On August 8 – the third anniversary of the beginning of the short-lived armed conflict with Georgia – the Kremlin press service announced that President Dmitry Medvedev had sent to parliament for ratification two agreements on establishing military bases in the breakaway territories of Abkhazia... MORE

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Georgia by visiting a Spetsnaz unit (Interfax, August 8), and assailing both Georgia and the United States in a live interview of unusual length and candor. Medvedev recounted that he had ordered the... MORE

The Syrian army’s violent campaign against the uprising, despite the onset of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, invited ever escalating criticism from Turkey and the international community. While previously criticized for being ineffective in its approach toward the Baath regime’s operations, Turkey recently emerged... MORE

On August 8, the well-known Russian pundits Igor Yurgens and Sergei Kulik published their assessment of the situation in the North Caucasus and the impact of external actors in the region. Yurgens and Kulik occupy top positions in the Institute of Contemporary Development, which is... MORE

On August 5, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave an interview to Moscow-based and Georgian media on the third anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war in August 2008 (www.kremlin.ru, August 5). Medvedev made several controversial remarks, which must be understood in terms of the three audiences he... MORE

In the latest manifestation of its delicate balancing act between Russia and the West, Armenia has announced plans for a further reform of its armed forces stemming from its growing ties with NATO. Undaunted by a possible negative reaction from Moscow, official Yerevan also seems... MORE

On August 3, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held a government meeting in Kislovodsk on Moscow’s youth policy in the North Caucasus. While a large part of the statements made by Russia’s most powerful politician were apparently connected to the country’s upcoming presidential elections, Putin... MORE

On August 2, the elite Russian Airborne Forces (Vozdushno Desantnye Voiska –VDV) celebrated its 81st anniversary. Senior officers in the VDV commented on their experience of what the defense ministry calls the “new look.” Lieutenant-General Vladimir Shamanov, the Commander of the VDV, confirmed that the... MORE

As in Iraq and Afghanistan, a Western coalition intervened in Libya with only a weak grasp of the local society. The coalition underestimated the resilience of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s base of social support in the country’s west. It seemed blindsided by the complexity of tribal... MORE

The continuing economic problems in Belarus combined with the harsh crackdowns on public actions, such as clapping in unison, have led Western analysts to debate current policies on dealing with the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Opinion remains deeply divided on the best course of action.Senior... MORE