„Decolonized Russia”? Be careful what you wish for

I don’t see any realistic prospects for Russia disintegration/decolonization nor any genuine wish among peoples living in Russian Federation to participate in such a scenario. To put it simply, you cannot decolonize people who do not want to be decolonized! – says Marlene Laruelle in an interview with Jakub Dymek

Kazakhstan and the West: a strategic opportunity

Kazakhstan is a country of great strategic significance that is often overlooked. Recently, despite close relations with Putin’s Russia, it has succeeded in standing apart and above the fray. The Tokayev government has offered to mediate during the Ukraine crisis and could yet come to represent a valuable partner for the West, especially given its natural resources and its geographic position. Political reform is called for, to be sure, but support and recognition from the West at this stage could help, particularly in keeping the country outside Moscow’s tight orbit.

Xi and a Closed China

China has undergone profound changes during the past ten years. The time is gone when the “world’s factory” was preparing for the 2008 Olympics and its appearance as a new major global power on the international stage. The period of relaxation, lively interchange with the outside world and double-digit growth in GDP has been followed by a period of disengagement, suspicion and economic slowing.

The Return of Power Politics

The West is having to reconsider its ambitions of promoting democracy around the world – ambitions that were behind the enlargement of NATO, over Russian objections – and to concentrate more on defending it. A new containment and engagement strategy, based on realpolitik, is needed both for Moscow and for Beijing.

Tales From the Great Beyond

The Czech Republic Has Moved Forward to Energy Independence from Russia

Thursday 24 February 2022 will have been etched into history. After Russian aggression against Ukraine, all reasonable people quickly came to the conclusion that Russia is not a partner for us, not only in energy sector cooperation but in any other areas as well. Eight months from the outbreak of war, the time has come to ask ourselves a question: How has the Czech Republic progressed in limiting its dependence on Russia’s fuel supplies?