With two weeks remaining from the OSCE's 2004 budgetary authorization, Moscow threatens to block adoption of the 2005 budget unless the organization introduces Russian-proposed "reforms." Those proposals seek to: boost the OSCE's role in the military-political and security sphere, where Russia can and does manipulate... MORE

After last week's intense media speculation, yesterday Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili announced an overhaul of key ministries. That same day, December 14, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania announced the structural and personnel reorganization planned for the rest of the ministries. "We are doing this to make... MORE

On Monday December 13, Afghan Planning Minister Ramazan Bashardost tendered his resignation due to a controversy regarding his policies toward non-governmental organizations (NGOs). He is the second planning minister to resign in the past 10 months. His predecessor, Haji M. Mohaqqiq, resigned due to political... MORE

To an outside observer, the December 6 presidential decree on electing of village governors (akims) and experimental elections of local leaders in several districts, including the cities of Astana and Almaty, appears to be a good omen of far-reaching political reform. The official wording of... MORE

The presidential election drama in Ukraine has distracted attention from two key political developments in Russia that are also connected to executive-branch elections. First, on December 3 the Russian State Duma passed a law with new procedures for electing the heads of Russian Federation regions... MORE

Display of Russian military muscle, Moldovan appeals for support, European Union incoherence, and OSCE insistence on staying in play through collaboration with Russia were the highlights of the discussions on Moldova at the OSCE's year-end meeting in Sofia on December 6-7. As in Georgia's case,... MORE

The Russian Interior Ministry (MVD) has successfully completed the first stage of its expanded security role in the aftermath of the Beslan tragedy. It has added to its current responsibilities an additional 440 sites throughout the Russian Federation, many of which include potential soft targets... MORE

Russian President Vladimir Putin made last week's unprecedented trip to Turkey for several reasons. First, trade, energy, and a shared interest in ensuring the security of the Black Sea and the Caucasus against terrorism are important (RIA-Novosti, December 6). Similarly, Putin has long maintained that... MORE

The OSCE's failed year-end meeting in Sofia on December 6-7 also marked its conclusive failure as a would-be security organization. Russia demonstrated that it could kill the OSCE's one and only security operation of proven value, the Border Monitoring Operation in Georgia. At the same... MORE

With democratic challenger Viktor Yushchenko all but set to win a repeat presidential runoff in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing his greatest foreign policy crisis. At stake is the Kremlin leader's dream of Russia's greatness, which he perceives primarily as Moscow's ability to... MORE