Two features of Russia's new national security concept have received the most attention in the Western press. The first involves the fact that the new document adopts a tone far more aggressively anti-Western than in the 1997 version. The earlier document continued to speak of... MORE

The Russian government published a key national security document on January 14, one which formalizes the hard line long evident both in Russian foreign and security policy pronouncements, and in the more assertive posture which Moscow has adopted since last spring's NATO air campaign against... MORE

President Eduard Shevardnadze, who is 72, announced on January 10 that he has decided to seek another term of office in the presidential election scheduled for April 9. The decision, while not unexpected, has had a long and difficult gestation. His advanced age, his narrow... MORE

In statements issued on January 8 and 11, Moldova's Foreign Affairs Ministry has expressed concern over an attempt by Moscow to evade its recently assumed obligation to withdraw the Russian arsenals from the Transdniester region of Moldova by 2001 and the troops by 2002. That... MORE

The blocs and parties which won seats in Russia's new State Duma during the December 19 elections are now involved in negotiations over who will chair the body's various committees and serve as its speaker. The bargaining is reportedly intense. Unity--the pro-Kremlin bloc which put... MORE

As of January 13, the Russian military began imposing a new policy under which Chechen males aged 10 to 60 are not allowed outside the borders of the breakaway republic. In justifying the policy, Russian military officials argue that the Chechen rebels are hiding their... MORE

With the passing of the Christmas and New Year's holidays, Moscow looks set as the locus for a spate of diplomatic events over the next several weeks. European visitors will predominate in the Russian capital, and the Council of Europe is to be especially well... MORE

Islam Karimov was re-elected on January 9 as president of Uzbekistan for another five-year term. According to the official results, he received 91.9 percent of the votes cast, to 4.2 percent for his opponent Abdulhafiz Jalalov, in a two-man race. Jalalov is the first secretary... MORE

Vladimir Putin's elevation to the presidency of Russia seems to have lent a fresh impetus to the intimidation campaign against Georgia and Azerbaijan. From January 7 onward, the Russian military and the intelligence agencies began accusing those two countries of condoning the creation of Chechen... MORE

The Russian military said yesterday that it had completed operations to clear the Chechen town of Shali and Argun of rebel fighters. Evidence suggesting that federal troops had indeed reasserted control over Shali was the visit made there yesterday by Nikolai Koshman, the Kremlin's representative... MORE