Valdai Discussion Club

2021-12-17 22:15:54 PHOTO GALLERY: Today, on December 17, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “World Structure and the Interaction of the Leading Powers”, in partnership with the Centre for the Study of Russia at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at East China Normal University. Open / Comment

2021-12-17 19:33:13 Ukraine is gradually becoming a mere circumstance factor for Russia.

Of course, this circumstance cannot be ignored, but the difference between a foreign policy circumstance and a problem is that it is customary to solve the latter, and “make adjustments” in policy to cope with the fortmer.

So, it becomes obvious that an active Russian policy regarding Ukraine cannot emerge in the near future: neither strategic expectations nor instruments suitable for changing such a “circumstance” are associated with it, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.

Red Lines of Russia and the Ukrainian Problem

#Conflict_and_Leadership #Ukraine

Reuters

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2021-12-17 19:26:03 Valdai Discussion Club pinned « ANNOUNCEMENT: On December 20 at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a presentation of a new report, titled “Space Without Borders: Russia and Its Neighbours”. The report was prepared especially for the 30th anniversary of the collapse of…» Open / Comment

2021-12-17 10:20:57 Valdai Discussion Club pinned «UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the discussion will be available soon via the same link. Stay tuned! LIVE (in Chinese): at 10:30 Moscow time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will hold an expert discussion, titled “World Structure and the Interaction of the…» Open / Comment

2021-12-17 10:20:54 UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the discussion will be available soon via the same link. Stay tuned!

LIVE (in Chinese): at 10:30 Moscow time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will hold an expert discussion, titled “World Structure and the Interaction of the Leading Powers”, in partnership with the Centre for the Study of Russia at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at East China Normal University.

How will world politics change in the context of the US-China confrontation?
What threats and opportunities does the new situation pose for other powers in the Pacific region and beyond?
What principles will serve as the basis for strategic planning in the EU and its leading countries?
What is the real impact of the sanctions on the global economy?

These and other questions will be answered by the participants in the expert discussion.

https://valdaiclub.com/multimedia/video/world-structure-and-the-interaction-of-the-leading-powers-an-expert-discussion/

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club Open / Comment

2021-12-16 18:30:09 ANNOUNCEMENT: On December 20 at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a presentation of a new report, titled “Space Without Borders: Russia and Its Neighbours”. The report was prepared especially for the 30th anniversary of the collapse of the USSR.

December 25, 2021, marks 30 years since the Soviet Union ceased to exit. The result of this event was the emergence of modern Russia and fourteen independent states along its perimeter. The creation of the Russian Federation did not affect the country’s place in the global balance of power. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 presented the Russian state with the need to overcome historical inertia. “The fact that Russia has managed to resist the temptation to restore the imperial order for 30 years is an achievement in breaking away from the old path and an indicator of the state’s maturation,” the report says.

The author of the report, Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, focuses on issues related to how Russia’s foreign policy towards its neighbours has changed, especially in recent years, as well as how it is perceived in these states. During the work on the report, in March-September 2021 the author visited several countries of the former USSR to talk personally with local intellectuals, politicians and public figures. Among them were Askar Aitmatov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan (2002-2005); Vazgen Manukyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (1990-1991), Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia (1992-1993); Sadyk Safoev, First Deputy Chairman of the  Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2003-2005); Erlan Karin, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; and Khudoberdi Kholiknazar, Director of the Centre for the Study of Central Asia and China in Tajikistan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan (1992). The content of the conversations, as well as the interpretation of the assessments and opinions expressed in the framework of almost fifty interviews, were used in the preparation of the report.

According to the author, three decades after gaining independence, Russia’s neighbours are just beginning to consider themselves sovereign states which bear a responsibility for their own destiny. The scale of ties with Russia is so great that for all of them, the position of Russia always remains decisive in the implementation of their own development strategies. The foreign policy behaviour of sovereign states from Estonia in the west to Kyrgyzstan in the east remains part of the Russian security palette and its interaction with other major powers. Russia and its neighbours remain one and the same in a broader international context. Today, Moscow is faced with the task of developing a form of interaction with its neighbours that will ensure the security of Russia, as well as a stable peace on its borders.

Is there a clear general order today in the vastness of the former USSR?
How do the neighbouring countries of Russia see their place?
What is required for a successful long-term policy of Russia towards its neighbours?

The participants of the presentation will answer these and other questions.

Speakers:

Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club

Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Ivan Safranchuk, Director, Leading Researcher at the Center for Eurasian Studies, IMI, MGIMO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia

Moderator:

Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club

Working languages: Russian, English.

Information for the media: In order to get accredited for the event, fill out the form on our website or call +79269307763.

A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms used by the Valdai Club: on the website, on Facebook, Vkontakte, Instagram, and Telegram.

Valdai Club to Present a Report ‘Space Without Borders: Russia and Its Neighbours’ Open / Comment

2021-12-16 16:33:57 Energy and climate policies are mostly long-term projects. If cooperation agreements are reached here and contracts are concluded, then this is good for the fight against climate change.

However, no less important is the dividend of peace received in the course of this process, writes Friedbert Pflüger, Head of the European Cluster for Climate, Energy and Resource Security at at CASSIS, University of Bonn.

For a Climatic CSCE: Climate Protection as a Confidence-Building Measure

Reuters

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2021-12-16 15:38:56 Slogans and Realities of the Green Transformation and the Causes of the Energy Crisis

On December 15, the Valdai Club hosted a discussion titled “Energy Crisis: Will Europe Have the Coldest Winter in History?” featuring Pavel Sorokin, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.

The moderator, Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, invited the participants to discuss the prospects for energy policy in Europe and globally. He noted that this year, the energy crisis weighed on the Glasgow climate summit and on expectations of the green transformation, and that last autumn the energy sector was again held hostage by the geopolitical struggle, an example of which is the situation concerning the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Pavel Sorokin, commenting on the decisions made at the climate summit in Glasgow, pointed out that they were mostly declarative in nature and contained a minimum number of specifics. “No matter how good the goal may be, it is very important to reach this goal, and in a normal economic situation,” he stressed. He added that slogans need to be “grounded in reality”.

Konstantin Simonov, Director General of the National Energy Security Fund, analysed the origins of the European energy crisis. This is the first time we are witnessing an energy crisis organised by buyers, not sellers, he said. He stressed that manufacturers are only increasing their supply, but consumers have suffered from the market model that they have diligently created themselves.

Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, Director of Ifri’s Centre for Energy, presented what is happening from the European point of view. In his opinion, a real drama is currently happening on the energy scene, caused by a reduction in gas use and an increase in coal usage in the energy balance, which leads to an increase in CO2 emissions.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/slogans-and-realities-of-the-green-transformation-and-the-causes-of-the-energy-crisis/

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club Open / Comment

2021-12-15 19:09:37 It is not yet clear what will replace the post-Cold War order in Europe.

Russia professes an increasing turn toward Eurasia; the most recent Russian national security strategy barely mentions Europe.

The US has identified China as its major rival and security challenge in the foreseeable future, and seeks to enlist Europe in this effort.

The EU is still adjusting to the loss of a major member state and contributing economy, while also deliberating its future security and defense capabilities and posture, given a possible reduction in American involvement in Europe.

The OSCE is preparing to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2025, but it remains unclear whether any of the major participating states is prepared to use the Organization as a forum or instrument for anything truly important. 

So, what will the emerging European security order look like? Writes William Hill, Global Fellow at Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies.

The Post-Cold War European Security Order Is Gone: What Will Replace It?

#Conflict_and_Leadership #Europe #ColdWar #security #NATO #OSCE

Reuters

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club Open / Comment

2021-12-15 16:39:59 Today, on December 15, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “Energy Crisis: Will Europe Have the Coldest Winter in History?” with the participation of Pavel Sorokin, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.

Photo gallery of the discussion is available on our Instagram.

The video of the discussion will be available via this link soon.

Stay tuned! Open / Comment