FUROR IN MOSCOW OVER BALKAN CONFLICT The Kosovo crisis continued to dominate Russian diplomacy over the past fortnight, as Moscow maintained both its furious criticism of NATO air attacks on Yugoslavia and its insistence that the West turn to diplomacy to resolve the conflict. In... MORE

POLITICAL MAYHEM IN MOSCOW While NATO air strikes have in recent days dominated headlines around the world (see below), the events in the former Yugoslavia come on the heels of a rapidly unraveling political situation inside Russia. The fortnight began with rampant rumors that the... MORE

Another unseemly round of political infighting erupted in Russia over the past fortnight as the contest between the country's president and prime minister increased in intensity. One victim of that inglorious battle was CIS Executive Secretary Boris Berezovsky. His abrupt dismissal by President Boris Yeltsin... MORE

seems close to its first success in a desperate effort to reenter the

Moscow appeared afflicted over the past fortnight by the ancient Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." At home, Russia's domestic political scene descended into a bizarre and unseemly morass of outlandish charges, unexpected resignations, and ominous raids by Russian special forces. This domestic... MORE

Russia's political turmoil continued over the past fortnight, as President Boris Yeltsin's enduring health problems precipitated what appeared to be conflict between the Kremlin and Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov. But the country's domestic problems seemed in no way to discourage Russia's political elite from seeking... MORE

Russia entered the new year with the financial wolf at the door. Because of its failure last December to make a US$362 million interest payment on its Soviet-era debt, the Fitch IBCA credit rating agency this week downgraded PRINs--Russian bonds covering US$22.4 billion in Soviet-era... MORE

Russia's political crisis worsened over the past fortnight as few took seriously a new initiative by the Kremlin ostensibly aimed at battling crime, corruption and political extremism. There was also little to cheer about in the economy. Russia's upper house of parliament emerged as a... MORE

Russia's domestic struggles continued over the past fortnight as a fleeting visit to the Kremlin by Boris Yeltsin produced yet another shakeup of the presidential administration. Neither the personnel reshuffle nor Yeltsin's call for a renewed battle against corruption appeared to do much to improve... MORE

The main impression left by the last two weeks in Russian politics is of a growing power vacuum. This impression received graphic confirmation with the assassination of veteran reformer Galina Starovoitova in St. Petersburg on November 20. Previous high-profile contract killings, including the 1994 murder... MORE