Challenges for Democracy and development in Eastern Europe

partner in the “reset,” and a participant in the EU Partnership for Modernization would suddenly breach all of the Helsinki Accords principles and upend the world with its revisionist and confrontational agenda? One can only guess what the authors of numerous books and essays on Russia’s democracy, Yeltsin’s liberal revolution, Russia’s integration into the West, U. [...] What are the questions related to Russia that could be of interest in the nearest future in the context of the post-Crimea reality? I would argue that it is high time to review the key perceptions of post-communist Russia and think where we have been wrong and why; what has prevented us from understanding Russia’s developments. [...] Both – the Russian analytical community and the Western Russia hands – have been confused about the moods within the Russian society, the evolution of the Russian system and its capacity for reproduction, and the Kremlin foreign policy agenda. [...] In order to counter Kremlin domination and influence, it is important that the West focus on several things: First and foremost, the West must double its efforts to promote democracy in the countries of the Eurasia region. [...] Europe’s new leadership in the Council and the Commission must demonstrate more commitment to the eastern part of Europe than the outgoing figures (with the exception of Donald Tusk).