European Commission (EC) and Ukrainian government experts will meet in Kiev on July 24 to discuss Ukraine's request for a loan to pump Russian gas into underground reservoirs for the winter. As the Naftohaz Ukrainy state-controlled oil and gas behemoth is nearly bankrupt, Ukraine has... MORE

The Memorial human rights group, which has suspended its activities in Chechnya in the wake of the murder of Natalya Estemirova, who worked in its Grozny office, says that it nonetheless is continuing to receive reports about rights violations in the republic, both from law-enforcement... MORE

In an open letter to the Obama administration, leading public figures from Central-Eastern Europe are calling in urgent terms for U.S. strategic re-engagement with that region, both directly and through NATO. Released to the media on July 16, and based on a concept paper issued... MORE

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev met his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarksyan in Moscow on July 17 in their latest round of reconciliation talks. Turkey has closely followed the talks between the two presidents, facilitated by the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, hoping that the resolution of the... MORE

On July 18, the renowned human rights center Memorial announced the suspension of its activities in Chechnya, following the murder of its activist Natalya Estemirova on July 15. Estemirova was kidnapped in Grozny near her home and found dead in neighboring Ingushetia later on the... MORE

On July 13 during a visit to Sochi the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev confirmed a successful live training launch of a strategic missile. He told Russian sailors that "the goal was achieved, and the missile's parts fell in the planned location." Although many Russian media... MORE

On July 6, the Russian ministry of communications posted its Order 65, on its official website (www.minkomsvjaz.ru). Effective as of July 21, the order decrees that Russian postal services must make available for inspection on demand to the Federal Security Service (the FSB, the main... MORE

Since the meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Moscow two weeks ago, President Dmitry Medvedev has been involved in a flurry of external activities from the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy to the informal gathering of several neighboring presidents at the traditional horse races... MORE

The inter-governmental agreement (IGA) on the Nabucco project, signed on July 13, depends existentially on Azerbaijan for start-up and first-phase gas supplies. Azerbaijan remains a staunch supporter of Nabucco and other components of the E.U.'s Southern Corridor project, but not an unconditional supporter to be... MORE

The wave of escalating operations by insurgents coupled with a number of high-profile murders and assassination attempts in June has pushed Russia into launching a campaign of pressure aimed at liquidating rebel fighters.Russia's campaign is manifesting itself primarily through methods and tactics employed to put... MORE