Global Political Insight

The peace agreement signed in Minsk, Belarus, last week regarding eastern Ukraine is undoubtedly welcome. Though fragile, the ceasefire provides some longed-for relief for the population of Donbass. A moment of relative tranquility on its territory is certainly something Ukraine needed desperately for two main reasons. The conflict was a huge drain on the Ukrainian […]

The West can be forgiven for feeling a little smug about Russia’s current economic woes. But celebrating a weak Russian economy would be foolish – especially for Europe – for two primary reasons: economic ties with Russia and political instability. There is no denying that Russia is experiencing a currency crisis. The rouble continues to drop […]

While the disagreement over Ukraine remains a long-term irritant in Russian relations with Europe, it is still too early to speak about the beginning of the new Cold War. In other regions of the world, both sides face challenges that may demand joint cooperation. Currently, there are three main issues that require collaboration in the […]

Parliamentary elections in Ukraine on 26th October indicated that the country is on a Western path. But the euphoria many felt in Kiev after the end of Euromaidan protests may be replaced by hard realisation that not much has changed in Ukraine. The economy is in a dire place and is unlikely to improve any […]

CCTV America interviewed Alexander Clackson on the G20 summit. He’s the founder of the international affairs think-tank Global Political Insight with expertise on Russia.  

Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin topping the Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful people for a second time, a great deal of speculation still circulates amongst analysts, politicians and economists, about whether the economic deterioration of Russia will be the straw that breaks Putin’s back. This is unlikely to be the case. Vladimir Putin […]

RT’s political debate show CrossTalk invited Alexander Clackson, founder of Global Political Insight; Charles Bausman, chief editor of Russia Insider; and Martin McCauley, author and Senior Lecturer at the University of London to discuss President Putin’s image. Issues discussed included: What draws the image of Putin in the West? How has Putin evolved since he […]

South African President Jacob Zuma has, late Friday (October 24th) night, cancelled a trip to the UK because Prime Minister David Cameron refused South Africa a courtesy call commonly afforded to visiting heads of state. Zuma was supposed to have been in the UK from Saturday to Wednesday and scheduled to attend the 3rd Annual […]

Many political and security analysts are not hesitant to criticise the domestic and international strategies of the Russian Federation, particularly in the last year. Although I am not arguing that the methods of the Kremlin have always resulted in the best course of action, there is a part of me that believes the contemporary ‘Russian […]

Channel One Russia (Первый канал) did a reportage on Ukraine for its 9 pm news programme Vremya, the main evening newscast in Russia. Alexander Clackson shared his brief analysis from 4 min 57 seconds. The reportage is in Russian.   http://www.1tv.ru/news/world/269803

Russian culture is a rich and colourful collision of language, history and ideology which results, for many, in a fierce pride and shared fidelity to the state. It is a culture which is often misunderstood and is heavily masked in a deep curiosity. Will the loyalty of a great number of citizens be better understood, […]

Since the start of the Ukrainian crisis in November 2013, Western media and politicians have accused Russia in its role in the Ukrainian crisis, repeatedly claiming that Russia has acted aggressively without any provocation. Contrary to these statements, Russia has been a victim of regular provocations over the last few years. Despite these aggravations, Russia […]

RT’s political debate show CrossTalk invited Sir Tony Brenton, former British Ambassador to Russia; Alexander Clackson, founder of Global Political Insight; and Ben Aris, Editor of Business New Europe, to discuss whether the Minsk Accord ended the conflict in Ukraine? Or will another hot war in the breakaway regions flare up? Will President Poroshenko push for […]

As the stand-off between Russia and the West continues, one organisation seems to be completely off the radar, and yet has managed to make great strides in its development and growth. This organisation is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), an intergovernmental group of Central Asian countries aiming to promote cooperation between its six member states:Russia, China, […]

NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made announcement recently that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is for the first time looking to deploy its forces at new bases in Eastern Europe, in response to the Ukraine crisis and in an attempt to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from “causing trouble in the former Soviet Baltic republics”. […]