine | 0 Comments

Related NotesFor the past two months, Russia has systematically targeted Ukrainian infrastructure, devastating the country’s power grid and putting many basic services from healthcare to sanitation at risk. Apart from destruction, this campaign has achieved virtually...
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The OSCE and Central Asia: Options for engagement

by | 4 January 2023 | Monographs | 0 Comments

​Co-authored with Anastasiya Bayok, Rahimullah Kakar, and Niva Yau, this report for the OSCE Network of Think Tanks and Academic Institutions looks at the OSCE’s future options for engagement with its Central Asian participating States. Central Asia is becoming an...
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Putin’s Belarus visit ends with talk of defence cooperation and nuclear sabre-rattling

by | 21 December 2022 | Belarus, Geopolitics in Eastern Europe, Notes, Ukraine | 0 Comments

Related NotesVladimir Putin’s recent visit to Minsk has raised renewed fears that Belarus might be drawn into the war in Ukraine. Putin discussed closer military cooperation with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, including the establishment of a...
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Ukraine war: drones are transforming the conflict, bringing Russia on to the frontline

by | 13 December 2022 | Drones, Geopolitics in Eastern Europe, Notes, Ukraine | 0 Comments

Related NotesNato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg spoke recently of his fear that the war in Ukraine could spin out of control into a full-blown confrontation between Russia and the west. “If things go wrong, they can go horribly wrong,” he told Norwegian...
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The forgotten war: what Russia could win from the reignited conflict in Syria

by | 7 December 2022 | Civil War, Geopolitics in Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Notes, Syria, Ukraine | 0 Comments

Related NotesLargely overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, Syria remains a deeply divided and violent country, where military conflict has recently reignited. This new period of conflict in Syria, with Russia, Turkey and Israel all launching attacks, also reflects some...
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Western leaders are divided over the future of relations with China

by | 30 November 2022 | China, Geopolitics in Eastern Europe, Notes, Ukraine | 0 Comments

Related NotesEuropean Council president Charles Michel heads to Beijing on December 1, the latest in a procession of western leaders to seek an audience with Xi Jinping, in a year when the Chinese president has cemented his position as the country’s most powerful...
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Mechanisms for Dialogue: A Contribution to Preventing Civil War Recurrence

by | 30 November 2022 | Public Policy Reports | 0 Comments

In this USIP Discussion Paper, my colleagues Argyro Kartsonaki, Giuditta Fontana, and I argue that the effects of civil war recurrence can be mitigated if peace agreements include mechanisms that enable the warring parties to continue dialogue throughout peace...
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US-China talks: Biden and Xi attempt to play down superpower tensions but Ukraine and Taiwan loom large

by | 15 November 2022 | China, Geopolitics in Eastern Europe, Notes, Ukraine | 0 Comments

Related NotesPresidents Xi Jinping of China and Joe Biden of the United States have held their first face-to-face meeting since 2017. The pair met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, to discuss their joint obligation for charting a new course...
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Ukraine war: Russia U-turns on grain deal after Putin’s attempt at escalation fails

by | 31 October 2022 | Geopolitics in Eastern Europe, Notes, Ukraine | 0 Comments

Related NotesIt took four days of determined international diplomacy, spearheaded by Turkey and the UN, for Russia to rejoin a deal allowing for the export of Ukrainian grain to world markets. Also known as the Black Sea grain initiative this was a deal to allow grain...
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Ukraine war: Putin escalates with sabotage and ‘false flag’ operations leaving the west struggling to find a response

by | 25 October 2022 | Geopolitics in Eastern Europe, Notes, Ukraine | 0 Comments

Related NotesFrom the start of his invasion of Ukraine, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has employed the threat of escalation to the use of nuclear weapons as a means to deter western support. He has aimed to spread fear in Europe as a means to undermining...
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