Author: Larry Cruz

Challenges European Independent Media Faces In Today’s World

One of the main roles of independent media is to provide perspectives on current events, political topics, and/or journalism reports in a more nuanced format, with less inherent biases compared to other available media outlets. In recent years, the changing social, political, and economic landscapes have increased the level of

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How Will Europe Address Energy Challenges For The Winter?

Europe has faced substantial energy challenges during the past months, many of which are connected to the war in Ukraine. Sanctions and other measures imposed by the European Union and individual countries have reduced the continent’s strong dependence on Russian oil and gasoline. However, countries which rely more heavily on

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Sweden, Finland, And NATO: What This Means for Security In Europe

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the security configuration in Europe has drastically changed. It has prompted applications to join the European Union (EU) from several countries in the region along with applications for NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Sweden and Finland, traditionally neutral countries, have submitted

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The Russo-Ukraine War And Disinformation Campaigns In Southeastern Europe

Since the beginning of the Russo-Ukraine War, there are now more disinformation campaigns headed by Russian interests and entities. While there was already disinformation circulating in Southeastern Europe, the current war in Ukraine has only intensified the dissemination of pro-Russia narratives in the region. The sources of disinformation vary, though

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Corruption Continues To Be A Major Issue In Southeastern Europe

Since the 1990s, Southeastern European countries have made significant progress in ensuring stability and transparency from the unrest after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Not all progress has been even, and in some countries, progress is reversing course. The general theme based on news and reports in recent years is that

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Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations Remain Uneasy, But Carefully Improving

Since the six-week-long war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2020, the Russian-brokered ceasefire of November 2020 continues to hold, barring the occasional exchange of fire. However, much of the uneasy peace is contingent on cooperation from both sides and Russian mediation to prevent the deterioration of

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Serbia-Kosovo Relations: From a License Plate Dispute to an Open Conflict?

A dispute over national license plate recognition between Serbia and Kosovo has escalated into a troubling situation involving border protests and military presence. Kosovo-Serbia tensions are not unprecedented. Both nations diverge in their views on Kosovo’s status as a country. This disagreement fulminated in the Kosovo War of the late

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The Effect Of The Foreign Agents Legislation On Russian Media

In 2012, Russian authorities enacted the “Foreign Agents” legislation. The law stated that any entity that receives funding from sources outside the country or that is engaged in “political activity” according to the Russian government, is considered a “foreign agent”. Since 2012, the legislation has been modified to include more

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At-Risk Migrants: Political Tools In The European Union

Several states from the European Union, including neighboring Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania, have accused Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko of illegally sending migrants into the E.U. The group claims that Lukashenko is acting in retaliation to the bloc’s sanctions over the disputed Belarusian presidential election of 2020, making migrants his political

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Kosovo’s New President Has Major Crises To Take On

Kosovo elected reformist lawyer Vjosa Osmani as its new president in early April. President Osmani will serve alongside Prime Minister Albin Kurti as part of the ruling Vetëvendosje party, a reformist social-democratic organization. However, Kosovo is currently facing several challenges, ranging from a public health crisis to unresolved disputes with

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