
Latest Articles about Russia

OSCE Summit in Astana Likely to Emphasize Security Issues
Seven months into chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Kazakhstan has achieved yet another foreign policy milestone –the heads of all 56 OSCE member-states will convene in Astana this fall for the first summit since 1999. The decision was announced at... MORE

OSCE to Hold Summit in Kazakhstan After Eleven Year Hiatus
On July 16-17, in Almaty, an informal meeting of 56 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) countries’ foreign affairs ministers decided to hold a summit of the organization this year in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. This will be the OSCE’s first meeting at the... MORE

French “Tin Cans” or Technology Transfer? Vysotskiy on the Mistral
On July 23, French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, confirmed that France will build two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships for Russia, each costing up to 500 million Euros ($650 million), as negotiations continue over additional platforms. Despite Sarkozy’s confidence, Russian military officials remain more cautious about the... MORE

Will Russia Buy Up Ukraine?
The description of Belarusian President, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, as “pro-Russian” has side-stepped the fact that he is a Soviet Belarusian nationalist which developed after 2002, when he rejected the then Russian President, Vladimir Putin’s, offer to unite both countries. One factor behind Lukashenka’s Soviet Belarusian nationalism... MORE

Attack on Kabardino-Balkaria Hydroelectric Plant Exposes Government’s Weakness
On July 21, a group of militants in Kabardino-Balkaria launched a bold attack on the Baksan hydroelectric plant, ransacked the facility and rendering it unusable after a series of explosions. Two policemen who were guarding the plant were killed in the raid. The attack drew... MORE

Gorbachev Warns of Explosive Problems With Medvedev’s “Modernization”
Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, concentrated on the European direction of his modernization-focused foreign policy last week, making working visits to Finland and Italy. Both countries are Russia’s close partners and the trips were problem-free, with a healthy sweat in a sauna with Finnish President, Tarja... MORE

The US Expands Military Ties with Tajikistan
The US Ambassador to Tajikistan, Ken Gross, announced on June 25 that the US plans to open a military training center in Tajikistan pending the signing of related agreements with the Tajik side. The proposed center, to be located 45 kilometers (km) from the capital,... MORE

Moscow Promises Increased “Energy Efficiency”
Moscow has reiterated plans to improve its energy efficiency by pledging huge investments aimed at developing its power supply networks. However, the economic viability of Russia’s proposed capital-intensive solutions apparently remain far from certain. The country’s energy efficiency challenges have recently become a matter of... MORE

Railway and Hydroelectric Engineer Targeted in Dagestan
Attacks apparently carried out by insurgents and attacking infrastructure have been reported in Dagestan in the wake of the daring attack earlier this week on the Baksan hydropower station in Kabardino-Balkaria. Russian news agencies reported that an improvised explosive device (IED) went off today (July... MORE

Veteran of Anti-Russian Wars named as Head of Dagestan’s Sharia Jamaat
Dagestan’s Sharia Jamaat acquired a new leader this past week, six months after the death on the night of December 31, 2009 of the previous Emir al-Bar (aka Umalat Magomedov). Seifullah of Gubden (aka Magomed Vagapov), the emir of the Gubden Jamaat, has been chosen... MORE