TODAY: International forces could replace troops in Transdnestr; action film based on Georgian war to be screened; US plays down threat posed by Russian military upgrade; state officials double in number; NGO fund distribution ‘nontransparent’; seal hunting banned; Khodorkovsky interview.

Russia and Moldova have held talks with leaders of the breakaway Transdnestr republic, and provisionally agreed that international forces could replace Russian troops in the region after a peace deal for the 19-year conflict has been completed.  Will the EU’s outreach efforts to former Soviet Union territories succeed?  Officials are reportedly concerned about the Eastern Partnership launch summit, due to be held in Prague in May, believing that Russia’s influence in the region may be too strong.  Russia’s top TV channel is due to screen a Russian action film ‘inspired by the Georgian war’, which apparently reignites the debate over who started it.

Mary Dejevsky at The Independent has a Q&A on Russia’s plans to refurbish its military.  US Defense Secretary Robert Gates played down the risk of Russia’s military refurbishment, pointing out that Moscow is actually moving to reduce the size of its traditional military force.  Could Barack Obama make a visit to Moscow in July?  As of October last year, the number of state and civil service officials in Russia had almost doubled since 1999 – to a total of 846,307.