Saeimas deputāts un Nacionālās drošības komisijas loceklis Valērijs Agešins 31. janvārī, komentējot iespējamo Latvijas karavīru sūtīšanu uz Ukrainu, atzīmēja, ka “nesaskata šim solim nekādu racionālu nepieciešamību”, savu viedokli pamatojot ar vārdiem: “Uzskatu, ka konfliktsituācijas starp valstīm var efektīvi pārvarēt diplomātiskā ceļā un, kā saka diplomāti, tam jābalstās uz konsekventu pragmatismu. …

Recent moves by the Republika Srpska (RS, Serb entity) authorities to introduce a Law creating a parallel High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) are a clear attempt by the entity to unilaterally assume the constitutional responsibilities of the State, which would represent a violation of the constitution and legal order …

The first of 350 British marines have flown to Poland to bolster NATO’s eastern flank amid tensions over a Russian military build-up around Ukraine. The same day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Poland to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the region with his Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki. The troops …

After Germany’s trade volume with Russia rose by more than a third in 2021, businesses have called on the government to maintain good economic relations with President Vladimir Putin. Easing tensions with Russia would be key to continuing the upward trend in Germany’s Eastern trade, the German Committee on Eastern …

Under the leadership of President Xi Jingping, China has been pouring resources into its military arsenal in pursuit of a technologically advanced, integrated force. Its accomplishments to date have weakened U.S. military deterrence in the region, leading some smaller states to question Washington’s ability and willingness to intervene in the …

“The champion of our petrochemical industry.” So boasted Todor Zhivkov, then-communist leader of Bulgaria, when the country’s first oil refinery at Burgas on the Black Sea coast launched operations in 1963. Nearly six decades later, Bulgaria’s planned economy may be long gone, but the so-called champion continues refining oil into …

Poland has declared its ambition to become the strongest military power in Central Europe. A NATO spending-leader already, Warsaw is eying a two-fold expansion of its armed forces, even though this will entail huge costs and defy demographic trends. Can it succeed? Tons of heavy armour will soon be rolling …

For many, Kazakhstan and Ukraine may appear to be “typical post-Soviet countries,” Vladislav Inozemtsev says. But the strategies they have adopted and the results they have achieved are radically different, with Kazakhstan’s approach far more successful than Ukraine’s in escaping from the orbit of the Soviet past. Kazakhstan’s leaders promoted …

Russia seeks to restore its former position in the world and has repeatedly shown under Putin that it has the ability to destabilize international order. While Russia lacks the military power to challenge the United States’ superiority, Europe does not underestimate its capabilities. Moscow’s use of arms sales and military …

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, Let me start by thanking the Atlantic Council for providing a fitting venue to discuss central banks’ forays into Digital Currencies. Since its founding in 1961, the Council has made important contributions to strategic, political, and economic policy debates. Those debates have served us well, helping …