Uncertain ground: engaging with Europe's breakaway territories

Convener: Roy Allison (St. Antony's College, REES)

Speaker: Thomas de Waal (Senior Fellow, Russia & Eurasia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

Abkhazia, Transdniestria, and northern Cyprus, three unrecognized statelets in Europe that arose during conflicts in the twentieth century, have turned into de facto states. They are a long way from international recognition, but are self-governing and stable, and they show no signs of collapsing. Thomas de Waal’s new report suggests that there is a bigger space for engagement with these territories that will help the people on the ground and also assist conflict resolution. The report also considers the different example of the two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine.