FREE NETWORK

Humanitarian demining is step one for Ukraine’s recovery - unlocking safety, jobs & investment. Join us on Oct 15, 2025, 09:30–12:00 CEST at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) to discuss the economics, best practices & GAPD’s approach.

💡Learn more and register here: tr.ee/a6f8d9

🇵🇱 🇪🇺 What lessons does Poland’s experience with EU pre-accession funding hold for today’s candidates, including Moldova and Ukraine? Michal Myck and Monika Oczkowska of CenEA discuss how EU aid can drive transformation and affect public support for integration. 🔗 freepolicybriefs.org/2025/10/06/e...

🇺🇦 How did Ukraine become the world’s 4th largest walnut producer while 95% of nuts come from private households? The KSE Institute’s Agrocenter unpacks this paradox. Read more: shorturl.at/HWrVD #FREEnetwork #Ukraine #KSEInstitute

🇪🇺 🇺🇦 What role should the EU play in financing Ukraine? At a seminar hosted by the @ec.europa.eu in Sweden, Torbjörn Becker @sitestockholm.bsky.social argued that the fairest and most sustainable way to fund Ukraine’s recovery is by leveraging frozen Russian assets. 🔗 Watch the seminar (in Swedish).

Seminarium: EU:s ekonomiska roll i Ukraina YouTube video by EU-kommissionen i Sverige

📢 SITE Director Torbjörn Becker at EU Commission seminar: "The only fair way to fund Ukraine is by using frozen Russian assets." He lays out a legally sound path toward war reparations, and pushes back against critics of the plan. Watch the seminar (in Swedish): www.youtube.com/live/TdE7xiO...

The FREE Network retreat just wrapped up in Vilnius, Lithuania! A great opportunity for faculty and staff to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas across institutions.

Follow @freenetwork.bsky.social to learn more about the joint initiative in the region. freepolicybriefs.org

🇺🇦 Do liberal values split along Ukraine’s East-West divide?
A new brief by Anders Olofsgård and Cecilia Smitt Meyer from @sitestockholm.bsky.social (SITE) reveals regional differences in attitudes toward democracy and the EU.
freepolicybriefs.org/2025/09/22/l...
#FREEnetwork #Ukraine #democracy

🚗 What does a 25% drop in new car sales in early 2025 signal about Russia’s economy? Cecilia Smitt Meyer of @sitestockholm.bsky.social examines shifting imports, domestic production, and rising financial risks. freepolicybriefs.org/2025/05/05/r... #Sanctions #Economics #FREEnetwork

🥚 What are the key challenges faced by businesses when starting a business in the poultry industry? 🇺🇦 Experts from the KSE Institute explore the barriers to starting and scaling businesses in the poultry industry. kse.ua/about-the-sc... #FREENetwork

🇷🇺 Russia’s oil revenues jumped $0.9B to $14.3B in July 2025, fueled by higher prices and an extra trading day. KSE Institute’s August report shows crude at $8.94B and refined products at $5.39B. The shadow fleet keeps the cash flowing. 🛢️ Full report: kse.ua/about-the-sc... #KSEInstitute #FREEnetwork

⚙️ Can Belarus sustain growth when state-owned enterprises dominate investment? Anatoly Kharitonchik of BEROC analyzes shifts in employment, exports, and trade since 2019. 🔗 freepolicybriefs.org/2025/06/16/b... #FREENetwork #BEROC #Belarus

Why are workers underrepresented in Swedish politics—despite being half the electorate?

In a new SNS Analys report, SITE’s Olle Folke and co-author Johanna Rickne find that structural barriers—not lack of ambition—keep workers from power.

➡️ Read the report (in Swe): www.sns.se/artiklar/sns...

🇸🇪 🇺🇦 How can Sweden turn policy uncertainty into an opportunity for displaced Ukrainians? Anna Anisimova & @lilleberlin.bsky.social of @sitestockholm.bsky.social and Kata Fredheim of #SSERiga and #BICEPS discuss how labor market access and civil society can help. freepolicybriefs.org/2025/04/07/s...

📢 Discover SITE’s latest work on economic and policy developments with relevance for Eastern Europe and other transition countries.

📚 Explore our research articles, policy briefs, datasets, reports, and more: research.hhs.se/esploro/sear...

US tariffs on Indian goods rise to 50% as pressure over Russian oil imports. How severe is the impact on India? Hear SITE Director Torbjörn Becker discuss with Sveriges Radio’s South Asia correspondent Naila Saleem.

🎧 Learn more (in Swe): www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/trum...

⚡️ How did the Baltics cut power ties to Russia without blackouts? Ewa Lazarczyk Carlson of Reykjavik University and Chloé Le Coq of CRED and @sitestockholm.bsky.social explore the ripple effects of the Baltics’ desynchronization from the BRELL network. freepolicybriefs.org/2025/03/03/d...

📉 Russia’s budget is under strain: falling oil and gas revenues, a widening deficit, rising spending, and a slowing economy. How long can it continue? Explore the August #RussiaChartbook by KSE Institute 👉 kse.ua/about-the-sc... #FREENetwork #KSEInstitute

Rebuilding Ukraine is more than just bricks—it's about a rebuilding a modern, secure future. New research paper by @torbjornbecker.bsky.social, @ygorodnichenko.bsky.social, and Beatrice Weder di Mauro maps the path to a resilient, democratic Ukraine.

💡Learn more: www.hhs.se/en/about-us/...

🧊 As debate over seizing Russian assets continues, the question remains: can frozen funds be turned into Ukraine’s reconstruction fund? Anders Olofsgård of @sitestockholm.bsky.social outlines legal and economic options freepolicybriefs.org/2025/06/18/s... #FREENetwork #SITE #SanctionsRussia

Russia is sliding into recession, says VEB (Russia's state development bank). As EU ministers met in Copenhagen to discuss a 19th sanctions package, Torbjörn Becker (SITE) argues: "I don’t see why we shouldn’t impose every sanction possible." Learn more (in Swe): www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/ryss...

✈️ Which industries stayed and which fled Russia after the invasion of Ukraine? Cecilia Smitt Meyer and Maiting Zhuang from @sitestockholm.bsky.social investigate market exits across sectors. 📘 Discover the insights. freepolicybriefs.org/2024/05/20/b... #FREENetwork #LeaveRussia #SITE

💸 Since 2022, foreign companies have paid over $60B in taxes to Russia, fueling Putin’s war machine. A new report by B4Ukraine, KSE Institute & Squeezing Putin shows how international firms remain a major revenue source for the Kremlin. 📑 Full report: kse.ua/about-the-sc...

Fuel shortages hit parts of Russia as Ukrainian drone strikes disrupt refineries. A95 gasoline prices reach record highs, rising 55% since January. “A clear signal to Russians that the war has domestic costs,” says SITE’s Director Torbjörn Becker.

💡Learn more (in Swe): www.di.se/nyheter/rysk...

🍰 Can an excise tax on sugar and salt-rich foods shift consumer habits? Researchers from BICEPS simulate the short-term impact of introducing a differentiated, broad-based tax on food products. freepolicybriefs.org/2025/06/09/e... #Nutrition #Policy #FREENetwork

⚡ Can subsidies replace carbon taxes in fighting climate change? Julius Andersson and Jared Finnegan explore how to align industrial policy with climate goals. freepolicybriefs.org/2025/04/28/g... #climate #taxes #FREENetwork

Are the sanctions on Russia finally working? YouTube video by Peterson Institute for International Economics

What impact are sanctions really having on Russia’s economy & war capacity? SITE Director Torbjörn Becker @torbjornbecker.bsky.social joined @piie.com experts to discuss Russia’s downturn, Ukraine’s security & reconstruction.

👉 Watch the full discussion here: www.youtube.com/live/QTl4VzD...

Timeline of Western Sanctions and Russian Countermeasures An overview of the sanction packages imposed by Western allies in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Want to learn more about the impact of sanctions on Russia? SITE’s project Sanctions on Russia & the Russian Economy offers comprehensive insights and a detailed sanctions timeline. sanctionsrussia.org/sanctions-ti... #sanctions #russia

Russia’s Car Fleet Dynamics – and Why They Matter Russia car dynamics reveal falling demand, rising debt, and economic strain amid sanctions, inflation, and shifting import patterns.

🚗 How do collapsing car sales reveal the financial strain on Russian households? In her latest policy brief, Cecilia Smitt Meyer of @sitestockholm.bsky.social explores how sanctions, inflation, and loans are reshaping the market. freepolicybriefs.org/2025/05/05/r... #russia #sanctions #FREENetwork

📉 Russia’s railway system is experiencing its sharpest downturn since 2008, with freight volumes falling for 20 consecutive months. @lilleberlin.bsky.social of @sitestockholm.bsky.social discusses Russia’s war-strained economy in Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish).
www.dn.se/varlden/rysk...

📉 Should the $60 price cap be cut, or could it backfire by boosting shadow-fleet profits? 🔎 Diego S. Cardoso, Julien Daubanes, and Stephen Salant explain the potential consequences of lowering it. freepolicybriefs.org/2025/03/24/p... #OilMarkets #Sanctions #Russia