Revolutionary passions in Kyiv should give way to pragmatism after the departure of Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was fired on September 8. President Viktor Yushchenko has made it clear that he will ask parliament to approve caretaker prime minister Yuriy Yekhanurov as his... MORE

As the geopolitical competition in the former Soviet lands becomes more acute, the Kremlin is seeking to revamp its strategy towards the Commonwealth of Independent States. First Moscow sends a signal to the West, saying it is ready to reach some sort of accommodation in... MORE

Russian President Vladimir Putin's brief visit to Berlin last week was not only perfectly timed for the German elections but also loaded accordingly: He delivered a valuable gift to his ally, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and made a pro-forma introduction to the opposition leader, Angela Merkel.... MORE

In recent weeks both the Georgian and the Azerbaijani media have actively speculated whether the government of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili would support a popular revolution in neighboring Azerbaijan. Some analysts tend to link the recently cooled relations between Tbilisi and Baku with this issue.... MORE

Yesterday, September 8, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko fired his government and removed top officials accused of corruption. Oleksandr Zinchenko, the former head of the presidential secretariat, had leveled the startling corruption charges four days earlier after resigning on September 2 (see EDM, September 8). The... MORE

President Viktor Yushchenko's September 7 decision to dismiss Yulia Tymoshenko's government will certainly affect Ukraine's crucial gas trade with Russia. Gas supply problems fraught with political complications are looming in Ukraine on the threshold of the heating-and-election season. The ruling coalition's prospects in the March... MORE

Last week Russia marked the first anniversary of the Beslan tragedy. On September 1, a terrorist group from Chechnya seized a school in the North Ossetian town of Beslan, taking more than 1,0000 people, mostly children, hostage. More than 300 hostage died during the chaotic... MORE

Setting the stage for another government showdown with the opposition, Armenia's parliament approved on September 1 the final version of President Robert Kocharian's Western-backed constitutional amendments that will be put to a national referendum in November. The move came after three days of heated debates... MORE

Preparations are underway for the Afghan parliamentary elections on September 18, amid continuing violence and intimidation. At the same time, there is optimism as the U.S.-led coalition forces prepare for the security challenges that the elections present. The parliamentary balloting will complete the final stage... MORE

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has completed the deployment of additional forces in northern and western Afghanistan to support the holding of elections to the National Assembly and Provincial Councils. ISAF units are tasked to act as Election Support Forces in the run-up... MORE