On November 26, in Italy's Bay of Taranto, the Russian Black Sea Fleet's destroyer Smetlivyi and frigate Pytlivyi conducted a one-day joint exercise with two units from NATO's Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED): the U.S. Navy's destroyer Mahan and the Greek frigate Bouboulina. The event,... MORE

As the political standoff continues in Ukraine, the only conclusion that can now possibly be made is that the pro-presidential camp never sought to hold free and fair elections in the first place. Both rounds one (October 31) and two (November 21) of the presidential... MORE

The information blockade around opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has broken. Channel 5, which is controlled by Yushchenko's aide Petro Poroshenko, is no longer the only television channel to give air time to the opposition and offer more or less unbiased coverage of Ukrainian politics. Several... MORE

As the democratic opposition continues to swell the streets of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, the Moscow Kremlin is likely having second thoughts about its policies toward Russia's western neighbor. The Putin administration's Ukraine strategy has proved to be misconceived: a brazen attempt to steal... MORE

The Moldovan government does not recognize the officially announced results for Ukraine's presidential election. In a November 26 declaration, Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted, "The November 21 balloting failed to meet the requirements and criteria for recognition of the returns by Ukraine's citizens and... MORE

The entire international community has condemned the second round of the Ukrainian presidential election, held on November 21. The only exception has been the CIS Election Observers Mission, a body established in Russia in 2003 that brings together most CIS member states. CIS Executive Secretary... MORE

The October crisis in the North Caucasus republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia continues, but the authorities have managed to mitigate the problem somewhat. On November 11, when angry demonstrators took over the Government Palace, Dmitry Kozak, Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy to the Southern Federal District, met... MORE

Russia's investment climate is undergoing profound changes, but expert opinions about the direction of these changes differ far more than traditional quarrels between economic schools should warrant. In mid-November Fitch Ratings awarded Russia one extra step and thus raised its rating to investment level (Kommersant,... MORE

A recent series of high-level meetings in the context of the Central Asian Cooperation Organization and the November 19 summit between Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov and Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov produced rhetorical statements of renewed interest in regional cooperation. But even as Central Asian political... MORE

As the tens of thousands of Ukrainians continue to protest the outcome of Sunday's presidential runoff, Moscow has embraced Ukraine's Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych, as the new president-elect. Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who openly backed Yanukovych throughout the campaign, sent him his congratulations late Monday... MORE