Year: 2008

December 21, 2008

Chavez Uses Russia to Play “International Poker”

The following is an exclusive translation from today’s edition of El Nacional, a leading daily newspaper in Venezuela – an interview with an expert on Russia-Venezuela relations. EL NACIONAL – Domingo 21 de Diciembre de 2008Mundo...
December 21, 2008

Protesters Beaten, Discontent Spreads

Although this has not yet turned into a full fledged manifestation of the “greek virus” of widespread social discontent, over the weekend Russia has been assailed with protest actions in multiple cities in response to the state’s...
December 20, 2008

A Warning from Putin

Although it’s not exactly clear who he is talking to, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is sending an aggressive warning for the holiday season: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned Russia’s foes on Friday against trying to destabilize a c...
December 20, 2008

Lessons from Greece

Guy Sorman has an interesting column exploring the deep fractures within Europe’s left-leaning political parties in light of the riots currently assailing Greece: Moreover, without the Soviet Union, European socialists have few foreign cause...
December 20, 2008

Pressure Mounts on Alexander Lebedev

Remember back when Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev criticized the government and founded an opposition party?  Seems like that may now cost him his stake in Aeroflot, as the state banks selectively withhold a bailout.  The Financia...
December 19, 2008

The Unreal Realists

Realism has a lot of advantages over other schools of thought on international relations.  If, for example, you find yourself in an ardent debate over Russia, you can easily dismiss the competing approaches as being “unrealistic” ...
December 19, 2008

A Prediction on Ecuador’s Next Currency

Although it may not be apparent from my recent blog posts, I have just completed a week-long business trip to Latin America.  Among the many interesting topics in the news my colleagues and I have been discussing is Ecuador’s decision t...
December 19, 2008

The Disappointment of Failed Provocation

This one is from an article in the Times of London on Russia sending warships to Cuba for the first time since the days of the Soviet Union.  Also see yesterday’s post on the visit of the Nicaraguan president to Moscow. By sending its w...
December 19, 2008

Russia’s Patriot Games

Writing in the Moscow Times, Yevgeny Kiselyov points out that the latest changes to the criminal code on treason present some frightening possibilities. Human rights advocates are in shock. The definition of an “act” of treason is so l...
December 19, 2008

Meet Gao Xiqing

Meet Gao Xiqing – the man who runs the $200 billion China Investment Corporation.  The Atlantic Monthly has a very interesting profile of him this week. Gao dressed and acted like a Silicon Valley moneyman rather than one from Wall Stre...