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FREE NETWORK

@freenetwork.bsky.social
105 followers 259 following 203 posts

The FREE Network is a joint policy research initiative by leading economic think tanks in Eastern Europe - SITE, BEROC, BICEPS, CenEA, ISET, and KSE Institute.

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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
🇦🇲 Who gets access to startup capital in Armenia? 🔎 Vahagn Grigoryan at the American University of Armenia and Suren Karapetyan, a PhD student at Charles University, examine the gender gap in startup funding. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/09/28/g... #FREEnetwork #gender #entrepreneurship
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
How can access to global gold markets reshape armed conflict? Join SITE on Sep 22, 12:00–13:00 CEST, for a seminar with Jing-Rong Zeng on gold refining, violence, and local economic activity in eastern DRC. At SSE & online. ➡️ Learn more & and how to attend the seminar: www.hhs.se/events/site-...
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
What are the hidden productivity costs of war? Join SITE on Sep 24 for a lecture with Yuriy Gorodnichenko (UC Berkeley) on how conflict disrupts resource allocation across firms and affects productivity and long-term economic performance. ➡️ Learn more & register here: www.hhs.se/events/site-...
The allocative cost of war: A view to a kill. . . ing of productivity - A lecture with Yuriy Gorodnichenko

The Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) at the Stockholm School of Economics hosts a lecture with Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, on September 24. He will discuss how war disrupts the allocation of resources across firms and economic activities, and what this means for productivity and long-term economic performance.

Photo: Shutterstock with AI-generated improvements via OpenAI’s ChatGPT
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
🇺🇦 What is holding Ukraine’s defence startups back from scaling? 📈 87% of surveyed manufacturers plan to grow in the near term. 📘 A new KSE Institute & BRAVE1 study examines the financing, production, and organizational bottlenecks behind the gap. 🔗 kse.ua/about-the-sc...
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
⛽️ Does a higher biofuel blending mandate automatically mean higher fuel prices? 🔎 New research shows that the impact on fuel prices depends crucially on the price gap between biofuel and fossil diesel. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/09/07/r... #FREEnetwork #SITE
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Russia’s war economy is under growing strain. In Børsen, SITE’s Anders Olofsgård explains how pressure on banks, cash withdrawals and fuel shortages are raising the risk of a dangerous spiral - even if an acute collapse remains unlikely. ➡️ Learn more (in Danish): borsen.dk/nyheder/udla...
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Russians are withdrawing record amounts of cash from banks amid fears that the Kremlin could seize private assets to finance the war. SITE Director @torbjornbecker.bsky.social warns that falling trust in the banking system could trigger a bank crisis. Learn more (in Swe): www.dn.se/varlden/ryss...
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
The EU banned Russian steel imports - but an exemption keeps trade flowing. @torbjornbecker.bsky.social estimates replacing Russian steel would cost the EU €100–200m, while cutting Russia’s revenues by €1–2bn. “We must also ask what it costs not to impose sanctions.” ➡️ Watch (in 🇸🇪): tr.ee/jkq54P
Photo of Torbjörn Becker, Director of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE).
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
🛜 Is Russia building its own version of the internet? 🗜️ Over the past decade, Russia has shifted from relatively decentralized internet regulation towards infrastructure capable of monitoring, filtering, and disrupting traffic at scale. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/06/15/t... #FreeNetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
🛑 What are the key developments in sanctions policy and the current state of the Russian economy? 📘 The KSE Institute presents a new edition of its biannual assessment of the state of the Russian economy and the impact of sanctions. kse.ua/about-the-sc... #FREEnetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
🇺🇦 Why has support for Ukraine evolved so differently across Europe? 🔎 Jonathan Lehne and Maiting Zhuang from @sitestockholm.bsky.social introduce a new polarisation index to track political divisions across the EU. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/18/h... #FREEnetwork #SITE #Ukraine
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
🚆 How does migration affect voting? 🔎 In their latest policy brief, Dariia Mykhailyshyna from KSE and David Zuchowski from @uv.es examine how two waves of Ukrainian migration reshaped voting patterns in Poland. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/11/m... #migration #poland #ukraine #voting #FreeNetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
🇺🇦 What is driving Ukraine’s economy today? 📘 KSE Institute has published the latest edition of the Ukraine Monthly Economic Update, covering economic developments and data for May–June 2026. kse.ua/about-the-sc... #kseinstitute #FreeNetwork #ukraine #EconomicUpdate
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
⛑️ Why do so many people struggle to make informed health decisions? 🔎 A team of researchers from BICEPS and SSE Riga investigates how health literacy is distributed across society. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/06/22/h... #healthpolicy #FreeNetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
💰 What is Russia paying to keep its war machine supplied? 📌 The latest Russian CHP Imports Tracker from KSE Institute reveals that Russia now pays China an approximately 300% premium for critical goods. kse.ua/about-the-sc... #kseinstitute #Sanctions #russia #economics #FreeNetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
🌍 How could a disruption in the Strait of Hormuz reshape Europe’s energy future? Chloé Le Coq from CRED and SITE, and Elena Paltseva from @sitestockholm.bsky.social, examine the Hormuz shock and its implications for the EU’s gas security. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/03/23/h... #FREEnetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
❌🇷🇺 Why do foreign companies still operate in Russia despite the full-scale invasion? 🔎 Visit KSE Institute’s Leave Russia monitoring project. It shows that 55% of foreign companies still operate in Russia, while 565 have fully exited. leave-russia.org #LeaveRussia #kseinstitute #FreeNetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
🚢 As tensions over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have risen again, who are the winners and losers if the strait is closed? Read a timely policy brief by Johan Gars, Daniel Spiro, and Henrik Wachtmeister. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/03/20/h... #FREEnetwork #Energy #HormuzStrait #Oil
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
🗜️ How can sanctions become even more effective in limiting Russia’s war machine? ⚒️ On 8 July, KSE welcomed David O’Sullivan, EU Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions, for discussions with Ukrainian experts and civil society. www.linkedin.com/posts/kse-in...
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
⚡️ Can Belarus reduce its dependence on Russian energy without triggering an economic crisis? 🔎 Researchers at BEROC explore how a major energy shock could affect Belarus’s GDP and identify which industries would be hit the hardest. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/04/13/b... #FreeNetwork #belarus
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
🚢 How has Russia’s shadow fleet evolved despite sanctions? 🔎 Benjamin Hilgenstock, Yuliia Pavytska, Anatolii Kravtsev, and Oleksandr Petrenko of the KSE Institute analyze the latest data on oil exports, tanker networks, and sanctions enforcement. kse.ua/about-the-sc...
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
🎓 What makes international graduates stay or leave after university? 🔎 Zane Varpina (SSE Riga & BICEPS) and Marija Krūmiņa (BICEPS) examine language, careers, and policy. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/13/r... #FreeNetwork #sseriga #biceps #PolicyBrief #MigrationPolicy
freepolicybriefs.org
Retaining Third-country Graduates in Latvia
Learn how to improve the retention of foreign graduates through better integration and employment opportunities.
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
🇷🇺 How has Russia’s digital landscape changed since 2022? 🔎 Violaine D’Ortona, Jonathan Lehne, and Maiting Zhuang of @sitestockholm.bsky.social investigate internet disruptions, platform blocking, and website censorship in Russia. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/06/15/t... #FREEnetwork #Russia #PolicyBrief
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
💥 How did Ukrainian drone strikes reshape Russia’s crude oil exports? 🇺🇦 KSE Institute’s June Russian Oil Tracker explains how refinery disruptions and shadow fleet shortages reshaped Russia’s crude oil exports. kse.ua/about-the-sc... #FREEnetwork #KSEinstitute
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
🌍 What can Europe learn from Ukraine about hybrid threats? 🔎 Anna Anisimova (@sitestockholm.bsky.social) and Ksenia Rundin (CSSC at the SSE) explain how coordinated cyber and information attacks create lasting economic and governance challenges. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/03/16/a... #FreeNetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
🌍 Africa’s international partnerships are shifting. As some Western donors scale back, Russia is expanding. 🎙️ In the latest EBA podcast, Maria Perrotta Berlin (@sitestockholm.bsky.social) and Anna Ida Rock (FOI) discuss Russia’s military, economic, and information strategies. eba.se/current/makt...
eba.se
Maktkamp i Afrika: När väst backar och Ryssland flyttar fram | EBA
Det internationella samarbetet på den afrikanska kontinenten ritas om i snabb takt. Samtidigt som Sverige och flera västerländska givare minskar sin närvaro och avvecklar långvariga landstrategier, fl...
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
🇪🇺 Is Europe’s support for Ukraine becoming more politically divided? 🔎 Jonathan Lehne and Maiting Zhuang of @sitestockholm.bsky.social analyze Eurobarometer data to show where polarization is rising and explain why these trends matter. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/18/h... #FREEnetwork #Ukraine
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
🇺🇦 How does Ukraine plan to finance its recovery? 🔎 KSE Institute has published a new assessment examining Ukraine’s 2027–2029 Budget Declaration. 📖 Read the full analysis: kse.ua/about-the-sc... #FREEnetwork #KSEinstitute #Ukraine #Recovery
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
⛽️ How are strikes on Russian refineries reshaping Russia’s economy? 📢 Nataliia Shapoval, Chairman of KSE Institute, explains that attacks on Russian refineries are tightening domestic fuel supplies and putting additional strain on Russia’s budget. 📺 www.facebook.com/reel/1038246... #FREEnetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
⛑️ Can better health communication reduce inequality? 🔎 Mara Dzene, Agnes Lublóy and Zane Vārpiņa examine why many adults struggle to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health information in everyday decisions. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/06/22/h... #HealthEquity #latvia #biceps #sseriga
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
🇪🇺 As Ireland prepares to assume the EU presidency, questions are mounting over alumina exports to Russia. In their latest Financial Times report, Jude Webber and Christopher Cook draw on KSE Institute research into military-industrial supply chains. Read more: www.ft.com/content/4f27... #FREEnetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
🇺🇦 Has support for Ukraine remained united across Europe? 🔎 In their latest policy brief, Jonathan Lehne and Maiting Zhuang from the @sitestockholm.bsky.social discuss where political divides are widening across Europe. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/18/h... #FreeNetwork #Ukraine #Support
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
🔎 How can companies and public authorities strengthen cooperation on sanctions compliance and enforcement? ➡️ Join the SITE Sanctions Compliance and Enforcement Conference and learn more. 📆 June 9, 2026. ➡️ Register: www.trippus.se/web/registra...
trippus.se
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
🇦🇲 Is Armenia choosing between Europe and Russia? Or is it seeking a balance between the two? 🔎 Vardan Baghdasaryan of the American University of Armenia examines the geopolitical tensions shaping the 2026 election. 📚 Read more: freepolicybriefs.org/2026/06/01/2... #FreeNetwork #armenia #elections
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
💰🇺🇦 Can Ukraine maintain macroeconomic stability without steady external financing? 🔎 Researchers at the KSE Institute examine declining reserves, budget pressures, and growing financing needs in the latest Monthly Economic Update. kse.ua/about-the-sc... #FREEnetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
🇺🇦 🇪🇺 What does long-term solidarity with Ukraine require from Sweden and Europe? 📢 Representatives from all Swedish parliamentary parties gathered at the SSE for a panel discussion hosted by @sitestockholm.bsky.social together with the @nordicukraine.bsky.social. Learn more nuforum.se #FREEnetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
🎓 What makes international graduates stay in a country after university?🔎 Marija Krumina (BICEPS) and Zane Varpina (SSE Riga) reveal why Latvia risks losing globally educated talent. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/13/r... #FreeNetwork #TalentRetention #policy
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
🇺🇦 How sustainable is Ukraine’s growing public debt amid wartime pressures? 🔎 KSE Institute’s latest review shows that debt reached 101% of GDP in 2025, while new debt management measures aim to strengthen long-term fiscal resilience. kse.ua/about-the-sc... #FREEnetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
🇺🇦🇪🇺 Why do some European countries remain united on Ukraine while others grow divided?🔎 Jonathan Lehne and Maiting Zhuang from @sitestockholm.bsky.social unpack new evidence from more than 185,000 survey responses. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/18/h... #FREEnetwork #SITE #Ukraine #PoliticalEconomy
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Russia’s economy faces mounting pressure from high inflation, weak growth, budget deficits and fragile banks. SITE’s Anders Olofsgård comments on the risks of long-term decline or financial shock - and why higher oil prices may only offer temporary relief. ➡️ Read more (in Swe): tr.ee/U0R33b
Russia’s economy is under growing strain as high inflation, weak growth, budget deficits and vulnerable banks increase the risk of a deeper financial crisis. Can Russia’s Central Bank Governor prevent an economic collapse? Anders Olofsgård, Deputy Director of SITE, featured in SvD Näringsliv.
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
⚡ Can Europe secure a green future without creating new geopolitical dependencies? 🔎 Chloe Le Coq, Elena Paltseva & Jesper Roine from @sitestockholm.bsky.social examine the race for critical minerals. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/04/22/c... #GreenTransition #Geopolitics #FREEnetwork
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
In an episode by Radiokorrespondenterna Ryssland, aired on May 7, @torbjornbecker.bsky.social, Director of SITE, joined a discussion on Russia’s economy, the security situation surrounding Vladimir Putin, and the role of EU financial support for Ukraine. ➡️ Learn more (in Swe): tr.ee/NTJNUN
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
🚢 Nearly 20% of global oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Who gains if it closes? Johan Gars (Beijer Institute), Daniel Spiro (Uppsala University) & Henrik Wachtmeister (Utrikespolitiska Institutet) analyze the winners and losers of a Hormuz blockade. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/03/20/h...
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
🇺🇦 A key factor in Ukraine’s financial stability in 2026 will be the Ukraine Support Loan. 🔎 Team of researchers from the KSE Institute breaks down the growing role of the EU’s Ukraine Support Loan. 📚 Learn more and read the publication: kse.ua/about-the-sc... #FREEnetwork
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
🌍 What happens when nearly half a million people leave a country in just a few years? 📌 Anastasiya Luzgina of BEROC examines post-2020 Belarusian migration and its impact on the EU and the Belarusian economy. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/04/27/b... #migration #belarus #FreeNetwork #economy
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
How should business leaders respond when information warfare becomes market risk? Join CSSC & SITE for an open lecture with Mary Prokhorova on cybersecurity, strategic communication, and hybrid threats. 📍 Stockholm School of Economics 📅 May 25, 12:00–13:00 CEST ➡️ Register here: tr.ee/A5Ppiv
Lecture | Information warfare and business risk: A Strategic communication perspective

The Center for Statecraft and Strategic Communication (CSSC) and the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) invite you to an open lecture on cybersecurity on May 25 at the Stockholm School of Economics.

Start time: 2026-05-25 at 12:00
End time: 2026-05-25 at 13:00
Time zone: CEST
Location: Stockholm School of EconomicsSpeaker

Mary Prokhorova
PhD and CEO of InDevLab, expert in information security and expert in information security and digital communication, and co-founder of the Nordic-Ukrainian Working Group.

Prokhorova advises the Swedish Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce in Scandinavia on cybersecurity and AI, and co-founded the Nordic Ukraine Working Group on cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection with Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection. Previously, she advised Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and GIZ, led Diia.Engine for building state registries and systems, and served on the IT Ukraine Association’s Cybersecurity Committee.
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
🎓 Labor shortages are a growing challenge across Europe. Could retaining international graduates be part of the solution? Marija Krumina from BICEPS and Zane Varpina from SSE Riga examine Latvia’s challenge of retaining skilled third-country nationals. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/05/13/r...
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
🪫 Is Russia’s war economy starting to crack? Anders Olofsgård, Deputy Director of @sitestockholm.bsky.social, discusses slowing growth, high inflation, and increasing pressure on public finances as signs of mounting strain on the Russian economy. borsen.dk/nyheder/okon...
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FREE NETWORK @freenetwork.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
🌍 Are critical minerals the new oil of the green transition? Researchers from @sitestockholm.bsky.social and CRED explain how clean energy may cut fossil fuel use while also driving a surge in demand for critical minerals. freepolicybriefs.org/2026/04/22/c... #FREEnetwork #CriticalMinerals
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Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) @sitestockholm.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Russia may be underreporting the strain on its economy, but that is unlikely to change Putin’s war priorities. SITE Director Torbjörn Becker comments on how economic pressure, distorted data, and wartime financing shape the Kremlin’s decisions. ➡️ Read the full article (in Swe): tr.ee/Mv1KQb
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