Last week's funeral (February 24) of former St. Petersburg Mayor Anatoly Sobchak dealt a blow to the prestige of his successor, Vladimir Yakovlev, and cast a spotlight on the gubernatorial election due to be held in Russia's second city on May 14. The funeral was... MORE

The governor of Samara Oblast, Konstantin Titov, is sticking to his guns and standing for president in Russia's March 26 election, even though his move has split the Union of Right Forces (SPS) of which he is a leading member. Last week, the SPS was... MORE

The hegemonial aspirations unveiled by Russia's acting head of state Vladimir Putin seem to have energized Red and pro-Russian groups in several Central Asian countries to advocate the accession of their countries to the Russia-Belarus Union. The base for this trend is primarily political, arising... MORE

Twenty-two Russian ultranationalists are about to go on trial in Ust-Kamenogorsk, the main city of the East Kazakhstan Region, situated in the Russian-settled northeast of that country. The group includes twelve citizens of Russia, one of right-bank Moldova and nine of Kazakhstan. They are accused... MORE

Acting President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that he supports the idea of extending the presidential term from four to eight years, but that he opposes a proposal to make Russia's governorships appointed positions. Extending the presidential term would require an amendment to Russia's constitution. During... MORE

Radio Liberty correspondent Andrei Babitsky was released yesterday from jail in Makhachkala, Dagestan, after which he was taken to a military airport outside the city and put on a special flight to Moscow. He was allowed to return to his home in the Russian capital... MORE

The U.S. State Department's annual report on human rights, made public on February 25, painted a disturbing picture of abuses in Russia over the past year. At least one major human rights organization said that the assessment was not stern enough, however. The annual report... MORE

Assuming it is ratified, the preliminary accord to restructure US$32 billion in Soviet-era debts reached on February 11 with Russia's London Club creditors marks a major step in restoring the external creditworthiness that was destroyed by the August 1998 financial crisis. This deal should help... MORE

In some other respects, however, the London Club deal raises more questions than answers. The 36.5 percent debt forgiveness granted by the London Club was at the low end of Russian estimates concerning the minimum write-off necessary to restore Russia's creditworthiness. PRIN and IAN bonds--the... MORE

Assuming the London Club deal is ratified (as seems likely) attention will shift to Russia's Paris Club negotiations, which are expected to start after the presidential elections. Unofficial estimates of Russia's Paris Club debt (which comprise the bulk of the US$68 billion owed to official... MORE