Mind the Gap: interpreting the Minsk II Agreement. IES Policy Brief Issue 2016/3 • March 2016

This Policy Brief is the first of a two-part feature that examines Russia’s ability to influence French, German and EU narratives on the Minsk II agreement and Ukraine’s evolving position in the international system. This first Policy Brief will focus on the competing Russian and Ukrainian narratives surrounding Minsk II. Thus, it will examine Russia’s efforts to portray Ukraine as a ‘failed state’ and a ‘semi-sovereign’ subject, and to blame the West for provoking a ‘civil war’ in the country. It also outlines Ukraine’s counter-narratives that emphasises its sovereignty and the inter-state nature of its war with Russia

Reporting on the Minsk II Agreement: the Effect of Russian Narratives in French and German Media. IES Policy Brief Issue 2016/17 • October 2016

This Policy Brief is the second in a two-part feature that examines Russia’s ability to influence French and German narratives on the Minsk II agreement and Ukraine’s evolving position in the international system. While the first Policy Brief analysed the gap between Ukrainian-Russian interpretations of the Minsk II agreement, this Brief traces how these narratives are contextualised in French and German media landscapes. The research concludes that while there is a consistent presence of Russian narratives in public discourse in these countries, they had limited impact on their public opinion. The German/French news coverage of the Minsk II agreement as well as the role of Russia and Ukraine in its implementation differs from Russian-sponsored news. The Brief analyzes the wider diplomatic relations between Germany, France and Russia, particularly focusing on the deteriorating relations before the Ukraine crisis

The parliamentary elections in Ukraine: new hope? EPC Policy Brief, 21 October 2014

Ukraine’s parliamentary elections on 26 October 2014 seem set to be the most important and most challenging the country has ever held. For the first time in Ukraine’s history, the presidential election of Petro Poroshenko in May gave many Ukrainians new hope. His victory seemed to unite the country, being the first president to have won in most of the regions despite the ongoing conflict in the East. However, with many corrupt elites still in power, reforms have become hostage to vested interests and in-fighting which has raised fears of ‘business as usual’. This has made this election campaign set against a backdrop of serious challenges dominating the agenda for the foreseeable future. In this policy brief, Amanda Paul and Svitlana Kobzar explore the status of the reform agenda needed for a stable and democratic Ukraine as well as the challenges in the run up to the election including corruption, energy and EU relations

Eastern Partnership summit and Ukraine’s ‘return to Europe’ at times of uncertainty. EPC Policy Brief 23 November 2017

Ukraine would like the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels to deliver a long-term strategy, including a clear European perspective for the country. But given the EU’s uncertainty about its own future, the political climate in the Union is not conducive for such bold steps at this time. In this Policy Brief, Svitlana Kobzar and Amanda Paul call for the EU to send a strong and positive message, reaffirming its commitment to the EaP, and argue that both Ukraine and the EU can do more to put Ukraine on a path to becoming a successful European state

Eastern Partnership summit and Ukraine’s ‘return to Europe’ at times of uncertainty. EPC Policy Brief 23 November 2017

Ukraine would like the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels to deliver a long-term strategy, including a clear European perspective for the country. But given the EU’s uncertainty about its own future, the political climate in the Union is not conducive for such bold steps at this time. In this Policy Brief, Svitlana Kobzar and Amanda Paul call for the EU to send a strong and positive message, reaffirming its commitment to the EaP, and argue that both Ukraine and the EU can do more to put Ukraine on a path to becoming a successful European state

Transforming research into an engaging policy story : how to write a policy brief

A policy brief is a piece of writing, a standalone report, designed for those interested in policy-making (e.g. officials, bureaucrats, lobbyists, donors and those working for non-governmental organisations). Policy briefs help explain the findings of research in a succinct and understandable manner to an educated audience who may not come from a research background. Optimising the understanding of your research by policy officials is one of the ways of ensuring its visibility and impact. Engaging in this form of dissemination may be challenging for many researchers. The format of policy briefs differs sharply from academic papers.Consortium for Applied Research on International Migration (CARIM-East) is co-financed by the European University Institute and the European Unio

Looking beyond the horizon : how the EU’S eastern partnership can rise to the occasion in Ukraine and beyond

Confronted with scores of unprecedented challenges, the European Union’s (EU) short-term focus has naturally been on putting out fires in its Eastern neighbourhood. As The Economist once claimed, “The EU’s neighbourhood is more troubled than ever”.1 However, in order to avoid being constantly overwhelmed by security, political and economic instability in the neighbourhood, the EU should reflect and act on its strategic goals and the tools at its disposal to reach them. The current effort to bring about “stabilisation” in the neighbourhood should include a greater use of the EU’s soft power. This will allow the EU to plant the seeds for long-term change. If stopping the wars around the EU is the imperative of the day, investing in youth and education are some of the crucial building blocks of the future resilience of the region

The Additional Error of Inertial Sensors Induced by Hypersonic Flight Conditions

The emergence of hypersonic technology pose a new challenge for inertial navigation sensors, widely used in aerospace industry. The main problems are: extremely high temperatures, vibration of the fuselage, penetrating acoustic radiation and shock N-waves. The nature of the additional errors of the gyroscopic inertial sensor with hydrostatic suspension components under operating conditions generated by forced precession of the movable part of the suspension due to diffraction phenomena in acoustic fields is explained. The cause of the disturbing moments in the form of the Coriolis inertia forces during the transition of the suspension surface into the category of impedance is revealed. The boundaries of occurrence of the features on the resonance wave match are described. The values of the “false” angular velocity as a result of the elastic-stress state of suspension in the acoustic fields are determined