Russian Federation
Putin-Medvedev tandem wins presidential election in Russia
By Vladimir Volkov, March 4, 2008
The presidential elections held March 2 in Russia ended, as expected, in a victory for the tandem made up of the departing president, Vladimir Putin, and the former vice premier, Dmitry Medvedev.
Kosovan independence could ignite new conflicts in territories of former Soviet Union
By Vladimir Volkov, February 29, 2008
Kosovo’s February 17 declaration of independence, which was supported by the US and Western European countries such as Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy, threatens to inflame relations be...
Medvedev’s presidential campaign and the growing social crisis in Russia
By Vladimir Volkov, January 22, 2008
With the end of the New Year holidays, the presidential campaign leading to Russia’s March 2 elections began in earnest.
Western powers rush to recognise result of Georgian presidential election
By Paul Mitchell, January 14, 2008
Mikhail Saakashvili has been re-elected president of Georgia following balloting on January 5. According to the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC), he received 52.2 percent of the votes...
Russia’s presidential candidate D. Medvedev and the Kremlin’s “national projects”
By Vladimir Volkov, January 5, 2008
The political maneuvers carried out last month to promote Dmitrii Medvedev, the vice-premier of the Russian government, as President Vladimir Putin’s “successor” were accompanied by ...
Russia-Belarus talks signal renewed cooperation against US
By Niall Green, December 27, 2007
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Minsk December 13 for two days of talks with the president of Belarus, Aleksander Lukashenko. Their meeting came just prior to a session of the Russia-Belarus ...
Russia orders closure of British Council offices
By Niall Green, December 20, 2007
Amidst a further deterioration of diplomatic relations between Russia and the United Kingdom, the Russian government has ordered the closure of two offices of the British Council.
Russian President Putin names his putative successor
By Vladimir Volkov, December 18, 2007
The December 10 announcement proclaiming Vice-Premier Dmitri Medvedev the Kremlin’s leading candidate for the post of president was aimed at ameliorating the protracted crisis in the upper echel...
Russian parliamentary elections: Putin’s party retains control
By Vladimir Volkov, December 6, 2007
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the election campaign for the Russian parliament was the massive propaganda effort of the leading and government-controlled media in favor of one sing...
The parliamentary elections and the crisis of the authoritarian regime in Russia
By Vladimir Volkov, December 1, 2007
The campaign for Sunday’s elections to the Russian parliament (Duma) has proceeded against the background of a growing crisis of the entire political superstructure that emerged following the li...
More than 100 dead in Ukraine mine disaster
By Markus Salzmann, November 30, 2007
A devastating accident in a coal mine in eastern Ukraine on November 18 has left more than 100 dead. Approximately 1,000 metres below ground, the Zasyadko mine near the city of Donetsk filled with met...
Oligarchs vie for power in Georgia
By Simon Whelan, November 24, 2007
President Mikhail Saakashvili’s attempts to outflank the Georgian United Opposition are not running according to plan. Commentators are even beginning to question his ability to salvage his poli...
