Moldova's Gagauz republic organizes and becomes a precedent for Europe by Vladimir Socor Moldova has become the first country in Europe´s formercommunist area to experiment with ethnic-territorial autonomyas a solution to ethnic problems. On May 28 and June 11, two-roundelections were held in the southern... MORE

At five, Russia still has not made fundamental choices about its future by Victor Yasmann On June 12, Russia marked the fifth anniversary of its declarationof sovereignty with three key questions about itself still unanswered: What kind of a political system should it have? How... MORE

Kozyrev's "shock diplomacy" is increasingly unpopular at home by Paul A. Goble Russian foreign minister Andrei Kozyrev's propensity to makeoutrageous and even threatening statements and then quickly retractthem has been excused by many in the West as Kozyrev's obligatorybow to Russian opinion at home. But... MORE

The Week Ahead: Using this incident, Yeltsin will disarm Western critics and press Russia's case at G-7 Resolving the Chechen hostage crisis in Budennovsk, pressingMoscow's case at the G-7 meetings in Halifax, and fighting offDuma plans to hold a no confidence vote on Prime Minister... MORE

The Week Just Past: The Chechen seizure of hostages in Budennovsk changes everything The seizure of 1000 hostages by a dissident Chechen unit June14 so dominated the remaining portion of the week that one couldeasily forget two other equally important events last week: thecontinued strengthening... MORE

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Azerbaijan is Caught Between Russia and Iran by David Nissman The public debate over the status of the Caspian Sea is aboutmore than oil: it reflects a deeper struggle between Moscow andTehran for dominance over Azerbaijan. Evidence for that conclusionis to be found in the... MORE

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General Lebed Gains Political Support but may be Defeated by His Own Personality --GENERAL LEBED'S POLITICAL POTENTIAL by Vladimir Socor The history of disintegrating empires, from the Roman and theByzantine to the French and the Portuguese, features instanceswhen disaffected generals from imperial peripheries seized orattempted... MORE