Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
Ukrainian Government Reconsiders Gas Policy
Based upon the record of the last eight years, Ukrainian governments and industrialists linked to them have sought deep discounts on the price of Russian gas in two ways, both ultimately self-defeating.One way would allow Russia’s Gazprom to control Ukraine’s gas transit system through some... MORE
Russian Authorities Distribute Blame for the Terrorist Attack
Twin suicide bombings approximately 50 minutes apart hit the Moscow metro on March 29, during the morning rush hour, detonating as trains arrived at busy stations, killing 39 people and closing one of the busiest metro lines for nine hours. After the attacks, there were... MORE
Ukraine’s Old-New Siloviki
The 2006 constitution, like its 1996 predecessor, gives the president the right to appoint the Foreign and Defense Ministers, Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Prosecutor-General, and the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NRBO). Candidates for the first four posts... MORE
The “Great Game:” Lukashenka Slowly Drawn Into Russian Orbit
The mid-March visit by Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, to Belarus stimulated further speculation over the tense and fluctuating relationship between the two Slavic neighbors. Putin arrived in the city of Brest for a regular meeting with the Council of Ministers of the Russia-Belarus Union... MORE
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov Returns Empty-Handed from Moscow
Ukrainian Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov, failed to persuade Moscow to lower the price of gas for Ukraine. Although Kyiv’s offer of participation in a consortium to manage Ukraine’s gas pipelines was not openly rejected, it was hinted that this might not be enough. More economic... MORE
Moscow Remains Insecure After Ten Years of Fighting Terrorism in the North Caucasus
Thirty-nine people died and over 80 were wounded as a result of two explosions on the Moscow metro system during the morning rush hour on March 29. The insurgency in the North Caucasus has been labeled the primary suspect for what is believed to have... MORE
Franco-Russian Warship Deal Receives Winks and Nods in Brussels and Washington
French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s US visit has carefully been protected against any fallout from his proposed sale of Mistral-class power-projection warships to Russia. Ahead of Sarkozy’s visit, Moscow moved to embarrass him. It punctured some key French assumptions about this deal and undermined French reassurances... MORE
Turkey Maintains Objections to Tougher Measures Against Iran
Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attending the Arab League Summit in Sirte, Libya, expressed support for a proposal for a regional dialogue forum, which among other issues will seek to engage Iran.On March 27, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, proposed a... MORE
Nazarbayev Labors to Mend Fences with Tashkent
On March 17, Kazakhstan’s President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, arrived in Tashkent to discuss bilateral relations with his Uzbek counterpart and regional rival. Although the visit was prompted by an official invitation from President, Islam Karimov, he received a saliently reserved welcome in Tashkent. Karimov failed to... MORE
Russian Analysts Question the Viability of the “Reset”
The announced follow-on Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), to be signed by the US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Prague on April 8 has served to re-focus strategic thinking on how the “reset” might further develop and the diversity of... MORE