Suchergebnisse

In this article we highlight the role of Kaliningrad in Russia, the relationship between Lithuania, Kaliningrad, & Russia in the EU & NATO enlargement processes, & finally, Russian policy towards the EU & NATO enlargement to the Baltic. The article concludes that Kaliningrad today, more than in the previous decade, can be seen as an inclusive region under federal control in the economic area. Militarily, Russia has yet to formulate a clear policy for Kaliningrad. Future Russian policy in general & the policy on Kaliningrad in particular will for the most part depend on the development of the EU (on military cooperation & on enlargement) & on the dialogue between Russia & NATO (on enlargement, on combating terrorism & other issues). Until today the relationship between Lithuania & Russia has mainly been influenced by their common Soviet history, but will in the future to a larger extent be influenced by Lithuania's increasing cooperation with the EU & NATO. 26 References. Adapted from the source document.

The brutal terrorist attack on defenseless children in Beslan has sent shockwaves throughout the whole civilized world. After the Beslan drama turned into a tragedy, many questions have been raised by both Russian & Western observers. This author seeks to give some answers to these questions. This brief article is based on a comprehensive analysis of the fragmented information provided by various Russian & Western media in the wake of the tragedy. The article attempts to answer the following set of questions: What was the motivation of the attackers? Who were those who decided to commit this cruel act of political violence? What were their agenda & their goals? To what extent was everything possible done in order to avoid the bloodshed? What lessons can be learned from this experience & what conclusions should be drawn by both Russian & Western policymakers who are forced to address the issue of terror & political violence in this vulnerable region? Adapted from the source document.

Six current and former Norwegian foreign ministers gathered for the fourth 50 year celebratory seminar conducted by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). The theme of discussion was past, present and future Norwegian foreign policy challenges. The contrast of the discussion was strong as Thorvald Stoltenberg, who held the position from 1987 to 1989, discussed the end of the cold war, while Jonas Gahr Store talked about climate change as a newly established part of foreign policy. In general a wide agreement and foreign policy continuity existed among the ministers. For example, all ministers supported a membership in the EU, but were conflicted in whether or not the country will actually move towards that direction. They also agreed on that the world is moving towards a multipolar foreign policy environment and that Norway's main foreign policy goals consist in strengthening the country's relationship with Scandinavia and Russia. Adapted from the source document.

The article examines three processes, running parallel in time, that have contributed to the Islamization of the Chechen separatist movement. The first war in Chechnya between 1994 & 1996 resulted in the radicalization of several Chechen warlords & politicians. These individuals came to play an influential role during the interwar period & have increasingly defined the rhetoric & language of the separatists in the second war. This local impetus toward radicalism was reinforced by the attempts on the part of international Islamists to co-opt the Chechen conflict as part of their global struggle. At the same time the Russian policies on Chechnya have become increasingly hard & uncompromising, not least after the advent of the global war on terror. The article argues that these processes have contributed to marginalize the moderate players in the Chechen separatist movement & have rendered the conflict so polarized that there is little hope for peaceful resolution. 42 References. Adapted from the source document.

Introduction to a series of articles on the topic of empires. The analytical goal of the series is to contribute historical facts, concepts, and theories to the discussion of imperial tendencies in present time. The political goal of the series is to introduce historical documentation that certain political entities previously labeled "states" might be better understood in the context of the conceptualization of empires. The article argues the return of imperialistic relationships in global politics, in particular the imperial role of present-day USA and Russia. The terms of state and empire are defined as used in the series of articles. Nexon and Wright's binding strategies and pivoting strategies for within-segment relationships are outlined. The article deals with the analytical problem of empires rising within a system that uses states and state logic as the analytical unit of measure. The articles in the series will focus on European and transatlantic empires and will account for the rise and fall of each empire. References. E. Sundby