From 17 March 2015, Kiev has been in violation of no less than seven articles and nine obligations it signed on under the Minsk-2 accord.

1. EU Russian sanctions should be gradually phased out in return for progress on the implementation of the Minsk 2 agreements. The focus should be on the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine and on motivating Russia for a constructive cooperation. But Russia is not the only participant of the Minsk process, and the future of sanctions needs to be assessed against the performance of other parties, most importantly Ukraine. The continued Russian possession of the Crime must not prevent an easing of tensions and removal of sanctions.

Source: Sovreign Fund Institute

Largest Sovereign Wealth Funds by Assets under Management (USD Billion)

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) was created in 2005 to handle the country’s windfall from liquefied natural gas sales, of which it is the world’s biggest exporter. Since then, the country has amassed $ 335 billion in assets around the globe, making its sovereign wealth fund the 14th largest in the world according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.

Portfolio Investments (French, UK and German Companies)

Source: The Good Lobby

The ability to impeach a US President sits with the House of Representatives and appears to be the ultimate check and balance on executive powers. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Constitution gives the House the right to impeach—to formally approve allegations of wrongdoing and remove from office, known as articles of impeachment— any sitting President, Vice-president, or Head of a Federal agency. But the road to impeachment is a long and convoluted process that can take months.

Major Projects

1. Baltic Liquiefied Natural Gas (Shell and Gazprom);
2. Blue Stream (Eni and Gazprom);
3. CPC Pipeline (Shell, ENI and Rosneft);
4. Nord Stream 1 (Wintershall, E-On Ruhrgas, NV Nederlandse Gasunie, Engie and Gazprom);
5. Nord Stream 2 (Engie, OMV Aktiengesellschaft, Shell, Uniper, Wintershall and Gazprom);
6. Shakhalin 2 expansion (Shell and Gazprom);
7. Shah Deniz and South Caucasus Pipeline (BP and Lukoil);
8. Zhor Field (BP, ENI and Rosneft).

Companies

Author: Dr. Moghazi Al-Badrawi, Expert in Russia and Central Asia Affairs

There is a need for dialogue, negotiation and co-operation between the EU and Russia. There is always a case to be made that an actor can achieve greater total benefits from cooperative efforts over being actively hostile. Prioritizing diplomatic means in the interest of both sides is the most advantageous long-term choice.

Three broad arenas of positive diplomacy alternatives exist where the EU can make policy changes: