|   | | | | SITE June 2026 Newsletter
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| | | | In this June edition, we share a roundup of SITE's recent reports, events, and activities. This month features a new Kiel Institute & SITE report on the mounting pressures facing Russia's war economy, a SITE report on Ukraine's communication strategy in Africa, takeaways from our sanctions compliance and enforcement conference, highlights from the 2026 Nordic Annual Environmental and Resource Economics Workshop, and SITE's participation in an Almedalen seminar on hybrid threats and maritime security. We also share the news that the American University of Armenia has joined the FREE Network, alongside new FREE Network policy briefs on Russia's move toward a state-controlled internet and health literacy challenges in Latvia - plus SITE in the media and upcoming events.
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| | | | SITE on Summer Break: Back in September | |
| | | | In a time marked by geopolitical uncertainty, economic strain, and profound societal change, the need for careful analysis and informed dialogue remains as important as ever. As summer begins, SITE will take a brief pause before returning in September with renewed energy to continue exploring the critical issues shaping Europe and the world.
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. We wish you a restful summer and time to reflect, recharge, and return with renewed perspective. | |
| | | | With warm regards,
Torbjörn Becker, Director of SITE, and SITE team
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| NEW REPORT
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 | | Background image of a world map created with AI and licensed through Shutterstock. |
| New SITE Report Explores Ukraine's Communication Strategy In Africa
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| | A new report, authored by SITE researcher Anna Anisimova, examines how Ukraine has transformed its engagement with African countries since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and what lessons Sweden can draw from this experience. |
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| KIEL & SITE REPORT
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 | | Endgame: Russia's War Economy Hits Its Limits |
| A new Kiel Institute & SITE report, Endgame: The State of the Russian Economy, examines the mounting pressures facing Russia's war economy.
Edited by SITE's Torbjörn Becker and Moritz Schularick, the report finds that while Russia's economy has not collapsed, its structural foundations are weakening: growth has stalled, fiscal buffers are largely exhausted, and dependence on China has deepened significantly.
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| EVENT HIGHLIGHT
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 | | Photos: Dominick Nilsson |
| | Sanctions Enforcement Requires Closer Cooperation Between Authorities And Companies |
| Researchers, policymakers, companies, and public authorities gathered in Stockholm on June 9 to discuss how sanctions can be enforced more effectively. The conference focused on export controls, sanctions circumvention, and the growing importance of cooperation across sectors and borders.
Organized by SITE and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the conference Sanctions Compliance and Enforcement: Strengthening Cooperation between Companies and Authorities focused on export controls, sanctions circumvention, and the growing need for cooperation across sectors and borders.
Special thanks to all speakers, participants, and partners who contributed to an important and timely discussion on strengthening sanctions compliance and enforcement. |
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| NAERE 2026 Workshop
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 | | Photos: Dominick Nilsson |
| | How Can Economic Research Help Address Some Of Society's Most Pressing Environmental Challenges? |
| The 8th edition of the 2026 Nordic Annual Environmental and Resource Economics Workshop (NAERE) was held in Stockholm on June 11–12. The workshop was organized by the SITE and held at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE).
The workshop provided an academic forum where established researchers and doctoral students presented their current research, received constructive feedback, and created opportunities for new collaborations.
We were honored to host keynote speakers Dominic Rohner from the Geneva Graduate Institute and Helene Ollivier from the Paris School of Economics, alongside leading scholars and practitioners contributing to important discussions on sustainability and economic development.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Stockholm and helped make this year's NAERE workshop a success. |
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| SITE in Almedalen
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 | | How Should Sweden Respond To Hybrid Threats In Our Region? |
| On June 24, at Almedalen, the Swedish Coast Guard hosted an important seminar addressing issues such as the Russian shadow fleets, threats to vital infrastructure, the current security environment, and the need for a Swedish maritime strategy.
Torbjörn Becker, Director of SITE, joined the discussion together with Henrik Jonsson from the Swedish Coast Guard, Johan Norlén from the Swedish Navy, Stefan Persson from NKT and Pernilla Wallin from the Swedish Transport Agency. The seminar underlined the importance of cooperation between authorities, organizations, and companies to strengthen resilience and preparedness in an increasingly complex security landscape.
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| NEW MEMBER
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 | | From left: Knar KHACHATRYAN & Vardan Baghdasaryan (AUA) |
| | AUA Joins The FREE Network To Advance Economic And Gender Research |
| The American University of Armenia (AUA) Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics (MSCBE) has officially joined the Forum for Research on Eastern Europe and Emerging Economies (FREE Network). The FREE Network is a joint initiative by the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE), Belarusian Economic Research and Outreach Center, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy, Centre for Economic Analysis, ISET Policy Institute, and Kyiv School of Economics.
Pamela Campa, Associate Professor at SITE, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership. "We are delighted to welcome AUA to the FREE Network," she said. "AUA's membership brings new colleagues, perspectives, and expertise to our community, creating opportunities for joint research, academic exchange, and sharing of good practices in research and teaching. For Armenia, it also means stronger connections to international research networks and greater capacity to address economic policy challenges through rigorous, evidence-based analysis. Based on my experience working with colleagues at AUA so far, I am confident this will be a fruitful and rewarding collaboration for both AUA and the entire FREE Network." |
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| | FREE NETWORK POLICY BRIEFS |
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| | Towards A Russian Internet? |
| | Russia is moving from a mostly open internet toward a more controlled, state-managed online space, according to a new policy brief by Violaine D'Ortona, Jonathan Lehne, and Maiting Zhuang. The brief shows how Russia's internet restrictions have grown sharply since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. |
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| | Why Health Information Is Still Hard To Use In Latvia |
| | Many adults in Latvia struggle to find, understand, judge, and use health information, according to a new policy brief analysis by Zane Varpina, Mara Dzene, and Agnes Lubloy. The brief argues that health literacy is not only a public health issue, but also a pathway through which social and economic inequality becomes unequal health outcomes. |
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| | | | (Listed from oldest to most recent as of this month.) | |
| | | | Putin's economy is in its "final stages" / Putins Wirtschaft ist im „Endstadium" (Bild.de) | |
| | | | Putin's new nightmare: trillions of rubles in deficit — in just four months / Dubbelsmäll hotar Putin när oljan faller (Dagens Industri) | |
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| | | | Browse upcoming SITE and FREE Network events and register - on campus at the Stockholm School of Economics and online. | |
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| | | | THANK YOU FOR READING
THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER
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| | | | Follow us on our social media accounts to get the latest updates from SITE.
Until then, see you in the next newsletter!
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