In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and involved itself in the secessionist wars of Donetsk and Luhansk, the consequent international sanctions from the European Union and America signaled an end to Russia’s positive diplomatic relations with the west. Now, almost three years later, these sanctions have failed to act as a deterrent for Putin to yield Russia’s control over the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine.
READ MOREAmid the substantial increase in child marriage as a negative coping strategy to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, European nations are scrambling to find sustainable response to the influx of child brides. Recent cases involving de-facto or de-jure recognition of child marriage in Member States that ban such unions have not only triggered concern on the lack of protective measures for child brides, but also demonstrated that addressing child marriage is not at all a straightforward endeavor.
READ MOREAfter the election of Trump, the High Representative Federica Mogherini stressed the following in a CNN interview: “friendship stays, partnership stays, but EU politics is not determined by US politics”. The emerging unpredictability surrounding the United States (USA) opened up the possibility for the European Union (EU) to play a role as super power.
READ MOREBy committing itself to making trees and green infrastructure a part of its scenery, Paris can bring colours back to a grey city.
READ MOREAccording to the speeches on the inauguration day of the newly re-shaped Frontex agency, it seems that the European Union has found the best antidote to the migration challenge so far: the novelty has been labelled a “milestone” in the history of border politics and solidarity between Member States. But Frontex’ new aims focus foremost on control and monitoring, whilst little is said about the asylum system and the refugees’ rights.
READ MORE