On September 30, the upper house of the Russia’s parliament—the Federation Council—unanimously rubberstamped a Kremlin request to use Russian troops abroad after a 15-minute closed session. President Vladimir Putin’s administration chief, Sergei Ivanov, presented the Kremlin’s request and later told reporters that Russian troops will... MORE

The Central Asian republic of Turkmenistan is considering abandoning the socio-economic system, in place since independence over 20 years ago, that the government has used to placate the population. At a meeting of the Council of Elders, on September 10, several members of this government... MORE

On September 25, Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission (EC), which has been acting as a mediator in the energy talks between Moscow and Kyiv, agreed on new terms for Russian gas deliveries to Ukraine from October 2015 until March 2016. EC Vice President Maros... MORE

Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) recently published data on the economic performance of the North Caucasian Federal District during the first seven months of 2015. According to the optimistic government statistics, the unemployment rate in the district fell by 1.5 percent, while industrial output... MORE

Russia’s aggression against its neighbors is often called “hybrid” war because it makes use of techniques that give the Kremlin deniability in the eyes of some while allowing Russia to advance its power into the territories of other states. If one accepts that definition, even... MORE

Russia’s military build-up in Syria has provoked international speculation as to the motives and aims underlying what might prove to be the country’s first out-of-area operation since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Clues about this Syria gambit emerged during the strategic-operational military exercise Tsentr... MORE

On September 26, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka arrived in New York to take part in the 70th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. His speech is expected on September 29. Upon arrival, Lukashenka met with Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the... MORE

On September 19, a majority of those attending the International Circassian Association (ICA) conference in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, reelected Khauti Sokhrokov as head of the organization. Out of 73 delegates, 62 voted for Sokhrokov, 10 voted against and 1 abstained. Many Circassian activists, however, have expressed... MORE

The United Nations General Assembly will hear today (September 28) the long-promised address by President Vladimir Putin, which is unlikely to contain any shocking surprises. The main content of his initiative on bringing the devastating civil war in Syria to an end has already been... MORE

On August 4, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev decreed the establishment of a state commission on import substitution. This new entity within Russia’s executive branch aims to alleviate the country’s dependence on the import of goods and services from abroad and to spearhead growth in... MORE