Daniel had posted several times about the effect of the Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis. This thought were formulated in our discussion following his post which drew attention to Gazprom deputy-chairman Mr Medvedev’s op-ed in the WSJ Online. That is the Russian side of the story. I wanted to flip the coin and defend the Ukrainian position.

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Due to the Russian-Ukrainian-European gas war Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia were the first serious victims, having not enough energy to heat residential areas. With some delay, Hungary (and Germany) offered some relief for the Serbian plea. Austria joined in later. Hopefully this will demonstrate that Serbia is closer to Central Europe than Russia.
Another good news is [...]

There is a serious gas shortage in Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Serbia. After the show of the French presidency, the European Union is under a real foreign pressure that effects a large group of member states devastatingly. Factories are closing, schools are shut, some part of the population is freezing at home. I think [...]

Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin was turned away on Monday from the country’s separatist region on the orders of self-styled president of Transdniestria, Igor Smirnov. Mr. Smirnov’s fiefdom within Moldova’s internationally recognized borders is protected by Russian ‘peacekeepers’.
You can read the story in English in Kyiv Post. I cannot tell if Mr Smirnov was just simply [...]

After the IMF has formally accepted huge loan requests from Hungary and Ukraine (and also Iceland on the other periphery of the European economic area), Belarus, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Poland, Serbia are in the waiting line -  not to forget our almost forgotten EU-applicant Turkey, too. I think the French presidency should send out another [...]

Iceland may join the EU as a result of the world financial crisis. However, the member of the European Economic Area and NATO had to turn to Russia for an emergency loan. The EU is as much challenged in the West as in the East from Russia.
Iceland is one of the world’s most competitive country, [...]

The opposition Liberal Party has organized a demonstration against Russian troops in Moldova, which was crushed by the police. A break-away region ‘invited’ more Russian troops into the small Eastern European country. Familiar story?
Moldova (still on the map in the right hand corner) is a former Soviet republic between the European Union and Ukraine. Its [...]

The Polish defence minister thinks that Russia has challenged the EU and NATO on such fundamental issues as elimination of borders and the role of a military alliance. He also thinks that Russia threats us a little too often with nuclear war.
According to Reuters, in his speech at Columbia University, Radoslaw Sikorski said NATO must [...]

The former East bloc won freedom after the Cold War but payed a very high price. Social and economic transition had a war-like impact on people’s social life. Confidence in each other and in social institutions is very low and so is the general moral. I think that should be a consideration in European policy-making.
According [...]

The Atlantic Review has a useful mesh-up on France’s defence policy. France has signaled over the past few months that it may pursue reintegration into the NATO command structure, which President Charles de Gaulle left in 1966. The more positive reading of this policy shift is that after re-integration Europe will be stronger within NATO [...]