Russia

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.

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.

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? 

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.

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.

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.