The Other Khodorkovsky
Robert Amsterdam appeared in the Spanish press today – see a translation over at Venezuela Report.
Russia
Medvedev: “Thank God Novaya gazeta exists”
From Robert Coalson writing on HuffPo: After the meeting, Muratov spoke with media, including RFE/RL’s Russian Service, and explained that Medvedev had not spoken previously because he did not want to influence the ongoing investigation into...
Bakiyev in the (former) USSR
Pat Frost at Great Power Politics blogs on the Russia-influenced closure of the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan. According to the AP, the Russians deny any connection between the aid deal and the air base, but “many experts saw Kyrgyzstan...
RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Feb 5th, 2009
TODAY: Kyrgyzstan to vote on US base closure next week, but government says it has already made its decision; CSTO Summit leads to creation of rapid reaction force for economic and military support to former Soviet states; Russia welcomes new US t...
Why Venezuela?
Some readers have noticed that I have started a new bilingual blog, Venezuela Report, which I am hoping to develop into an informative platform for discussion and debate about this Latin American country. Other readers are asking exactly what I th...
Playing Realpolitik Solitaire
That seems to be the message from Moscow today, with the announcement of a vaguely-worded joint missile missile defense alliance with Belarus, consisting of five air force units and 10 air-defense missile units, which officials say will be focused...
Gref Bucks State Orders?
Given the deeply confusing irony thrown out there in the wake of Davos, when former U.S. President Bill Clinton made sarcastic remarks over Vladimir Putin’s warnings on state intervention and his defense of free enterprise, what are we to ma...
RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Feb 4th, 2009
TODAY: Kyrgyz President announces intention to close US air base, although still in talks with US; closure could hinder Obama’s foreign policy aims with Russia; Belarus signs air defense pact with Russia; EU commissioners to meet in Moscow o...
Errors of Attribution
The reactions to the Davos hostilities are still rolling in. Compared to ideologies and values, we still don’t think that the simple sharing of mutual enemies is a cohesive force in global relations. From John Thornhill at the Fi...
Siemens Goes Nuclear with Russia
Forget our sense of the economic doldrums, the crashing and burning ruble, or even the relatively low level of trust in doing business with Russia following a military war, a gas war, and a war of words at Davos. Things are looking peachy, a...