Increase in Tensions in Serbia - Kosovo Relations Quickly Averted
Author(s): Tomasz Żornaczuk / Language(s): English
Keywords: Serbia; Kosovo; tensions; crisis;
The attempt by the government in Pristina to amend the documents and vehicle registration plates of northern Kosovo Serbs and their opposition to these intentions led on 31 July to increased tensions. They were eased the next day thanks to quick EU and U.S. action. The incident was smaller in scale than similar tensions last year. Such events may be repeated in the future until these issues are normalised, but the prospect of resolving the dispute remains uncertain.
Author(s): Justyna Szczudlik / Language(s): English
Keywords: USA; Taiwan; China; foreign policy;
On 2-3 August, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi paid a visit to Taiwan, the first visit of a sitting leader of Congress in 25 years. China considered the visit a violation of its sovereignty and responded by imposing economic sanctions on Taiwan and launching live-fire drills around the island. Tensions in the Taiwan Strait can be expected to continue or escalate at least until the start of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) this autumn.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Sochi, Russia, on 5 August and met with Vladimir Putin. This was the first visit of the Turkish president to Russia since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Erdoğan, despite participating in the implementation of agreements to ship grain from Ukraine, failed to achieve his main goal of obtaining Putin’s approval for Türkiye to conduct a new military operation in northeastern Syria. Nevertheless, he won a Russian declaration of the necessity to further implement the Istanbul agreement and an assurance about the intensification of bilateral cooperation in the economic and energy spheres.
Olaf Scholz’s address on the future of Europe, delivered on 29 August at Charles University in Prague, was aimed at strengthening Germany’s status as the leader of the EU, undermined by its too passive reaction to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The balanced set of proposals for reforms reflects the ambition to play the role of architect of compromises between the Member States.
On 30 and 31 August, the Council of the EU held an informal meeting in Prague. EU Member State foreign ministers discussed a ban on issuing tourist visas to Russians, among other things. While the summit did not end up with a consensus in this regard, the ministers adopted Czechia’s proposal to suspend the visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Russia. The proposed solution is intended to discourage Russians from applying for visas by prolonging the procedures and the list of required documents and increasing fees. At the same time, countries bordering Russia have announced that they will adopt more restrictive measures.
Author(s): Przemysław Biskup / Language(s): English
Keywords: UK; government; Liz Truss; difficulty;
The UK’s new government of the Conservative Party under the leadership of Liz Truss formed on 6 September and began operating in the most difficult socio-economic conditions in several decades on top of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Although its programme is based on the 2019 election manifesto commissioned by Boris Johnson, the first decisions of the Truss government indicate a significant revision of the climate-change and economic policies of its predecessor and a high probability of aggravating disputes with the EU.
Author(s): Przemysław Biskup / Language(s): English
Keywords: Queen Elizabeth II; death; UK; governance;
The death of Elizabeth II on 8 September closed her 70-year reign. In that time, the United Kingdom underwent deep transformation, including losing its colonial empire, as well as joining and later leaving European integration structures. The succession to the throne may contribute to a further weakening of the UK’s personal union with the 14 Commonwealth monarchies and the British role in this structure. The queen’s passing has also increased the risk of strengthening of separatist movements in Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.
The three-day regional and local elections in Russia concluded on 11 September. Through blocking and intimidation of independent candidates and electoral manipulation, the victory went to the party in power, United Russia. The Russian authorities failed, however, to hold referendums in the occupied territories of Ukraine, citing “security reasons”, coinciding with the effective counter-offensive by Ukrainian troops in the Kharkiv region.
The Military Situation in Ukraine as of the Middle of September
Author(s): Anna Maria Dyner / Language(s): English
Keywords: Ukraine; 2022; September; military situation; war; Russia;
On 11 September, thanks to a several-day counter-offensive, the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to take control of the Kharkiv region. Fighting is also going on in Kherson Oblast. These actions have raised the morale of the Ukrainian army and society and increased international interest in the war in Ukraine. The further success of Ukraine’s actions will depend on its ability to replenish reserves and increasing Western military support.
In Defence of the Union’s Values and Economy - State of the Union Address
Author(s): Melchior Szczepanik / Language(s): English
Keywords: EU; EC; economy; war; Ukraine; impact;
In the annual address on the state of the Union, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen announced the continuation of support for Ukraine. Though the EC strives to minimise the economic fallout of the Russian aggression, it complicates the implementation of the Union’s projects and is likely to worsen citizens’ living standards.
From the perspective of Chinese and Russian leaders, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held on 15-16 September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, was intended to show an effective counterbalance to the policy of the U.S. and its partners. However, both the summit itself and the meeting between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, held on the summit sidelines on 15 September, confirmed the political differences within the SCO and the diminishing importance of Russia in the organisation.
On 21 September, Russia announced a partial mobilisation of about 300,000 reservists. The official reason is the need to “liberate” the four southeastern oblasts of Ukraine and, according to the Russian authorities, counter the growing threat posed by Western countries. This decision proves that Russia has exhausted its current ability to conduct military operations in Ukraine. In addition, significant problems in the training and provision of the called-up reservists are expected. Partial mobilisation in the coming months will not change the course of the war but will allow Russia to continue it.
This year’s Victory Day commemorations in Russia took place amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. In his speech, Vladimir Putin recalled the reasons for the “pre-emptive strike” against Ukraine and declared that victory was near. Fearing a drop in support for the aggression against Ukraine, Putin chose not to announce a general mobilisation.
On 11 May, Ukraine stopped the flow of gas from Russia via the seized Novopskov compressor station and the Sokhranivka station due to illegal off-take by Russia. About one-third of the gas destined for European customers was transported via this route. Russia may use this situation to put pressure on the EU not to introduce sanctions on Russian oil and to discredit Ukraine as a transit country in favour of Nord Stream 2 (NS2).
The Military Situation in Ukraine after 11 Weeks of Fighting
Author(s): Anna Maria Dyner / Language(s): English
Keywords: Ukraine; Russia; war; military situation;
In recent days, the most severe fighting has taken place in eastern Ukraine, mainly in the vicinity of Kharkiv where the Ukrainian defenders conducted an effective counteroffensive, pushing Russian forces towards the border. The Russians maintain positions in the south of Ukraine and are shelling Odesa from the Black Sea. In the near future, Russia will focus on maintaining the areas it has occupied in the southeast of Ukraine and on further offensives in Donbas, while Ukraine will concentrate on defence and additional counter-offensives where possible.
On 12 May, President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin issued a joint statement in which they supported Finland’s application for NATO membership as soon as possible. The declaration marks an historic change in the Finnish perception of security caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland wants to strengthen its security by departing from the policy of non-alignment. It may also influence Sweden’s decision on the same issue. In view of the expected sharp reaction from Russia and the long duration of the accession process, the UK’s security guarantees for Finland and Sweden, announced on 11 May, are of great importance.
The parliamentary elections in Australia on 21 May were won by the opposition Labour Party, led by Anthony Albanese, who became the new prime minister. The end of the nine-year liberal-national Coalition is unlikely to mean, however, significant changes in foreign policy, including in relations with the U.S. or China. On the other hand, the new government’s more ambitious climate policy may strengthen Australia’s partnership with the European Union.
Author(s): Oskar Pietrewicz / Language(s): English
Keywords: Joe Biden; South Korea; Japan; foreign policy; security; economy;
On 20-24 May, U.S. President Joe Biden visited South Korea and Japan, making his first trip to Asia since taking office. The visits demonstrated the importance of these allies in the implementation of U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific region and the importance of U.S. extended nuclear deterrence for the security of South Korea and Japan. In response to the global consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and China’s activity in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. is tightening its military, economic, and technological cooperation with its allies.
On 24 May during a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to Japan, a leaders summit in the Quad format, bringing together Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S, was held. A day earlier, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) was announced, which, besides the Quad members, ten other countries in the region want to join. Both the summit and IPEF announcement confirm the growing U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific and the preparation of a broader and more attractive offer of cooperation for the region as an alternative to Chinese proposals.
The Military Situation in Ukraine as of the End of May
Author(s): Anna Maria Dyner / Language(s): English
Keywords: Ukraine; 2022; May; military situation;
In the last days of May, the fiercest fighting is taking place in Donbas, and the Russians are striving to occupy the entirety of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. Russian troops are increasingly using scorched-earth tactics, which increases the human and material losses in Ukraine. This increases the need for Western support, not only militarily and in the humanitarian dimension, but also financial.
Please note that there is a planned full infrastructure maintenance and database upgrade of the CEEOL repository.
The search is temporarily unavailable.
We apologize in advance for the inconvenience and thank you for your kind understanding.
There are validation problems in the fields. Please check the fields again and enter the correct data. (The fields with a red outline are required. The fields with correct data are with a green outline and "" symbol, fields with incorrect data are with a red outline and "" symbol. Pointing at the question mark "" placed at the end of fields displays additional information for the correct way of completing.)
