Even though Moscow successfully eliminated Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov in an apparently carefully planned and long-term operation in March, there is little sign of progress towards peace in the breakaway republic. In fact, the number of Russian troops stationed there has recently risen by 5,000... MORE

Improvements in Russia's air defense and naval capabilities, long overdue in the areas of technology and manpower, are serving to boost the overall image of the Russian military. Senior officers, disgruntled by the slow progress of military reform, point to the introduction or current use... MORE

Attempts continue to persuade the Taliban to lay down its arms and join the peace process in Afghanistan. The negotiations, which occur at several levels and at various locations, are aimed at drawing in the so-called "moderate Taliban elements" and to create a rift in... MORE

Opening the Hanover Trade Fair on April 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder announced agreement on a project to deliver Russian gas directly to Germany by a pipeline under the Baltic Sea. The two leaders had strongly encouraged the respective gas... MORE

Although the Russian government has announced what was seen as a final decision for a Japan-bound Pacific oil pipeline route, some recent statements by the country's top officials suggest otherwise. According to Kremlin chief of staff Dmitry Medvedev, Pacific oil pipeline plans are to be... MORE

In the last days of March, members of the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DCK) opposition party announced that they intended to establish a new party, "Alga, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan!" ("Forward, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan!") The founders signed a statement declaring that the new... MORE

A congress of Ukraine's oligarchs is scheduled for April 13 under the guise of the "Assembly of Ukrainian Metallurgists" (ukrrudprom.com, April 11). Representatives from 62 metallurgical enterprises will attend the "Extraordinary" congress in Kyiv. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko described the event as an attempt to... MORE

During his presidency, Kyrgyz leader Askar Akayev had secured guarantees of immunity for himself and members of his family by means of two referenda. Akayev officially resigned on April 3, but his departure did not become official until it was accepted by the Kyrgyz parliament... MORE

China invested considerable economic, political, and military resources in Kyrgyzstan, so it is no surprise that Beijing has been disconcerted by the rapid fall of the Akayev regime and the still-uncertain political evolution of the new regime. Not only did China provide considerable military and... MORE

Aides and speechwriters for Russian President Vladimir Putin are now putting the final touches on his annual address to the Federal Assembly due to be delivered by the end of this month. In the leak-proof Kremlin, the speech's content is guarded more vigilantly than were... MORE