Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF DEMOCRACY MAY PUT BUSH AND PUTIN ON COLLISION COURSE
All smiles and backslapping notwithstanding, the Bush-Putin Bratislava summit laid bare the stark divergence of the two leaders' political philosophies. Describing their social ideals and values, "George" and "Vladimir" seem to be using the same words, but they mean different things. This ideological disconnect will... MORE
GEORGIA, MOLDOVA, BALTICS FIGURE ON SIDELINES OF BUSH-PUTIN SUMMIT
Russia's military and political pressures on Georgia, Moldova, and the Baltic states figured prominently in discussions on the eve and the sidelines of the Bush-Putin summit in Bratislava, but there was no indication that U.S. President George W. Bush raised those issues in his meeting... MORE
UKRAINE MOVES A STEP CLOSER TO EUROPE
During President Viktor Yushchenko's first month in office, he visited Europe twice, appearing at the European Parliament, EU, Council of Europe, and NATO. After a month of such visits and meetings there can be no doubt that Yushchenko is serious when he spoke of "the... MORE
BESLAN MOTHERS TRUST PUTIN, DEMAND DZASOKHOV’S HEAD
On February 17, the "Mothers of Beslan," a group of women who lost their children in the hostage crisis in Beslan last September, petitioned Russian President Vladimir Putin to dismiss the president of North Ossetia, Alexander Dzasokhov. The Beslan families told journalists that they had... MORE
RUSSIA INSISTS ON ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH IRAN
Despite differences between Russia and the United States over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Moscow nonetheless continues to move towards boosting economic ties with Iran. Moreover, the Kremlin remains keen to strengthen its partnership with Tehran. At a meeting in Moscow with the visiting Secretary of the... MORE
NEW ROUND OF DIPLOMACY SEEKS TO ADVANCE SOUTH ASIAN PIPELINE PROJECTS
On February 23 President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan arrived in New Delhi for talks with Indian officials. At the same time, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was visiting Tehran. Among the topics of discussions in both capitals are two gas pipelines: The first one, known... MORE
UZBEKISTAN TO HOLD MILITARY EXERCISES WITH RUSSIAN PARATROOPERS
Uzbekistan plans to carry out joint military exercises with Russia in 2005 involving Russian paratroopers from the 76th Pskov Airborne Division. Colonel-General Alexander Kolmakov, Commander of the Russian Airborne Troops, confirmed that these plans are part of a series of foreign military exercises scheduled with... MORE
THE BUSH-PUTIN MEETING: SOFTLY, SOFTLY
As President George W. Bush heads to Bratislava for tomorrow's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the rhetoric among commentators in both Moscow and Washington has led to some speculation about a radical shift in U.S.-Russian relations. However, all the signs over the past week... MORE
UKRAINIAN JUSTICE MINISTER THREATENS TO QUIT OVER OIL RE-EXPORT BAN
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's radicalism and a conflict of interest have nearly cost Justice Minister Roman Zvarych his position just two weeks after his appointment. The cabinet-imposed ban on exporting oil imported from Russia has prevented a company linked to Zvarych's wife from meeting... MORE
MOSCOW’S CRACKDOWN ON “ISLAMIC” MILITANTS FUELS FEARS OF PROLONGED CHECHEN CONFLICT
The long-awaited Russian crackdown against Islamic militants in the North Caucasus has begun. For now the emerging law enforcement and military campaign seems more sporadic in its nature than first mooted. President Vladimir Putin, promising to get tough with "terrorists" following the Beslan hostage crisis... MORE