Over the weekend Russia once again found itself isolated as discussion of planned NATO enlargement dominated the annual Wehrkunde meeting of defense experts in Munich. A blistering written report submitted by Russian first deputy defense minister Andrei Kokoshin was the cause of much discord. The... MORE

The Duma has decided to set up a special commission to examine the legality of privatization during the period 1992-95. Those years saw both the first stage of privatization, when state property was distributed to the population in the form of vouchers, and the second,... MORE

In an exclusive article published in today's Financial Times, Anatoly Chubais speaks openly for the first time since his ouster from the Russian government last month. Chubais says he fears Russia is on the verge of a spending spree that will "increase the budget deficit,...... MORE

China has purchased a license to produce high-performance Russian SU-27 fighter jets in a major sale estimated to be worth more than $2 billion. The deal, reportedly finalized by the Russian state arms trading firm Rosvooruzhenie in December 1995, was announced February 2 by Commander... MORE

Russian Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov assured Western leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland yesterday that he did not seek the restoration of the old Soviet Union. "Even if there was a unanimous vote by the people across our old country to... MORE

In the absence of an agreement with the Ukrainian government, coal miners' unions in Donetsk and Luhansk vowed over the weekend to remain off the job until their demands for back wages and continued state subsidies for the coal industry were met. Reports on the... MORE

Almost all of Russia's coal miners have returned to work following a two-day strike that idled 80 percent of Russia's pits. (Interfax, February 3) Union leaders decided late Friday night to suspend their nationwide strike after the government gave in to their demands for back... MORE

1. Ukrainian TV, January 31; Itar-Tass, Ukrinform-Tass, AFP, Reuter, Interfax, BBC World Service, February 1 2. Reuter, February 1 3. Interfax, January 31 4. Reuter, February 1 5. Izvestiya, February 2 6. Interfax, February 1 7. Interfax, February 1 8. Interfax, Russian TV, NTV, January... MORE

Ethnic Uzbek rebel leaders in two different parts of Tajikistan called January 31 for a redistribution of power and benefits within the Tajik regime, all the while professing loyalty to Russia. In the western town of Tursun-Zade, rebel leader Ibodullo Boimatov called for removing the... MORE

Leader of the unrecognized republic of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba and other Abkhaz officials are in Moscow this week for talks with the Foreign Ministry and the Duma. The talks will cover economic and political sanctions against Abkhazia that were formalized at the January 19 CIS... MORE