International criticism has been mounting over the June 13 arrest of Vladimir Gusinsky, founder and head of the Media-Most holding. U.S. President Bill Clinton said yesterday that while he did not have "all the facts" concerning the media mogul's arrest, he did not believe that... MORE

Criticism of Gusinsky's arrest grew also on the home front yesterday. Seventeen of Gusinsky's fellow "oligarchs" published an open letter warning that Gusinsky's arrest had raised "serious doubts" within both the Russian and international business communities about whether Russia is a democracy. The letter was... MORE

With criticism over the June 13 arrest of Media-Most chief Vladimir Gusinsky mounting at home and abroad, President Vladimir Putin yesterday denied that the action was politically motivated. During a press conference at the end of his official visit to Spain, the Russian head of... MORE

With very little publicity the Baltic Air Surveillance Network (Baltnet) went online last week (BNS, June 6). The event represents a milestone in terms of Baltic security and of the three countries' preparations for NATO membership. Baltnet is one of several joint projects designed to... MORE

The Baltic Defense College, Baltdefcol, is about to graduate its first class of staff officers. Located in Tartu, Estonia, this institution is unique and indeed unprecedented in international military experience in several respects. First, as a joint interstate staff college; second, as an incubator of... MORE

Vladimir Gusinsky, founder and head of the Media-Most holding, was arrested yesterday and jailed for his alleged involvement in embezzling more than US$10 million in state funds through the St. Petersburg company Russkoye Video. The arrest took place yesterday evening and, according to a Media-Most... MORE

The reaction to Vladimir Gusinsky's arrest was for the most part negative and critical. Even Boris Berezovsky--tycoon, leading "Family" member and long-time Gusinsky rival and foe--said that he disapproved of the arrest. Berezovsky added, however, that Gusinsky had fallen victim "to the machine which he... MORE

The Russian government, which has long been the international community's most steadfast backer of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, may be moving to distance itself somewhat from the authorities in Belgrade. That, at least, appeared to be the point of remarks critical of Belgrade made to... MORE

The gubernatorial race in Russia's Samara Oblast, scheduled for July 2, has entered its final phase. This is a pre-term election: The date was moved up when the incumbent, Konstantin Titov, resigned following his poor showing in Russia's presidential election in March. Titov said that... MORE

As in Russia, the exchange rate in Ukraine has dropped sharply since the August 1998 financial crisis. The hryvnya, which was trading at US$1 = 2.1 in August 1998, had fallen to US$1 = 5.6 on June 9. But despite this depreciation inflation has remained... MORE