[ANALYSIS] Playing with the Fire of Democracy: Ukraine’s Choice of National Security over Media Pluralism

The presidential decree which unplugged three pro-Russian TV channels overnight on 2 February 2021 has been hailed by pro-Western Ukrainians as the first bold move by Ukraine President Volodymir Zelensky to counter Russian propaganda.
While the EU expressed its concerns and the US praised the decision, journalists unions condemned such an interference in the freedom of the media.
Yet, all international conventions protecting freedom of speech establish a few motives on the base of which a State can restrict such freedom and one of the most popular ones is a pressing though historically abused necessity: national security.
Well, this is is exactly the interest that Zelensky claims to protect.

Transatlanticism 2.0: New Era, New Strategy

With a pro-transatlanticist back in the White House, the transatlantic alliance rejoices. But does the trasatlanticism of old belong in this new era? Observing the discussions from the 2021 Special Edition of the Munich Security Conference, it is clear that a new trasatlanticism is needed for the West to survive and flourish in a era of deepening multipolarity and growing international competition.

[Analysis] How to Counter China’s Vaccine Diplomacy in the Balkans

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, China has developed a ‘mask diplomacy’ aimed at the Western Balkans; later evolved into the so-called vaccine diplomacy.

Can the European Union counter China’s ambitions in its eastern neighbourhood?

The Unknown Face of Yemen: A Conversation with Mariam Al-Dhubani

The war in Yemen is often depicted as a proxy war between Sunnite Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran.
For too long this reductive interpretation has been hindering a comprehensive peace process by disregarding local actors and social dynamics.
The present TNGO human story is aimed at looking beyond such an obscuring veil through the eyes of Mariam al-Dhubani, a Yemeni-Russian award-winning journalist and filmmaker, whose camera strives to capture the true face of her unknown homeland.

The Geopolitical, Economic, and Environmental Impacts of TurkStream

On January 1, 2021, at a televised event held near Novi Sad, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended the opening ceremony for the Serbian section of the BalkanStream natural-gas pipeline, part of a larger project known as TurkStream which delivers Russian gas to Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary.

Navalny: Harbinger of Democracy or Flash in the Pan?

The arrest of Alexey Navalny upon his return to Russia has triggered widespread protests. For many, they represent the first step towards democratization. This article, though, argues that things are more complicated. The first problem is that Navalny is a much more controversial figure than he seems. In fact, his idea of democracy might be very different from the Western concept of democracy. The second problem is less idiosyncratic and more strategic. Namely, the Russia regime seems willing to lock up Navalny for quite some time. And this alone, could leave protestors without a leader and without purpose.

Air Confrontation Between Four Countries Distresses East Asia

While the world is still dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, the Russian and Chinese militaries seem to be growing closer than ever. On December 22nd, 2020, Russian and Chinese bombers flew a joint patrol mission over an area of the Western Pacific that is dangerously close to disputed territories between China, South Korea, and Japan. This mission succeeds a first one in 2019 which had already shaken up peace in East Asia.