Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
CAN RUSSIA TAKE ITS PLACE IN THE G8 FOR GRANTED?
International financier George Soros has once again shown his unique talent as a newsmaker. In an interview with the Austrian Die Presse, he suggested expelling Russia from the G8 due to its retreat from democracy. The Russian media instantly jumped on the story (Izvestiya, February... MORE
SECURITY IN CENTRAL ASIA MOVES CLOSER TO MOSCOW’S ORBIT
Recent events within Central Asia, ranging from maneuvers toward Western military deployment in Kyrgyzstan to political statements from Bishkek indicating the intention of closer security integration with Russia, coupled with accusations from Uzbek officials that Kazakhstan is harboring terrorists, highlight the complexity of post-9/11 security... MORE
WILL VENEZUELA SEND RUSSIAN WEAPONS TO SOUTH AMERICAN TERRORISTS?
Russian foreign policy seems to be increasingly affected by an unresolved schizophrenia that causes it to strike blindly at America, even if it gains little in the process. Last month Russia tried to sell Syria, a known sponsor of terrorism and opponent of the Middle... MORE
BLACK SEA WATCH
Romanian President Traian Basescu's just-completed first visit to Moscow occasioned discussion on a new proposal on Black Sea sub-regional security. The matter came up during Basescu's session with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It contemplates creating an "operational group" of the six riparian countries to combat... MORE
KREMLIN APPOINTS NEW GOVERNMENT IN KARACHAEVO-CHERKESSIA
On February 3, a new government was announced in the republic of Karachaevo- Cherkessia. Following months of unrest, Moscow sought to stabilize the situation. With the republic's president rapidly losing his credibility, the Kremlin has turned to familiar faces to lead the republic. Last October,... MORE
MOSCOW’S MIDAS PROBLEM: WHAT TO DO WITH ALL ITS PETRO-DOLLARS?
It looks like the Kremlin will manage to ride out the wave of social protests surrounding the monetization of social benefits without having to sacrifice Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Meanwhile, the government is squabbling over what to do with the Stabilization Fund -- the excess... MORE
MOVEMENT TOWARD UNIFICATION OF PRO-YUSHCHENKO CAMP STALLS
Among the political goals announced by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is a plan to unify the political parties that comprise the "Our Ukraine" bloc into a single political party (Ukrayinska pravda, February 13). Yushchenko signed a "declaration of principles" regarding a new Our Ukraine party... MORE
LITHUANIA TO LEAD NATO UNIT IN AFGHANISTAN
Speaking at the high-level NATO conference in Munich on February 12-13, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld singled out for praise Lithuania's contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer had similarly commended Lithuania's contribution to ISAF... MORE
GEORGIA UNDER GROWING RUSSIAN PRESSURE AHEAD OF BUSH-PUTIN SUMMIT
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov's imminent visit to Tbilisi appears designed for Washington's consumption ahead of the George W. Bush-Vladimir Putin summit on February 24. Moscow wishes to avoid discussion of its ongoing threats to Georgia during the summit. Lavrov may briefly put... MORE
ENTREPRENEURS STRIKE IN BELARUS
On February 10, entrepreneurs staged a one-day strike in various cities across Belarus to protest the introduction of a value-added tax (VAT). The authorities reacted by detaining strike leader Anatol Shumchanka, head of the public organization "Perspektiva," for a 10-day period. However, the businessmen have... MORE