Veronica Khokhlova · March, 2009

Latest posts by Veronica Khokhlova from March, 2009

Russia: The Durnovo Memorandum

  31 March 2009

A Fistful of Euros writes about a document known as the Durnovo Memorandum: “What’s striking about the memo is how, six months before World War One started, [Pyotr Durnovo] absolutely nails it. Nature, conduct, likely outcomes — he’s eerily, astonishingly correct about all of them.

Ukraine: Relations With Russia and Romania

  31 March 2009

Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes: “While Russian strategists declare Ukraine “a failed state” on the verge of losing its sovereignty, some Romanian officials and media are suggesting that only part of Ukraine, with its capital in Lviv, can ever come under the alliance’s euroatlantic umbrella.”

Estonia: Lennart and Arnold Meri

  31 March 2009

Itching for Eestimaa writes: “One Meri cousin, Lennart, just had an airport named after him to coincide with the annual foreign policy conference that bears his name. […] The other Meri cousin, Arnold, spent his twilight years on trial for the deportation of the men, women, and children of Hiiumaa...

Russia: The Oligarchs’ “Debt-Go-Round”

  28 March 2009

Copydude writes that Russia's “debt-go-round has become so huge and interwoven that it seems to be taking all the oligarchs down together”: “For the most part though, it’s looking like the end of era – and a very short list of Russians on Forbes next year.”

Hungary: Avoiding an Early Election?

  28 March 2009

Hungary Economy Watch writes that “Gyurcsány plans to use the constructive vote of no-confidence to install another Socialist-led cabinet, and his government […] appears to have resorted to this unusual maneuver for one simple reason: to avoid an early election.”

Germany: Berlin Wall Murals Destroyed

  28 March 2009

IZO writes about “an act of extraordinary cultural vandalism”: “a section of the Berlin Wall that had been preserved with its post-fall graffiti, including the iconic painting by Dmitri Vrubel depicting a kiss between communist leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Eric Honecker, has been “restored”, meaning the complete destruction of the...

Russia: “Cut-and-Paste” Journalism

  28 March 2009

Eagle and the Bear writes about “cut-and-paste” TV journalism in Russia: “Over the course of dinner tonight, no less than two stories on the Vesti television news came directly from a separate print source. Meaning they literally filmed the two print articles — one a Rossiiskaya Gazeta article about handling...

Latvia: Data Inspectorate vs Penguin Movement

  28 March 2009

Free Speech Emergency in Latvia reports that “the Latvian Data State Inspectorate has summoned the administrator of the website of the so-called Penguin Movement to explain what it claims were violations of laws and regulations with regard to handling and protecting personal data.”

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