Published daily by the Lowy Institute

← Contributors

John Besemeres

John Besemeres taught politics at Monash University, was head of Polish and later Slavonic Studies at Macquarie University, spent 5 years working as a translator in Belgrade and Warsaw, served for some 30 years in several Australian government portfolios including PM&C, Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and Foreign Affairs and Trade, and has published extensively on Russian and Eastern European affairs.

Articles by John Besemeres (5)

  • John Besemeres 10 Apr 2015 16:10

    Ukraine conflict exposes Western weakness on Russia

    The EU has colossal achievements to its credit in stabilising and integrating post-communist countries after 1990 by a mixture of carrots, civilisational attraction, and economic incentives and penalties. But the Yugoslav crises of the 1990s and now the Ukraine crisis have highlighted the limitations of the EU's security capabilities. After centuries of conflict originating in Europe, often radiating effects far beyond, the EU has sought to abolish conflict.
  • John Besemeres 21 Feb 2014 13:24

    Vladimir Putin: Geopolitical wrecking ball

    With his crude but effective intrusion into Kyiv's strategic decision-making, Russia's president has comprehensively destabilised Ukraine with unpredictable consequences and triggered a reprise of the 'Orange' events of 2004-5. Then, with Putin's overt support, Viktor Yanukovych deployed 'administrative resources' to rig the presidential election.
  • John Besemeres 21 Nov 2013 13:53

    Putin's re-Sovietisation project and the Ukrainian jewel

    John Besemeres is a Visiting Fellow in the Centre for European Studies, ANU. Largely unnoticed by the media in Australia, a lengthy geopolitical tug-of-war has been taking place for dominance in Eurasia. Though he periodically denies it, Russian President Vladimir Putin is clearly bent on restoring some kind of successor organisation to the Soviet Union which Moscow (he) could control.