Latest Articles about Russia
Faced with a Crippled Economy, Putin Strikes a Conciliatory Tone at Davos
The annual World Economic Forum in Davos was a somber event this year. Its trademark bragging and success stories and the schmoozing among the rich-and-famous were overtaken by the scale of damage from the global crisis that the forum had confidently talked out of existence... MORE
Medvedev and Yevkurov Meet Again, This Time in Moscow
President Dmitry Medvedev met with Ingushetia’s President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov in the Kremlin on January 28, a follow-up to the meeting they had in Magas on January 20 during the Russian president’s trip to Ingushetia (North Caucasus Weekly, January 23). Kavkazky Uzel reported that in the... MORE
FSB Accuses Zakaev of Organizing Armed Attacks in Chechnya
Itar-Tass and Interfax on January 27 quoted the public affairs center of the Federal Security Service (FSB) accusing Akhmed Zakaev, the London-based prime minister of the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (ChRI), of directing rebel attacks in Chechnya. The FSB told the news agency that... MORE
Moscow Sends the West Friendly Signals While Relations with Georgia Worsen
On January 28 Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed official in the Russian Defense Ministry that plans to deploy Iskander SS-26 missiles in the Kaliningrad region, which borders NATO member nations Poland and Lithuania, have been halted. Last November President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to station... MORE
Commentary – Territorial Claims Can Work Two Ways: Russia and Ukraine
The majority of Western comments on territorial claims arising from the breakup of the USSR focus on Russia’s demands against its neighbors. The best known, such as the Crimea and frozen conflicts in the Caucasus, are frequently mentioned in the Western media. Added to this... MORE
The Role of Russian Organized Crime in the Gas War of January 2009
On January 20 Alexei Miller, the CEO of Russia’s state-owned gas monopoly, Gazprom, made an amazing confession. He told Interfax that in late December 2008, when negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on a new gas supply contract broke down, the party largely responsible for this... MORE
Russian Military Reform Delayed by Financial Crisis
Russia’s agenda for military reform, announced by Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov in October 2008, is facing revisions and delays due to the global financial crisis. This has also affected the arms industry, as there are fewer customers for the purchase of military hardware, and has... MORE
Russia’s Eastern Siberian Oil Pipeline Becomes More Expensive
Russian officials have insisted that the construction of the Eastern Siberia Pacific Oil Pipeline (ESPO) remains on track despite growing costs, crisis-related concerns, and doubts about the project's economic viability amid falling crude prices. Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft conceded that the ESPO project faced significant... MORE
Russia’s Sinking Economy and Wandering Politics
The high-intensity but low-yield gas war with Ukraine allowed the Russian leadership to engage in the bargaining and blackmailing that it thrives on. Now that Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin and Yulia Tymoshenko have struck a deal, which has left most observers puzzled about what the... MORE
Markelov Assassination Tied to Release of Budanov?
Mountains of flowers covering fresh bloodstains have become a familiar sign of the times in Moscow. A memorial consisting of bouquets and burning candles was spontaneously erected by people on the place where lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova were murdered on January 19... MORE