While reiterating Russia's continued opposition to any eastward expansion of NATO, Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov yesterday said in Brussels that Russia was willing to enter into negotiations with the Alliance "in order to settle any issues that might be of concern to us." He spoke... MORE

The decision yesterday to retire Defense Minister Igor Rodionov from the armed forces while concurrently retaining him in his current post had all the markings of yet another hastily conceived personnel action devised by the Kremlin for fleeting political advantages. In fact, however, the move... MORE

Today is Constitution Day, a national holiday in Russia. President Boris Yeltsin proclaimed yesterday in an address to the nation that Russia's three-year-old constitution has stood the test of time and that, the predictions of doomsayers notwithstanding, presidential and parliamentary elections took place in Russia... MORE

A row is brewing between Moscow and the European Union over a decision by the Russian Duma to charge a $10 duty for every crossing of the Russian border by an individual or consignment of goods. The decision takes the form of amendments to the... MORE

By virtue of a December 10 presidential decree, Leonid Kuchma has dismissed the head of the presidential administration, Dmytro Tabachnyk, and also stripped him of the military ranks he had acquired in 1994 and 1995. In a related move, Kuchma demoted Lt. Gen. Hryhory Dyachuk,... MORE

Nineteen participants of the March 1995 armed rebellion against president Haidar Aliev -- most of them former OPON (earlier OMON) officers -- have been arrested in Azerbaijan. The chief catch in the latest roundup is Yelcin Amiraslanov, who commanded the OPON unit in Kazakh district.... MORE

Armenia's Supreme Court on December 10 sentenced three alleged terrorists to death and eight others to prison terms ranging from 3 to 15 years. One other defendant died under suspicious circumstances in detention during the trial, which lasted a year and a half. The defendants... MORE

Tajik president Imomali Rahmonov and United Tajik Opposition chairman Saidabdullo Nuri, meeting in Hostdeh, northeastern Afghanistan, on December 10-11, signed a ceasefire agreement, effective as of today. It envisages a disengagement of forces in the Jirgatal, Kataregin, Garm, and Tavildara areas of central Tajikistan, demilitarization... MORE

Russia got its first civilian defense minister today when President Boris Yeltsin released Gen. Igor Rodionov from military service but retained him as defense minister. On December 1 Rodionov turned 60--the military's mandatory retirement age. Rodionov was appointed to the post in July of this... MORE

Russian foreign minister Evgeni Primakov said today that Russia remains opposed to NATO expansion but wants to maintain a dialogue with the alliance. He was speaking after a meeting this morning with NATO officials in Brussels. (BBC World Service, December 11. See Perspective item below)... MORE