Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
RUSSIAN GENERALS LOSING HOPE FOR MILITARY VICTORY IN CHECHNYA
On October 12, Russian Colonel-General Yevgeny Baryaev told a meeting of law-enforcement agency representatives in Grozny, the Chechen capital, “At the beginning of October the situation deteriorated in Chechnya, especially in the mountainous Vedeno district.” As an example, Baryaev mentioned that one week earlier a... MORE
OUR UKRAINE QUITS CABINET — BUT HINTS AT RETURN
The pro-presidential Our Ukraine bloc will be in opposition to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych’s cabinet, Our Ukraine’s formal leader, Roman Bezsmertny, declared in parliament on October 17. He urged the four ministers representing Our Ukraine in the cabinet to resign, and the next day President... MORE
WESTERN SANCTIONS OVER IRAN DAMAGE RUSSIAN AVIATION INDUSTRY
Russian aircraft producer Sukhoi and the official arms trader Rosoboroneksport are beginning to feel the sanctions imposed last July by the U.S. Department of State for violating the Iran Non-Proliferation Act of 2000 (EDM, August 7). Sukhoi Civil Aircraft announced that the restrictions might hamper... MORE
RUSSIAN AND WESTERN ENERGY INTERESTS CLASH IN KAZAKHSTAN
Astana played host to the Commonwealth of Independent States Energy Council on October 13, a meeting that triggered mixed emotions in Kazakhstan. The session was orchestrated by the head of Russia’s Unified Energy Systems, Anatoly Chubais, who optimistically reported that the meeting was “a very... MORE
PUTIN’S LOGIC ON GEORGIA AND THE FROZEN CONFLICTS
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks during the European Union-Russia informal summit in Lahti, Finland, on October 20 underscored some major theses -- often confusing to the West -- behind Russia’s policy toward Georgia and the frozen conflicts. The summit was held against the backdrop of... MORE
TAJIKISTAN CLAIMS SUCCESS IN COUNTER-NARCOTICS OPERATION
Tajikistan is claiming success in its counter-narcotics capabilities based on its performance during the “Operation Channel 2006” program conducted among Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) countries October 9-15. In fact, during the second stage of these rapid response and preventative operations (the first stage was... MORE
TAJIKISTAN’S BILL ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS CURTAILS POLITICAL OPPOSITION
Tajikistan’s new bill on religious freedoms threatens to become the most rigid and illiberal regulation of its type in Central Asia. Developed in January 2006, “On Freedoms of Confessions and Religious Organizations” restricts religious education for children, curbs women’s rights to practice religious traditions, and... MORE
ANNA POLITKOVSKAYA: VICTIM OF A KREMLIN POWER STRUGGLE?
Various theories have circulated regarding who might have murdered the journalist Anna Politkovskaya on October 7, and why. According to these, she was targeted by nationalist extremists, or by Russian military officers that she had named in connection with human rights abuses in Chechnya, or... MORE
RUSSIAN POLITICS AND ECONOMICS FACE AN ENERGY CRISIS
Russian President Vladimir Putin endured a most unpleasant dinner with the EU heads of state and top officials last Friday (see EDM, October 20). The day before he departed for Lahti, Finland, he held one of the least successful meetings with the ministers and heads... MORE
OSCE’S BELGIAN CHAIR PROPOSES REFORMED PEACEKEEPING IN MOLDOVA
Like other chairmanships of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in recent years, the 2006 Belgian Chairmanship is partly staking its success on showing some decisive progress on Transnistria conflict-settlement during its term in the chair. In the run-up to the organization's December... MORE