Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill visited Ukraine from July 27 - August 5 in order to suppress the pro-independence mood among the local clergy and more broadly, to assert Russian religious and cultural domination. Kirill made it clear that he would oppose plans, backed by Ukrainian... MORE

Hungarian MOL's oil-producing joint venture in Russia, ZMB, has gained a respite from the Russian authorities' threat to revoke its production license. ZMB (Zapadno-Malobalyk), a parity joint venture of MOL with Russneft in western Siberia's Khanty-Mansi district, had recently been warned by Russia's mineral resources... MORE

On July 31, the Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka participated in an informal summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) held in Cholpon Ata on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. However, he refused to sign any documents on the Russian proposal to create... MORE

Bulgaria has a chance for another national emancipation (Vazrazhdene), in this case from total dependence on Russian energy supplies, under the new government. As an E.U. member country, Bulgaria can also contribute significantly to reducing European dependence on Russian energy monopolies. Given Bulgaria's key location... MORE

Several recent international decisions relating to Ukraine have shown that attitudes toward the local economy have improved following signs of stabilization. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the allocation of another loan tranche, a rating agency expressed optimism on the sovereign ratings, and the European... MORE

With the Communist Party still the strongest by far in society and holding almost half the seats in the new parliament, Moldova's post-communist transition becomes peculiarly complicated. The crucial question is whether the transition can be managed together with the Communist Party in a broad-based... MORE

Almost 20 years after Eastern Europe embarked on the post-communist transition, Moldova has a chance to start that process in earnest after the repeat parliamentary elections held on July 29. The repeat elections' outcome is almost as indecisive as that of the April 5 elections.... MORE

Moldova's nominal Communist Party has won the parliamentary elections yet again on July 29, far ahead of the other parties. These elections were a repeat of the elections held on April 5, which the nominally Liberal opposition had refused to recognize as valid, in contrast... MORE

On July 27 the Kommersant daily, citing diplomatic sources, said that Ukraine intended to expel the Russian General Consul in Odessa, Oleksandr Grachov. The Ukrainian authorities have long accused the consulate of involvement in the illegal distribution of Russian passports to Crimean citizens. Kommersant described... MORE

A jury at Winchester Crown Court in the U.K. returned a guilty verdict on July 17 in the case against “lone wolf” terrorist Andrew “Isa” Ibrahim, a 20 year-old British citizen accused of plotting a suicide bombing at a mall in Bristol, a large city... MORE