Masculinity as a project – new film series from Russia on gender politics Published: 5 June 2020 Informative film The new online course on masculinity has now been released in a version with English subtitles, making the cooperation project of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Moscow available internationally to anyone interested. By Katja Giebel
Not Your Father’s Arms Control: Challenges for Stabilizing Military Confrontation in Europe Published: 29 April 2020 Background The old arms control framework between Russia and the West does not work any more. The erosion of central arms control treaties has led to new tensions between NATO and Moscow. A new approach aimed at reducing tensions in Europe must take into account that central geopolitical coordinates have changed, and that new weapon technologies are rendering the old arms control paradigms obsolete. By Igor Istomin
War in Syria: The horror of Idlib Published: 26 February 2020 Comment The recent escalation of violence in Idlib is also a result of the increasing tensions between Turkey and Russia. The victims are those in Idlib, caught up in a hopeless situation amid a huge spectrum of differing interests. By Bente Scheller
Age of mistrust: crisis of co-operative security in Europe Published: 9 December 2019 Analysis The OSCE was designed to promote a culture of cooperative security in Europe. But in recent years military tensions between Russia and the West have flared up again. Can the OSCE help to defuse these tensions and restore confidence in the Euro-Atlantic area? By Pavel Kanevskiy and Juraj Nosál
Russia and Iran: Foreign policy as a balancing act Published: 12 July 2019 Comment Russia’s policy in the Middle East is geared strictly to the country’s interests: to fulfil its role as a major power, stabilise the region and minimise every risk as much as possible. This offers opportunities. By Johannes Voswinkel
Landmines in the Donbass conflict zone: threats for the population and the necessity of mine clearance Published: 17 July 2018 Background The armed conflict between Ukrainian authorities and Russia-backed militias in the Ukrainian Donbass region has already led to some 10,000 killed and 25,000 wounded civilians. Partly landmines are the cause. By Elena Ostanina
A Classic Dilemma: Russia’s Threat to Withdraw from the Council of Europe Published: 21 February 2018 The Council of Europe secures human rights but Russia has its own understanding of rules and procedures. How to deal with the quirky member in order to preserve without offending? By Tom Casier
Hungary: a state captured by Russia Published: 11 October 2017 Hungary’s liaison with the Kremlin has turned the economic “Eastern Opening” into the construction of a full-blown illiberal democracy. This goes hand in hand with Russia’s growing leverage over Hungary with respect to economic as well as soft power. By Péter Krekó and Lóránt Győri
LGBTI in Russia: history of success, opportunities and challenges Published: 1 June 2017 Despite the empowerment of the LGBTI movement during the last 20 years, LGBTI people in Russia face extensive legal discrimination, widespread homophobia and even massive violence. By Dr. Irina Kosterina and Julia Bashinova
Russian faux family values: Domestic violence decriminalized in Russia Published: 6 February 2017 Russia is known as a country with a high level of domestic violence. There is no official statistics available, while NGOs concerned with this issue face serious challenges. And now, the Russian legal system has de facto removed an essential protective barrier between assailant and his prey. By Dr. Irina Kosterina
