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The 20th anniversary of the NATO campaign in Kosovo, which led to the beginning of a long process of state-building, was recently commemorated. Yet it is worth recalling what led to the campaign and understanding the lessons of its aftermath which are very much relevant today.
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The observations of the illegitimate elections in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples’ Republics in 2014 and 2018 by far-right and far-left European politicians serve the purpose of augmenting the number of actors and dimensions of a conflict with the aim of protracting any conflict resolution process. What is more, these elections violate the sovereignty of the state, since they take place in areas not recognized by the international community.
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Review of: Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, “The Compatriots. The Brutal and Chaotic History of Russia’s Exiles, Émigrés, and Agents Abroad.”, Publisher: Public Affairs, New York, 2019. Review by: Luke Harding
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The paper presents the contemporary concepts of information and psychological operation in the contemporary environment. The concepts were presented through general theoretical considerations by presenting leading theorists from the US, Russian Federation and the PR China. The concepts explain the goals, content and methods of acting on potential groups and individuals, and the means of information and psychological operation. The goal of the paper is to show that the research problem is not important exclusively for political and military systems, but that groups and individuals are particularly exposed to the challenges and threats in the contemporary environment. Various means of information and psychological activity in the contemporary environment (rumors, fake news) and their consequences such as changing attitudes and behavior of people in political and social processes are presented. An empirical account showing the importance of this topic is an analysis of the European institutions' activities in counteracting fake news during important political processes and elections for the European Parliament.
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The decision of the European Union (EU) to adopt and extend farreaching sanctions against the Russian Federation came as surprise to many critics of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Especially in light of the history of EU-Russian relations and the deep divisions between member states when it comes to Russia-policy the Ukraine Crisis has become a turning point. This article tries to trace the roots of the EU's response to the crisis by looking at the level of the member states. In analysing three «most unlikely» cases (Germany, Italy, Austria) one-dimensional IR explanations are rejected. One needs to look for an eclectic approach instead. I argue here that Germany's surprising leadership role during the crisis can be understood by personal, learning-based and normative factors. Italy and Austria did not change national Russia-policy and their «critical consent» to EU-sanctions is based on a yet firm but increasingly more fragile commitment to the European project and order. Based on the findings the article concludes with a sceptical note on both the sustainability of the EU's current Russia-policy and European foreign policy development as such.
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Today’s regional news: Prague mayor in danger; Tajikistan and WHO; Serbian solidarity; Stati vs. Kazakhstan; and a Georgian success.
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As invisible foreign invaders spark panic around the globe, it’s easy for democrats to get distracted from the all-too-human threats we know so well.
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A Review Essay by James P. Farwell: Ukraine and the Art of Strategy - Lawrence Freedman. Oxford University Press, 2019; This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality - Peter Pomerantsev. Public Affairs, 2019
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The article ”Strategies and tactics for the settlement of territorial conflicts in the Republic of Moldova and Georgia in the light of international law” analyses the way through conflicts resolution which is impossible not only without removing the objective bases of confrontation of the conflicting parties, but also without identifying the subjective divergences between the participants of the conflicts and the international community participating in their resolution.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina’s foreign policy is focused first and foremost on relations with neighbouring countries, followed by those remaining countries which make up the former Yugoslavia and the Western Balkans region. However, the history of relations in the region is complex and often hinders cooperation, leaving issues unresolved despite the imperative of “good neighbourly relations”. Since gaining independence, BiH has stabilized relations and settled disputes with only one of its three neighbours – Montenegro. BiH’s bilateral relations with the Republic of Croatia have been very dynamic and range from constructive periods to very turbulent ones. Those between BiH and the Republic of Serbia are burdened by the wartime past, as well as by Serbia’s current policy towards BiH and the poorly conceived actions and policies of BiH institutions towards Serbia. Relations and settlement of disputes with neighbours are further complicated by detrimental foreign pressures, yet, it is difficult to expect lasting solutions without decisive actions by these same foreign actors.
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In 2017 the security situation in Northeast Asia worsened, largely due to a heightened missile crisis on Korean Peninsula. The DPRK (North Korea) was continuing to test a growing number of missiles with different ranges, culminating with an ICMB-level missile called Hwasong-15 (KN-22), and in September of that year, a sixth nuclear test was conducted. However, the 2018 brought a 180 degree change in the situation as the country have been engaged in significant diplomatic activity. Their so called ‘diplomatic offensive’ concerns South Korea, China, as well as the US. Some tangible results were achieved in inter-Korean relations, while the relations with the US remained at a stalemate ahead of second summit with president Trump in late February 2019. The aim of the presented paper is to look at the importance of the nuclear and missile program for North Korea, the results of the diplomatic offensive last year, and to shed light on North Korean expectations. The paper analyses the character of the DPRK regime and its need to survive in the broader context of current developments on the peninsula. The paper concludes with scepticism regarding the intentions for denuclearization as declared by the North Korean leader.
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The Peace Treaty of Neuilly, signed after the end of the First World War, is only one of the darkest cases in the history of Bulgaria in the 20th century. The conditions of peace affect all spheres of life of others. Their impact is particularly visible in terms of the national power of the time, which is very damaged. I have this in the 20s - 30s of the XX century, the Bulgarian government is making serious efforts to overcome the negative effective effects of a peace treaty in order to return to Bulgaria as a factor in the Balkans.
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The article looks at what is happening in defense through the lens of legislative support for defense policy. What are the role and place of the Legislature and the powers of the National Assembly. Development and acceptance of documents, participation in preliminary preparation, discussion and adoption. The importance of reaching consensus on the main goals and priorities of the defense policy for stability and strategic perspective in the development of the armed forces. The need for a comprehensive approach and integrated efforts requires the participation of many committees other than the Defense Committee.
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A synthesis that presents the problems of strategic management in Bulgaria's defense policy. It discusses defense planning topics and how to implement rearmament policies in the context of developing modern perceptions of warfare and war
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The threat of COVID-19 has had an impact and will change security approaches over the long term. Such crises bring to the fore the strengthening of the resilience of the state and society with civilian and military readiness to respond. This is a reason to review the legal framework, the practice, whether and how it is necessary to adapt the defense policy regarding the role and place of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, which by law have a supporting role and are ready if necessary to support efforts to crisis management and overcoming the consequences.
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The situational political analysis is a specific scientific area, which falls within the system of the political sciences and is studied in the framework of international relations. The role of the situational political analysis is of great importance when an evaluation of the political action and the necessity of its limitation in times of crises should be performed. It is a basis and a prerequisite for an analysis of long-term political processes.
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In the news today: military intelligence in Russia; NATO, Poland and the Baltics; faulty masks flood Europe; Moldova’s bootleg helicopters; and remembering Jan Kuciak through song.
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Celem artykułu jest ocena bezpieczeństwa państw Europy Wschodniej w obliczu zagrożeń płynących ze strony Federacji Rosyjskiej (FR). W artykule dokonano oceny wyzwań strategicznych jakie stoją przed Organizacją Traktatu Północnoatlantyckiego (NATO) oraz wskazano na pożądane kierunki adaptacji NATO do zmieniających się uwarunkowań bezpieczeństwa międzynarodowego, szczególnie w odniesieniu do obszaru Europy Wschodniej. W artykule postawiono tezę, że polityka FR zmierza do rewizji ładu międzynarodowego ustanowionego po zakończeniu zimnej wojny i odbudowy przez nią własnej strefy wpływów. W środowisku bezpieczeństwa euroatlantyckiego powstają dylematy związane z planami przesuwania wojsk NATO na wschodni obszar odpowiedzialności traktatowej. Nie wiadomo jaka będzie reakcja Rosji, jeśli na terenie Polski powstaną stałe bazy wojsk amerykańskich. Na tym etapie możemy przypuszczać, że być może Rosja otworzy trzy lub więcej nowych baz podobnych do tych w Polsce, a być może pójdzie w kierunku dalszej militaryzacji obwodu Kaliningradzkiego i Białorusi. Niemniej, przeprowadzone badania wskazują,że przystąpienie państw Europy Wschodniej do Sojuszu Północnoatlantyckiego miało zasadnicze znaczenie dla bezpieczeństwa regionu. NATO obecnie stało się jednym z najważniejszych determinantów poczucia pewności w sferze militarnej i politycznej.
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In this paper the author tries to explain how the states in the East and Southeast Asia pursue their security strategies in the uncertain geopolitical environment. For the last 40 years China’s GDP has risen in the pace of an average 9,5% per year. This development enabled Beijing to increase its expenditures on the military budget and hegemonical aspirations not only in the region but also in the wider perspective. The enormous economic and military growth let China use more ambitious, assertive or even aggressive policies against its neighbors using intimidation, coercive methods and/or predatory economy practices, especially in the South and East China Sea, imposing so-called 9-dasch-line which interferes into Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the claimant states. In the light of the ambiguous United States policy under the current administration towards its allies and the other East and Southeast Asia States, these vulnerable countries seek to minimalize the threats and uncertainties of new geopolitics by pursuing optimal security strategies. The author presents that the most attractive strategy, which is within bandwagoning – balancing spectrum, is hedging, which allows the states to improve their competitiveness while at the same time avoiding direct confrontation with main contenders.
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