The Russian company Gazprom's vehement accusations and financial claims on Ukraine (see the Monitor, January 13). were put in their proper perspective yesterday by none other than Russia's ambassador in Kyiv, Vladimir Fyodorov. The ambassador commented that "a number of Russian ministries, including the Defense... MORE

In a public statement published yesterday, the nationalist Republican Party of Ukraine has called on all democratic forces to support former Premier Yevhen Marchuk's bid as the noncommunist alternative to the incumbent President Kuchma in the upcoming presidential elections, which are scheduled for October of... MORE

The main opposition parties of Belarus--the Popular Front, the United Civic Party and the Social-Democratic Hramada--made public yesterday a joint plan of political action against both dictatorship and the projected union with Russia. The parties are challenging President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to submit to the test... MORE

A purported interview with NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana has just been published in Riga--fabricated by the spokesman of Latvia's Way, the main governing party under Prime Minister Vilis Kristopans. According to local press reports, the author, Mikhail Mamilov, had only recently been hired by Latvia's... MORE

Aleksandr Lebed, governor of the Krasnoyarsk region, strongly criticized the Kremlin yesterday for its policy vis-a-vis the troubled North Caucasus--or, to be more precise, for its lack of policy. In a statement released to Russian news agencies, Lebed warned of a possible "bloody and massive"... MORE

While the Russian currency continues to strengthen in relation to the U.S. dollar, many observers remain skeptical that it is anything more than a temporary respite. The ruble, which dropped to 23.06 on Monday but strengthened to 22.58 on Tuesday, strengthened further on Wednesday, hitting... MORE

Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeev yesterday identified the creation of a "combined supreme command" of the country's strategic deterrence forces as the military leadership's military reform priority for 1999. "If we do not create a more perfect combat control system, our missiles, no matter how... MORE

The Clinton administration's threat yesterday to either cut back or eliminate Russian launches of American satellites appeared to be, at least in part, a response to the brouhaha out of Moscow. State Department spokesman James Rubin repeated Washington's accusation that the Russian government has in... MORE

The Clinton administration threatened yesterday to take further action against Russia for the Kremlin's failure to halt the leakage of sensitive nuclear and missile technologies to Iran. This threat, which would see the curtailment or even elimination of Russian launches of American-made satellites, came a... MORE

Answering questions from people on the street during his visit to the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma said that he would call a referendum to abolish parliamentary immunity if the legislature refuses to lift the immunity from "certain deputies." Kuchma obviously... MORE