Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

Landmark Elections in Kyrgyzstan Produce Surprising Results

The parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan on October 10 were the most free and fair in Central Asia’s post-Soviet history. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has given its most positive feedback, emphasizing that political competition took place in a free environment, the... MORE

Abkhaz Muslims Become Target of Kremlin’s Hidden War

Since little statistical data exists, it is rather difficult to calculate the exact number or relative percentages of Muslims and Christians living in today’s Abkhazia. The leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church in Abkhazia always tries to pretend that there are two or three times... MORE

Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law in Retreat in Ukraine

Three recent episodes reflect the degree to which the rule of law in Ukraine is under pressure from its already weak position after five years of instability under former President Viktor Yushchenko. This growing pressure on the rule of law comes after President Viktor Yanukovych... MORE

China Secures Trade Surplus With Russia

Russia has sought to expand its trade with China in an apparent bid to prop up what was officially denoted as the strategic partnership between the two nations. Meanwhile, as bilateral trade recovered, China has regained a surplus in its trade with Russia. The official... MORE

Thirteen is a Lucky Number for the Russian Navy

If August and September were months the Russian navy would like to forget, October 2010 began with very good news for the navy, its high command, and the defense ministry. On October 7, the re-configured Delta-class SSBN, Dmitri Donskoi, conducted a successful launch in the... MORE

The Court Makes the King

The dismissal of Moscow Mayor, Yuri Luzkov, by President, Dmitry Medvedev, fits neatly in a traditional framework of the center–provinces relations in Russia (EDM, September 28). The rebellious ex-mayor believes the real reason for his dismissal was the presidential administration’s intention to have “their own... MORE

Moscow Awaits Medvedev’s Choice

The appointment of a new mayor of Moscow after the abrupt dismissal of Yuri Luzhkov who had dared to challenge President Dmitry Medvedev’s suggestion that he resign quietly, remained the main political intrigue in Russia. This scandal persists as Luzhkov disparaged Medvedev’s pretences for leadership... MORE