Carnegie Moscow Center
Vaclav Havel, the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic, died on December 18, 2011. He lived according to his principles and never compromised on matters of conscience.
As popular pressure builds in Russia against the political status quo, it is increasingly clear that if the current opportunity to bring the authorities to a real dialogue is lost, Russia may have to wait another generation before another opportunity arises.
On its twentieth anniversary, the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program remains an important tool for international cooperation to reduce nuclear dangers, but there remain some tough questions about the continued viability of the model.
In 1991, Ukrainians had high hopes for a democratic and prosperous future. However, two decades on, the direction their country will take is still far from clear.
While Vladimir Putin is unlikely to give up power any time soon, the political and economic system he created is incapable of dealing with Russia’s rapidly changing conditions. Crises are likely unavoidable unless Russia changes and modernizes.
Despite the hopes placed in the political negotiations in Chisinau over the past few weeks, the Moldovan people may not have a new president any time soon.
The Polish-German joint letter calling on the EU to revamp its policy on Russia is a milestone in the two countries’ common policy toward Moscow. If this cooperation lasts, it could reshape politics both within the EU as well with its Eastern neighbors.
The twentieth anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union comes at a moment of unique challenge and opportunity for the country, as Ukrainians look to their new leaders to resolve longstanding problems.
While Ukraine’s leadership continues to emphasize the importance of the country’s alignment with Europe, recent domestic developments paint a very different picture.
Russians should not expect modernization to be initiated from the top. Nor can a modern economy develop in Russia without reforming its political institutions, such as elections, the courts, and the law enforcement agencies.