While sanctions are biting, Moscow can still afford its war against Ukraine for years to come. The question is how much of its future it is prepared to mortgage in order to do so, argues Alexander Kolyandr.

Despite serious security concerns, German author­ities have approved a scheme that allows the production of Russian-engineered fuel rods in a nuclear energy plant in northern Germany. Their argument is that the Russian technology is irreplaceable. But experience from Ukraine tells a different story, argues Diana Sushkova.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has a great way to swing behind Ukraine: work with other leaders to move Russia’s frozen accounts from Belgium and elsewhere to the European Union itself. There is €210 billion in these accounts. Trans­ferring them to the EU will put Vladimir Putin under extra pressure. The Russian president, who is increas­ingly weak, may then finally agree to a ceasefire or even a peace deal.

The 2026 parlia­mentary election has granted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan a renewed mandate while also highlighting the limits of Russian influence in Armenia. Never­theless, pro-Russian forces remain a signif­icant political factor and are likely to continue slowing reforms and the country’s rapprochement with the EU. Areg Kochinyan, President of the Armenian Council, analyzes the election results, Russia’s remaining levers of influence, and the prospects for Armenia’s European path.

The Russian regime is taking internet censorship to new levels. In numerous regions, including Moscow and St Petersburg, mobile internet was switched off completely this spring under the pretext of protection against drone attacks. Author­ities have also begun blocking the popular Telegram app and stepped up their fight against virtual private networks (VPN), both of which allow accessing blocked online resources. How does Russian society respond?

On paper, Russia is a multi­ethnic state whose national minorities enjoy consti­tu­tional protection. In reality, however, the rights of non-Russian peoples have been drasti­cally curtailed for years. Since 2024, anyone in Russia who advocates for ethnic and Indigenous groups is faced with the threat of prose­cution under the country’s draconian extremism laws. Yelizaveta Landen­berger analyses the situation.

At a recent expert round­table held in Berlin with our partners from the New Eurasian Strategy Center, we discussed the deepening ties between Russia and China, their asymmetric nature and Moscow’s increas­ingly subor­dinate position. Our Russia Programme Director Maria Sannikova-Franck summa­rizes the key findings.

Hungary’s parlia­mentary elections of 12 April marked a clear end to the 16-year rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, a period that will be recorded as the first attempt to establish an illiberal, semi-author­i­tarian regime within the European Union. Daniel Hegedüs, Deputy Director at the Institute for European Politics (IEP), analyzes what Péter Magyar’s victory means for Europe.

Russia could hardly carry out its war against Ukraine without China’s techno­logical and economic support. We discussed the impli­ca­tions for Western policy­makers at a joint event with the New Eurasian Strategies Centre (NEST) held at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Konstantin Eggert reports.

Russia continues to pose a huge security challenge for Europe. Every year, the Center for Liberal Modernity invites leading experts to discuss the options for policy­makers at its “Russia and the West” conference. Our programme director Maria Sannikova’s analysis sums up the assess­ments of our last conference.

For almost two years – since October 7, 2023, when the terrorist organi­zation Hamas attacked Israel, murdered 1,200 civilians, and took 240 hostages – war has been raging in Gaza. The conflict is being fought with unrelenting ferocity – on both sides. Kerstin Müller, Program Director for the Middle East Network, assesses the current situation and explains why recog­nizing a Pales­tinian state would currently be purely symbolic politics.

What is needed to quickly and indepen­dently provide supplies for the people in Gaza? And what should become of UNRWA? Kerstin Müller, Senior Fellow at the Center for Liberal Modernity, on the current situation in Gaza and the debates of the “Middle East Network — Ways out of War, Terror and Occupation” coordi­nated by LibMod.

The EU risks losing Russia’s frozen assets as sanctions near expiration. Legal experts confirm trans­ferring these funds to Ukraine is lawful and would enforce Russia’s repara­tions oblig­ation. Seizing the assets could bolster inter­na­tional law and strengthen Ukraine finan­cially and military. Yulia Ziskina asks if the EU will act before it is too late.

Over the heads of the Europeans, Trump and Putin are currently trying to divide up not only Ukraine, but also the dominance of “Greater Europe” between them. It is high time for the EU to enter the negoti­a­tions force­fully and with a clear concept. Germany must play a prominent role alongside France and Poland as soon as possible, including militarily, demands former German diplomat Johannes Regen­brecht. He analyzes the tradi­tions of thought that guide Trump and Putin and which need to be under­stood in order to decisively oppose their plans. 

The EU accession country Moldova continues to face major security and economic challenges. Our expert, Natalia Stercul, APE, analyses the obstacles on Moldova’s path to Europe, as well as the political situation after the refer­endum and the presi­dential elections. She also warns of Russia’s increasing influence in the upcoming parlia­mentary elections in 2025, as the result of the parlia­mentary elections would have a signif­icant impact on the country’s EU integration.

Following the achieve­ments of the AfD — and the equally xenophobic and Russia-friendly BSW — in the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, commen­tators are outdoing themselves in alarmism. Writing on the day after the election, Alan Posener takes a critical look at these developments.

In April 2014, Russia began a covert armed invasion of the Ukrainian Donets Basin. However, many politi­cians, journalists and even some academics still follow the Russian propa­ganda narrative of an alleged “civil war” in eastern Ukraine at the time. An analysis by Julia Kazdobina, Jakob Hedenskog and Andreas Umland.

As Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, the question about the efficacy of sanctions is more pressing than ever: Have they been effective and what more can be done? Maria Shagina argues that it is best to focus on the Russian energy sector.

Since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, Russian propa­ganda in the West and in Germany has taken on a different dimension. It is aimed at under­mining Western democracy, stirring up fear and weakening support for Ukraine. An article by Khatia Kikalishvili for GEOpolitics.

Russia is unlikely to disin­te­grate soon, but its current leadership can no longer guarantee stability. The war against Ukraine and the Wagner mutiny have shown that Putin’s regime is both...

The failed Wagner rebellion has drasti­cally revealed the weakness of the Putin regime. Supporting Ukraine is now the West’s most effective lever to promote political change in Russia, argue Maria...

The geostrategic potential of the Black Sea region has often been overlooked. Natalia Stercul analyses why this is changing in the face of the war, what economic perspec­tives are open to the EU and what part the Republic of Moldova plays in this.

The West must consis­tently punish sanction viola­tions, lower the price ceiling for Russian oil and make itself independent of the Russian nuclear industry — Sergiy Petukhov on the effect and future of sanctions against Russia.

Lukaschenka präsen­tiert sich seinem Volk als Garant des Friedens, sein Regime scheint gefestigt – solange Russland den Krieg in der Ukraine nicht verliert. 

Russia’s war against Ukraine has upended not just relations with the West but is testing the inter­na­tional system as a whole. The urgent need for new thinking has prompted the Center of Liberal Modernity to set up its Expert Network Russia, which met in Vilnius under the headline “Rethinking Russia” for the first time on 31 October.

Half a year after the start of the large-scale Russian invasion, the West should continue to support Ukraine with further arms deliveries.

The Tehran-Moscow axis seems threat­ening, but it was born out of necessity and does not change much for Israel and the Middle East. However, the Russia-Israel relationship has already deteriorated...

In Sri Lanka, demon­strators have taken over the presi­dential palace, partly because the prices of wheat and petrol have risen immea­surably as a result of the war in Ukraine. Russia is...

EU research has shown that a credible membership perspective is an effective means of anchoring liberal democracy from the outside. That is why Ukraine must now be granted candidate status.

Just a day after the first videos of the Bucha massacre were posted to social media, on 3 April 2022, Hungary’s FIDESZ-Christian Democ­ratic alliance won its fourth consec­utive landslide victory with 54,10%,...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is reaching a perilous stage. The West needs to step up efforts to make Putin’s war unwinnable. Conces­sions will only prolong his regime and increase Moscow’s appetite...

Moldova, a country in the heart of Europe, its current leadership and first and foremost its people, opened not only its borders but also their homes for the suffering neigh­bours. The...

Military expert Gustav C. Gressel on the war in Ukraine: The outcome will depend in part on whether the West supplies Ukraine with the weapons it needs. It is also...

By waging a war against Ukraine, Putin has badly miscal­cu­lated. The Russian leader has become victim of his own propa­gan­distic visions and failed to antic­ipate the Western respo­nse, writes Vladislav Inozemtsev.

French election campaigns are usually desper­ately navel-gazing. Foreign policy issues are all but absent from the debate. And even in ‘ordinary’ times, all mainstream evening news programmes consider inter­na­tional news...

After failing to agree on exclusive spheres of influence in Europe with the Trump admin­is­tration, the Kremlin is challenging Washing­ton’s ability to keep unity among Euro-Atlantic allies and protect European...

How should the West counter Russian threats of war? We document Ralf Fücks’ OP ED at DIE WELT, 21.12.2021.

This Wednesday, the Eastern Partnership Summit will take place for the first time in four years. On this occasion, Iryna Solonenko, Senior Fellow at the Center for Liberal Modernity, sheds...

As 2021 draws to a close, we look back on this year’s important events. Among them is the Crimea Platform, which was launched in August at Ukraine’s initiative to shore up...

The political crisis in Georgia continues after the municipal runoff elections. The close election result exacer­bates the polar­ization between the supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition...

When Angela Merkel took office as German Chancellor in 2005, she was better prepared for the challenges on the EU’s eastern border than any other West European head of government....

The reactions in Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recent visit to the United States vary widely and are often politi­cized. They range from state­ments that the visit lifted relations to...

A year ago protests began against electoral fraud in Belarus. Dictator Lukashenko responded with a wave of harsh state violence, which led to the country being further isolated and sanctioned internationally....

The impact of the Biden-Merkel-Agreement on Nord Stream 2 in Ukraine is simply disas­trous. Especially among western oriented, reform-minded people trust in Germany and the US fell at a record low. China...

In this analyses Dmytro Shulga argues for the EU and specif­i­cally Germany to consider it’s own strategic gains in offering Ukraine a way to full EU membership over an extended amount...

The recent visit of the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kyiv has generated some interest in Ukraine and beyond. This face-to-face meeting was a good oppor­tunity for the United...

The protests in Belarus in 2020 did not lead to a change in gov­ern­ment. But Lukashenko’s chosen way of brutal suppres­sion will not gain him any popular support — and is...

In late March 2021 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revoked a decree made by runaway president Viktor Yanukovych appointing Oleksandr Tupytsky and Oleksandr Kasminin to the Consti­tu­tional Court. This raised eyebrows in...

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is facing protests and requests to resign after Armenia lost the war with Azerbaijan for Nagorno Karabakh. Richard Giragosian, Director of the independent Think­tanks Regional...

While violence thrives in silence, it has no chance to persist if brought to public attention. Inter­na­tional attention and support to the people in Belarus are now more crucial than...

A four-month stand-off between Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko and the pro-democ­ratic protesters posed a serious challenge for the EU. The block that had announced its ambition to become a geopo­litical actor, has...

In Germany, a majority favour closer ties with Russia despite new autho­ri­anism under Putin, military aggression against Ukraine and bombing in Syria. Where does the desire for a special relationship with Russia...

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship 2.0” we publish a series of arti­cles about the three EU asso­ci­a­ted states. The authors from the region (Mikheil Benidze, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Victor Gotisan)...

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship 2.0” we publish a series of arti­cles about the three EU asso­ci­a­tion states. The authors from the region (Mikheil Benidze, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Victor Gotisan)...

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship 2.0” we publish a series of arti­cles about the three EU asso­ci­a­tion states. The authors from the region (Mikheil Benidze, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Victor Gotisan)...

Ahead to the Past – The World in the Mind of Putin Эту статью можно читать и на русском

Tradi­tional opposition parties and movements has long seized to be a polit­i­cally meaningful force in Belarus. It is time for Western decision-makers to finally admit this unpleasant reality and shift its...

As part of our project “Eastern Partnership 2.0” we publish a series of articles about the three EU associ­ation states (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova). Three authors from the region (Veronika Movchan, Irina...

As part of our project “Eastern Partnership 2.0” we publish a series of articles about the three EU associ­ation states (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova). Three authors from the region (Veronika Movchan, Irina...

As part of our project “Eastern Partnership 2.0” we publish a series of articles about the three EU associ­ation states (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova). Three authors from the region (Veronika Movchan, Irina...

For decades, Sinol­o­gists who were largely blind to China’s expansive power politics have dominated Germany’s political advice circles, culti­vating an image of China that our author calls “Late Orien­talism”. Shaped...

A summary of the elections in Bavaria, one of the major German states with more then 9 million voters.

Sandra Detzer und Sebastian Schaffer of the German Greens travel to Sweden where the right-wing-populist “Sweden Democrats” could win the election in September. But where danger is, rescue also grows:...

During the election campaign, appealing to people’s anger and demonizing the opponents is the most common strategy. Political programs hardly matter. The political landscape is highly fragmented. In election polls,...

Karen Horn reminds us of forgotten, pioneering thinkers on liberty and highlights the necessary contra­diction within which a modern liber­alism exists: the tension between limiting state influence and recog­nizing that influence...