“THE SPECTER OF DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION.”

The shortcomings of Russian diplomacy have isolated Moscow within the former USSR far more than they have isolated Moscow from the international community, political commentator Vladimir Razuvayev told Segodnya June 2. Indeed, the only “allies” Moscow has left within the CIS are Tajikistan and Belarus. According to Razuvayev, Moscow’s worst performance has been in its relations with Ukraine. The Russian side, he suggested, has failed to exploit its advantages–the large Ukrainian debt to Moscow, the ethnic Russian communities there, and Moscow’s control of energy supplies–and has allowed Ukraine to adopt an increasingly independent line.

Presidential Administration Will Appoint Russian Agents Abroad.