Last week's demonstration of force by the Georgian central government on the administrative border with the breakaway region of South Ossetia sparked a vigorous debate among Russia's policy-makers, media and the analytic community. At the heart of the ongoing political discussion is the issue of... MORE

On June 1, Ukrainian Parliament Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Zinchenko complained of collusion between "law enforcement structures and the criminal world" in the April 18 Mukachevo mayoral elections (www.rada.kiev.ua, June 1). Zinchenko specifically targeted "skinheads," who had been reportedly organized as paramilitary groups by the presidential... MORE

Several events this week, seemingly unrelated, neatly illustrate the gradual closing of horizons in Russian democracy. The most dramatic and visible of the three was the June 2 firing of Leonid Parfenov, the charismatic host of NTV's weekly "Namedni" talk show. Technically, he was removed... MORE

In his recent state of the nation address, Russia's President Vladimir Putin was excruciatingly specific about his administration's economic policies. He was much less specific, however, in addressing the issue of the Kremlin's foreign policy. True, Putin did repeat a worn-out mantra about the strategic... MORE

On June 1, Moldova's Communist President Vladimir Voronin handed over to foreign ambassadors in Chisinau the draft of a "Stability and Security Pact for the Republic of Moldova." The pact would, in effect, place the country under vaguely defined external guarantees. The proposed arrangement would... MORE

On June 2, the Russian Duma unanimously backed an agreement, originally signed in October 2001, on joint air patrols and the exchange of information, paving the way for the future joint use of the air and air defense forces of Russia and Uzbekistan (Interfax, Moscow,... MORE

Kakha Bendukidze, one of Russia’s leading industrialists, is in Tbilisi today to accept appointment as minister of economics in the government of Georgia. President Mikheil Saakashvili and Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania decided to appoint Bendukidze during the May 27-29 visit to Tbilisi by a group... MORE

The Washington Times (May 25) published a sensational news item entitled “Dirty Bomb Easy to Buy in Ukraine”. The report was itself based on a Sky News report that investigated how relatively easy it would be for terrorists to purchase, transport and detonate a “dirty... MORE

Torture in prisons, mistreatment of prisoners, illegal arrests and abused police discretion have reappeared on the agenda only five months after the Rose Revolution, the leaders of which publicly pledged to put an end to the violence and abuse by the law-enforcement bodies. Georgian human... MORE

Insurgency has intensified in Afghanistan, giving rise to speculation as to whether it is a Taliban resurgence or broader Pashtun rebellion against non-Pashtun Kabul government. US-led coalition forces are girding for more difficult battles ahead. Suspected Taliban attacks against US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan are... MORE