The peace agreement signed in Minsk, Belarus, last week regarding eastern Ukraine is undoubtedly welcome. Though fragile, the ceasefire provides some longed-for relief for the population of Donbass. A moment of relative tranquility on its territory is certainly something Ukraine needed desperately for two main reasons. The conflict was a huge drain on the Ukrainian […]
For decades, the political systems of southern Europe have closely matched that of the United Kingdom’s, characterised by two dominant parties of Left and Right competing with each other for power and influence. Events of the last few years, however, have called into question the survival of the traditional two-party systems along the southern cone […]
With geopolitical tensions, a history of independent statehood as well as harsh seasonal fluctuations the strategic need for the nations of the Baltic States to diversify their energy supply away from traditional piped Russian gas has become a key concern in recent years. With Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania currently relying almost exclusively on Russian […]
It’s not clear whether Germany and France have co-ordinate their peace efforts with their allies across the Atlantic. French media reports claim the European leaders are going their own way this time… trying to beat a potential US plan to supply weapons to Ukraine. For more on the diplomatic attempts to end the Ukrainian crisis, […]
Since the global debate on how to combat the threat of terrorism began, the common phrase ‘One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’ has dominated the dialogue, as unfortunately, it is relevant. Moreover, since the fall of 2000, multilateral organizations have continued efforts to develop a comprehensive convention on international terrorism with little or […]
The West can be forgiven for feeling a little smug about Russia’s current economic woes. But celebrating a weak Russian economy would be foolish – especially for Europe – for two primary reasons: economic ties with Russia and political instability. There is no denying that Russia is experiencing a currency crisis. The rouble continues to drop […]
While the disagreement over Ukraine remains a long-term irritant in Russian relations with Europe, it is still too early to speak about the beginning of the new Cold War. In other regions of the world, both sides face challenges that may demand joint cooperation. Currently, there are three main issues that require collaboration in the […]
High debt, low growth, and unemployment may become “the new normal in Europe”, according to Christine Lagarde, managing director of The International Monetary Fund (IMF). These words, together with Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that “red warning lights are once again flashing on the dashboard of the global economy” mean that 2015 could see a […]
Parliamentary elections in Ukraine on 26th October indicated that the country is on a Western path. But the euphoria many felt in Kiev after the end of Euromaidan protests may be replaced by hard realisation that not much has changed in Ukraine. The economy is in a dire place and is unlikely to improve any […]
CCTV America interviewed Alexander Clackson on the G20 summit. He’s the founder of the international affairs think-tank Global Political Insight with expertise on Russia.
The European republic of Italy faces a difficult situation at present, confronted not only with an economy in the doldrums, but with many of its young people either without a job or having gone abroad in search of employment. But it is also a time of great opportunity, as Italy has a charismatic leader in […]
Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin topping the Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful people for a second time, a great deal of speculation still circulates amongst analysts, politicians and economists, about whether the economic deterioration of Russia will be the straw that breaks Putin’s back. This is unlikely to be the case. Vladimir Putin […]
RT’s political debate show CrossTalk invited Alexander Clackson, founder of Global Political Insight; Charles Bausman, chief editor of Russia Insider; and Martin McCauley, author and Senior Lecturer at the University of London to discuss President Putin’s image. Issues discussed included: What draws the image of Putin in the West? How has Putin evolved since he […]
South African President Jacob Zuma has, late Friday (October 24th) night, cancelled a trip to the UK because Prime Minister David Cameron refused South Africa a courtesy call commonly afforded to visiting heads of state. Zuma was supposed to have been in the UK from Saturday to Wednesday and scheduled to attend the 3rd Annual […]
Many political and security analysts are not hesitant to criticise the domestic and international strategies of the Russian Federation, particularly in the last year. Although I am not arguing that the methods of the Kremlin have always resulted in the best course of action, there is a part of me that believes the contemporary ‘Russian […]
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