Last Articles - Mobilization in Ukraine, Lithium in Serbia, Sport and Russia ...
Here are our latest very informative articles on a wide variety of subjects on the geopolitics of the Eurasian zone...
?? The relationship between the Kremlin and international sports organisations since 2014
The Paris Olympics have just ended. This is an opportunity to question the relationship with major international sports organizations of Russia, the great absentee from this event!!!
Sport has always been a key element of Russian national identity and a tool for international influence. The Soviet sports’ imagination is one of the most striking illustrations of this. Before 2014, Russia enjoyed a particularly extensive presence in international sporting arenas. The country hosted major events such as the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980 and the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. Sport remains not only a source of national pride, but also a means for the country to demonstrate its power on the world stage. Russian (or Soviet) sporting legends include Lev Yashin, the legendary Soviet goalkeeper who revolutionised both the discipline and the style of goalkeeping. Before Yashin’s arrival, the usual practice of most goalkeepers was passive play. However, he changed this forever with his active presence on the pitch and his mastery of defence. In particular, he introduced running out to meet attacks, a practice which has subsequently been accepted as the norm in the sport. We also like to mention Anatoli Karpov, Russian chess legend, or Vladislav Tretiak (ice hockey).
However, since 2014, relations between the Kremlin and international sports organisations have undergone a radical transformation, reflecting issues far beyond the sporting arena. The annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine have not only triggered economic and political sanctions, but have also had profound repercussions on the sporting arena. At the same time, revelations of systematic doping have highlighted the tensions between aspirations for power and sporting ethics. This complex dynamic, rooted as much in historical-political reflection as in culture, raises questions about the role of sport as a vector of soft power and national identity.
Our aim is to provide a coherent, practical analysis of the changing relationship between Russian power and international sporting bodies.
An article to also be found in our latest special dossier
To be found here : https://eurasiapeace.org/thematic-files/
??Lithium in Serbia: Economic Issues and European Ambitions
EurasiaPeace continues to question the evolution of the Balkans and the European perspectives of this complex and fragmented space. Here Serbia is torn between European integration and ecological issues.
On July 19, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Belgrade (Serbia) to sign an agreement on critical raw materials, key elements in Europe’s energy transition and autonomy. Behind this agreement lies the controversial project of exploiting a lithium mine in the Jadar region, a project suspended two years ago by the Serbian government under popular pressure.
??New stage in Ukrainian mobilization: in search of motivation?
Olga Chekhurska takes stock of the mobilization in Ukraine and the steps taken by the State to compensate for the lack of soldiers on the front lines
The 60-day deadline for updating personal data with the military authorities for Ukrainian men expired on July 16, 2024. This norm was specified in the law on military mobilization, which came into force on May 18, to address the shortage of soldiers on the Ukrainian front.
??Afghanistan and heroin: from reign to misery
After the case of metastases in Ecuador and the development of Captagon in France, Elisabeth Nagy addresses the consequences of the fall in heroin production in Afghanistan.
Heroin is the most widely consumed opioid in Europe, with 9.5 tonnes seized in 2021. This powerful opiate, synthesized from morphine extracted from poppies, has seen its production increase over the years, devastating entire populations, as was the case in Afghanistan. By 2022, Afghanistan was producing 80-90% of the world’s opium, a figure which plummeted by 95% in April 2022 with the return to power of the Taliban and the banning of poppy cultivation throughout the country.
WE WISH YOU A GOOD READING !!!