Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
Astana Takes Credit for Stability in Kyrgyzstan
Astana has promised to open Kazakhstan’s border with Kyrgyzstan almost one month after the violent regime change in Bishkek. Astana remained reluctant to re-open the border despite numerous pleas from the Kyrgyz. The cost of the closed border was high – Kyrgyz businesses claim millions... MORE
Yarmuk Jammat Regroups after Death of Astemirov in Sign of new Militant Strategy
Nalchik, the capital city of Kabardino-Balkaria in Russia’s North Caucasus, has been hit be a series of bombings. Explosives were detonated on May 1, during May Day festivities at the local hippodrome as the spectators, including members of the republican government, were about to view... MORE
Chechen Leader Says he Does Not Repress Religion and Press Freedom, or Kill his Opponents
Chechen President, Ramzan Kadyrov, on May 5 slammed a report by a US government commission on infringements of religious freedom worldwide in which he came in for particularly harsh criticism. Earlier this month, Kadyrov was listed a “predator” of press freedom, and last month the... MORE
Ukraine’s Leaders Trying to Resist Gazprom-Naftohaz “Merger”
Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin’s, April 30 proposal to “merge” Ukraine’s national energy company Naftohaz with Gazprom (EDM, May 5) has stunned the new Ukrainian authorities. During an entire week after the proposal’s airing President, Viktor Yanukovych, and Prime Minister, Nikolai Azarov, have arrogated to... MORE
“Tired” Lukashenka Ready to Run for Re-election
While the date of the next presidential election in Belarus has not been determined definitively –February 6, 2011 has been mentioned as a possibility– Belarusian President, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, during a visit to the Homel’ region, declared that “a very hard campaign” awaits him because “some... MORE
Nalchik Bomb Attack Endangers the Stability of Kabardino-Balkaria
On May 1, an explosion shook Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria. A home-made explosive device estimated at equaling 3-5 kilograms of TNT went off at the time as current and former republican top officials were entering a tribune set aside for them at the Nalchik... MORE
Russian Military Personnel Crisis: Medvedev and the General Staff Join the Fray
It has been officially acknowledged that the Russian military faces a serious personnel crisis: the federal program to hire more contract soldiers has failed and their number will be reduced from 150,000 to 90,000, while massive draft-dodging and demographic problems are reducing the number of... MORE
Constitutional Amendments Further Polarize Turkish Politics
Turkish domestic politics has been focused on a controversial constitutional reform package, proposed by the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP). In what appears to be a new trench war, the Turkish parliament has held the second round of voting on the proposed changes.For the... MORE
The US and Azerbaijan: Unraveling a Strategic Partnership?
The hitherto strong relations between the US and Azerbaijan have hit a low point following the US-facilitated signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols on October 10, 2009. If ratified, the protocols would lead to establishing diplomatic ties between Turkey and Armenia and re-opening their joint border... MORE
Putin Calls For Naftohaz Ukrainy-Gazprom Gas Merger
Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, has proposed a “merger“of Ukraine’s national energy company Naftohaz Ukrainy with Russia’s Gazprom. The proposal emerged during Putin’s April 30 meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister, Nikolai Azarov, in Sochi (ITAR-TASS, April 30). It was the seventh meeting, by most counts,... MORE