MOSCOW DEFENDS ZHIRINOVSKY’S MAN IN ESTONIA.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s new chief spokesman, Gennady Tarasov, yesterday condemned the expulsion from Estonia of Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s representative Pyotr Rozhok as an "anti-Russian action" reflecting "the Estonian leadership’s overall policy." The Duma’s foreign affairs committee chairman Vladimir Lukin (Yabloko) similarly described the case as an "obvious example of the Estonian authorities’ policy of discrimination against Russians." The ministry and Lukin called for international intercession on Rozhok’s behalf and for automatic naturalization of Russian settlers in Estonia. (Itar-Tass, August 28 and 29) Rozhok, a Russian citizen and head of the Tallinn organization of the ultranationalist Zhirinovsky party, was expelled by decision of a Tallinn court last year and is now appealing the decision.

Lugar, Joulwan in Ukraine