In remarks likely to raise hackles in Japan and cool already tepid relations between the two countries, Russian foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov proposed yesterday that consideration of the Kuril Islands territorial dispute be left to "future generations." The proposal, which Primakov said was based on... MORE

The Belarus parliament presidium yesterday summoned president Aleksandr Lukashenko to appear personally in parliament and report on the country's political and economic situation. Parliament chairman Semyon Sharetsky told the chamber that the invitation was delivered in writing after the president had declined repeatedly to answer... MORE

Since Grachev's ouster and his temporary replacement by former general staff chief Mikhail Kolesnikov, speculation as to likely candidates for the defense minister post have focused on two former deputy defense ministers -- Boris Gromov and Valery Mironov. Like Lebed himself, both Gromov and Mironov... MORE

In the wake of quashing what he alleged June 18 was a budding military conspiracy, Aleksandr Lebed yesterday held an unscheduled meeting with Russia's General Staff in order to discuss possible personnel changes within the military leadership. (Reuter, June 19) Lebed had said June 18... MORE

Svyatoslav Fedorov, who won 1 percent of the vote in the first round, announced yesterday that he will vote for Yeltsin in the second round and called on his supporters to do the same. (RTR, June 19) But Yeltsin may be wrong if he thinks... MORE

A struggle is under way over the date of the second round of the Russian presidential election. Officially, the second round of campaigning does not start until the Central Election Commission has announced the final tally for the first round and set the date for... MORE

According to Yeltsin election aide Vyacheslav Nikonov, the Yeltsin campaign has two key strategies for the second round. First is maximizing the turn-out. "The higher the turn-out, the better for Yeltsin. A turn-out of 70 percent would mean that Yeltsin was home free", Nikonov says.... MORE

Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin is set to attend the June 27-29 G-7 summit in Lyon after President Boris Yeltsin announced yesterday that election campaigning would keep him away from the meeting. Although G-7 leaders were reported to be sympathetic, some observers wondered if Yeltsin wanted... MORE

Aleksandr Lebed, just appointed by President Boris Yeltsin to supervise the "power ministries," said last night in a Western TV interview that he would urge a negotiated withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya and the holding of a referendum there "to ascertain the Chechen people's... MORE

The Russian military command and the Chechen resistance leadership are trading accusations over the failure to convene overdue talks on implementing the armistice protocols signed June 10 in Nazran. The Russian command has invited Chechen chief of staff Aslan Maskhadov and his team to hold... MORE