Opinion
OPINION: Erdogan – how do I hate thee? Let me count the ways…
Julian Rimmer mulls over the management style of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and why Turkey always seems to be in crisis.
FPRI BMB Ukraine: Germany remains conflicted over Nord Stream 2
During the 4th German-Ukrainian Business Forum, Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasised Ukraine and Germany’s long-standing partnership, but she remained committed to the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
FPRI BMB Ukraine: Protesters trash Bankova’s façade in Sternenko demonstrations
On Saturday, March 20, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the President’s Office in Kyiv, demanding the immediate release of Serhiy Sternenko, a controversial Odesa activist who was sentenced to seven years in prison last month.
COMMENT: How the USSR’s collapse is remembered in Russia today
Thirty years on and the jury is not out on this question. When it comes to the Soviet collapse, Russians increasingly regret this momentous event.
COMMENT: Navalny was box office for a fortnight but a decade of obscurity beckons
In WH Auden’s ‘Musée des Beaux Arts’ he writes about the banality of suffering, how it “takes place/ While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along”.
COMMENT: Media freedom hits a rough patch in Uzbekistan despite presidential support
The number of media outlets has expanded after President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for the press to play a more prominent role in society, but old habits die hard after a prominent blogger was arrested after he exposed a price-fixing scam.
ING: Russian consumption improves in February, adding credibility to the hawkish CBR
Russian consumption surprised on the upside in February, responding well to the budget support and gradual improvement on the labour market.
FPRI BMB Ukraine: Ruling party politics and the slow pace of reforms
The ruling Servant of the People party has expelled its most contentious member, the US-sanctioned lawmaker Oleksandr Dubinsky.
MITTELEUROPEAN INSIGHTS: Central and Southeastern Europe head for a V-shaped recovery
The moderate GDP setbacks in 2020 imply that for some CEE countries there will not be such drastic recovery and rebound effects in 2021 as in hard-hit countries in Western Europe.
BORDERLEX: EU edging closer to granting Uzbekistan GSP Plus trade status
The EU says there are few hurdles left to clear but human rights groups say Uzbekistan will need much closer monitoring.
FPRI BMB Russia: Schoolyard taunts from “Putin is a killer” exchange
US-Russia relations dipped to a new low when Biden was asked whether he believed Putin was a “killer” on Good Morning America. “Mhm I do,” he replied. Putin shot back "takes one to know one," citing a schoolyard rhyme
TIM ASH: Is sanctioning Russian sovereign debt such a big deal?
The simple answer is no. Indeed, it’s the logical next step. When the question comes up about sanctioning Russian sovereign debt, the Russian influence lobby always comes out with the view that this is such a terrible idea, but Ash disagrees
FPRI BMB Ukraine: Zelenskiy approval ratings start to recover
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s political ratings are on the rise, according to the latest public opinion surveys. On Wednesday, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) reported that 45% of Ukrainians trust Zelenskiy.
COMMENT: The EIB supports the long-term recovery of the Western Balkans
The region’s economy needs to be more sustainable and connected, which can only be achieved through the digital and green transformation, writes EIB vice-president Lilyana Pavlova.
ING: Red hot enthusiasm for copper
Copper prices are approaching their all-time high as investors flood into the market for the red/green metal.
COMMENT: OPEC+ puts off production cut decision for a month
A decision over oil production levels and prices looks to have been delayed for a month following the OPEC+ meeting, between OPEC’s 13 members and 10 other non-OPEC countries, on March 4.
COMMENT: Uzbek privatisation - this time it seems to be for real
Privatisation efforts in Uzbekistan are moving to a practical level. The newly appointed State Asset Management Agency head has started to implement the presidential decree on privatisation with a new zeal.
ING: Commodity supercycle calls grow
It has been an exceptional month for commodity markets, with growing inflation expectations increasing investor interest in the assets. Meanwhile, fundamental developments, particularly in the oil market, have only provided a further boost.
FPRI BMB Ukraine: The US takes on Kolomoisky
On March 5, the US State Department issued a public designation of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky for his involvement in “significant corruption,” and banned both him and his immediate family from entering the United States.
ING: Turkey’s inflation remains on an upward path
Turkish inflation maintained its uptrend in February reflecting still strong cost-push factors, sticky services inflation and elevated inflation expectations.
