On-line Intelligence Bulletin of the European Press Agency
By Nina Bachkatov and Andrew Wilson
Celebrations in Crimea lasted 4 full days and included a visit of president Putin. In Moscow, there were a few flags, but no official celebrations. Seemingly, the Kremlin wants to show that Crimea is just another member of the Federation, no more no less. Continue reading “Crimea for ever?”
By Andrew Wilson and Nina Bachkatov
For months it has been evident that the Azov Sea will be the next flash point between Russia and Ukraine, with in the background the later presidential election. At the moment, circulation in a sea most people barely cared about earlier is regulated under a bilateral treaty of 2003. The texts only mentioned that Ukrainian and Russia civilian and military ships will have freedom of navigation in the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait. It states too that no military ships from tiers countries can enter the Sea without the autorisation of both countries. Continue reading “Politico-military escalation around the Azov sea”
By Nina Bachkatov and Andrew Wilson
The tit-for-tat continues between Ukraine and Hungary, amplifying old problems and creating new ones which EU would ignore at its peril. Continue reading “Passports divide”
By Nina Bachkatov and Andrew Wilson
Recent revelations by American media show once again how the lack of proper human intelligence concerning Russia and Russians plays a central role in the world’s growing tension and lack of trust. Continue reading “Dangerous failures of Humint”
By Nina Bachkatov and Andrew Wilson
Arkadi Babchenko is alive, but with a professional reputation in tatter. Ukrainian president Poroshenko might be the main person to suffer collateral damage of a tasteless pseudo-assassination. Continue reading “One fake death, two real carreers in danger”
By Andrew Wilson and Nina Bachkatov
President Putin wanted to ‘hang Mikheil Saakashvili by the balls’; president Poroshenko declared him stateless – a more classical way to get rid of a trouble maker, a charade for the West and an indirect success for Moscow. Continue reading “Misha’s paradoxical end”
By Andrew Wilson and Nina Bachkatov
For a man described as isolated on the world stage, President Putin has been shaking a lot of hands in the course of a week. The most predictable was his meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel, in the President’s Sochi summer residence on 2 May. Continue reading “Diplomatic defile in Moscow – Russia at work on a Syrian solution”