http://rbth.ru/rubrics/opinion.html Russia Beyond the Headlines en http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/09/08/in_Dagestan_its_different_this_time04934.html Once again alarming reports have come out of Dagestan, the largest republic in the North Caucasus. This time, a suicide bomber rammed a car loaded with explosives into the gate of the military unit of the 136th Motor Rifle Brigade, which is deployed in Buinaksk. In this Dagestani town, 41 km away from the capital Makhachkala, terrorist attacks and acts of sabotage happen all too often. However, the latest incident is especially prominent in the chain of tragic events in Dagestan. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/30/urgent_need_for_better_news04904.html Russian culture is winning the hearts of the Britons. Though the news coming from Russia are generally gloomy and depressing. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/25/russias_ivy_league04892.html The Russian government wants to have its own world-class universities. But first it must introduce the concept of differentiation to Russian higher education, and make clear that not all universities are quite equal. This point might seem self-evident to a U.S. reader, but in Russia—as in many European countries—the egalitarian tradition is deeply rooted. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/25/burnt_sacrifice04895.html Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has spent days touring fire-ravaged regions promising distraught refugees compensation and new houses. President Dmitry Medvedev cancelled his traditional holiday at his summer residence in Sochi. Both men subjected themselves to an excruciating televised telephone conversation with one another to show they are taking the situation seriously. But everyone is looking for someone else to blame. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/25/a_chance_for_engagement_and_rapprochement04896.html In a much-discussed address to Russian ambassadors in mid-July, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave his latest and most explicit hints to date about how he wants to shift Russia’s foreign policy course. Medvedev has made three particularly important points: that the principal aim of Russian foreign policy should be promoting economic modernization; that Russia consequently needs better relations (“modernization alliances”) with the United States and major European countries; and implicitly, that relations with the West—and East Asia—should take priority over relations with Russia’s post-Soviet neighbors. While these are mostly changes of emphasis rather than of strategy, by reciprocating Medvedev’s interest in limited, economically driven rapprochement, the West can give Moscow incentives to pursue deeper engagement in the future. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/25/medvedevs_modernization_101_for_diplomats04897.html It is indisputable that Russia, which has exhausted its Soviet-era resources in technology, infrastructure and education, is in urgent need of modernization. The expediency of Russia’s pragmatic foreign policy is equally indisputable. Yet, despite the consistent flow of President Dmitry Medvedev’s statements, it remains unclear what is behind the “modernization alliances” touted by the president. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/19/mitt_morphs_again_this_time_over_start04884.html Earlier this summer, former and perhaps current presidential contender Mitt Romney spoke out against the new START in the opinion pages of the Washington Post, reflecting the view of some conservatives. Here is national political columnist Dick Polman's response to Romney's attack, which can be found here. Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/05/new_status_quo_caucasus04860.html In August 2008 the long-simmering Georgian-Ossetian dispute erupted in a five-day war with direct military involvement on the part of Russia. This armed confrontation between Georgia and South Ossetia was the third in 17 years. However, judging by its consequences, it differed fundamentally from the two preceding ones (1990-1992 and August 2004). Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/26/end_era_regional_politics.html The summer of 2010 should be considered an important period in the history of Russia’s regional politics. After direct election of regional governors ceased in 2005, there were a number of notable changes, but this year we have seen the exit of a number of notable long-term regional leaders. This summer’s changes, unlike the previous resignations and replacements of regional leaders, indicate a movement towards the formation of a new regional elite. The changing political climate in the regions can be seen as part of President Dmitry Medvedev’s modernization drive—it is now expanding beyond economics and technology into political procedures. Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/16/handshake_in_space.html The beginning of the end of the Cold War rivalry in outer space between the two great superpowers is easy to spot: It was the famous handshake between Soviet space commander Alexei Leonov and NASA astronaut Tom Stafford when their two vehicles docked together in orbit. The Apollo-Soyuz program, or Soyuz-Apollo as it is known in Russia, took place 35 years ago this week, when on July 17, 1975, the NASA Apollo spacecraft and the Russian Soyuz gently docked together. Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/28/making_reset_work.html Eighteen months have passed since it was declared that the strategic direction of Russian-American relations had been “reset.” The frequency with which that word is repeated is comparable with such words and phrases as “détente” or “the new thinking” in previous eras. Has much been done to extricate bilateral relations from the impasse at which they were during the last years of the presidencies of George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin (who became prime minister in 2008)? There is no unequivocal answer to this question. On the one hand, we have the rapprochement in positions on Afghanistan and Iran and the signing of a new treaty on strategic arms. Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/23/New_silicon_valley.html In an effort to boost Russia’s venture capital infrastructure and shift the Russian economy away from the oil and natural gas sector, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has invested a tremendous amount of political capital in pushing for the creation of a Russian high tech sector based on the successful model of California’s Silicon Valley. President Medvedev echoes the new wave in Russian economic thinking that high tech is the quickest path to economic equality with the United States. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/23/a_zone_of_responsibility.html Until only recently, the territory of the former Soviet Union appeared to be a vast geopolitical battlefield on which major world powers fought it out for the choicest trophies. Today, everything has changed. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/23/define_modernization.html NATO soldiers marching in Red Square on Victory Day. Moscow agreeing on a compromise resolution of the 40-year sea-boundary dispute with Norway. The sight of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin kneeling at the memorial to the Polish officers murdered by Stalin’s regime at Katyn. These are a few glimpses of what the New Europe newspaper two weeks ago described as a kinder, gentler Russia. But three questions immediately arise: Is this real? Why the change? And how to respond to Russia’s new foreign policy? Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/23/blue_bucket_democracy.html To obtain a blue light from the police, you should be a ministry official or duma member with very important business. Yet many Muscovites claim that for $10,000 and a little persuasion, you too can be a blue-light VIP. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/16/reflection_of_past_kyrgyzstan_violence.html Kyrgyzstan’s recent internal political crisis has exploded in a new direction with an increase in ethnic violence. On June 10-11, the southern city of Osh, home to a significant number of ethnic Uzbeks, saw a mass brawl among young people escalate into disturbances around the city. Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/11/european_debt_storm_bypasses_russia.html Governments, people and companies in the West have been living beyond their means for a long time. The result was a credit bubble of staggering proportions. And now that these loans have been in effect called in, much of this debt has ended up on the balance sheets of European governments. Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/10/Yanukovich_ukraine.html June 4 marked the 100th day of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich’s term in office. In this brief interval, Ukraine’s fourth president has managed to radically change his country’s foreign policy priorities. Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/09/military_balance_atms_reduction_strategic_defense.html The US Senate is discussing whether to ratify the revised Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START. One of the most controversial points is the balance between strategic offensive and defensive weapons. Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/03/new_old_mayor_tbilisi.html Georgia held municipal elections over the last weekend in May. At first glance, this event looks run-of-the-mill. In post-Soviet republics, as a rule, the system of authority is a vertical with a strong central power; therefore local polls generate less interest among both citizens and observers. Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/01/what_london_can_learn_from_moscows_tandem.html Received wisdom states that whenever a new trend grips America, it soon makes its way to Britain. However, following the indecisive outcome in the general election of May 6, the conservative/liberal coalition between David Cameron and Nick Clegg seems to have taken its lead from the East rather than the West. Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/01/foreign_policy_with_a_smile_on_its_face.html This was sparked by the appearance of a foreign ministry document released to Russian Newsweek on how Russia could exploit certain external factors to help modernise the country and strengthen its position in the global arena. Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/01/russo_british_relations_from_prejudice_to_pragmatism.html Are Russo-British relations going to improve under the new coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats? There’s no lack of optimists in Russia on the matter. There are some traditional stakeholders in the often uneasy Bear and Lion romance (such as the wealthy Russian business elite who are so attached to London they even preferred it to St Petersburg as the venue for the annual Russian Economic Forum). In the recent years, one could add to them a group of “Tory-philes” from the Russian foreign policy expert community. Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/27/what_does_friendship_mean_to_a_russian.html The American is used to smiling, friendly citizens, while Russians smile only to those they know very well. Since visitors in public places are not friends, there is no need to show attention to them or care. That surprises the American until he learns about Russians better. Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/27/a_new_and_modern_foreign_policy.html A supposedly confidential Foreign Ministry document—an intentional leak that was published on Russian Newsweek’s Web site this week—has created a stir among diplomats and journalists. Many saw it as a revelation or a signal of a significant and welcome policy shift toward the West. But in reality, this is quite an overstatement. Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/27/a_predator_of_the_press.html In honor of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Reporters Without Borders released a list of the top 40 “Predators of Press Freedom” that includes Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. It sounds as if Putin was nominated for an honorable award. Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/27/georgia_an_insecure_foothold_for_the_us.html It is always bad news for a major continental nation or global superpower to tie its fate too closely to a small, unstable and potentially dangerously irresponsible client state. That is a mistake that U.S. President Barack Obama, like his predecessor George W. Bush, is still making toward the republic of Georgia in the Caucasus. Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/27/a_new_lease_on_ukraine.html The opposition has already labeled the agreement the “Medvedev-Yanukovych Pact” in an obvious attempt to create a negative association in people’s minds with the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Critics of the new Ukrainian president, who assumed office in February, have increased their vitriol against Yanukovych, resorting to a host of ideological cliches and unconvincing arguments. Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/27/bomb_goes_off_in_stavropol.html On May 26, the media’s attention turned to the southern Russian territory of Stavropol. As the result of an explosion in the capital city of Stavropol, six people died and 46 were injured. Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/25/south_ossetia_growing_pains.html The conflict between the presidential administration and the government of South Ossetia has finally spilled over into the public arena. There have always been governmental conflicts within the elite circles of the disputed republic but until now, these disputes have been skillfully glossed over. In early days of independence, President Eduard Kokoity won government confrontations such as the resignation of Yury Morozov’s government in 2008 and the departure of Prime Minister Aslanbek Bulatsev in August 2009 “for health reasons.” Today, the situation may be changing. Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/21/facing_issues_international_adoptions.html Americans adopt between 2,000 and 4,000 children from Russia annually, but six months after one such adoption, a single woman decided she no longer wanted to be Artyom Savelyev’s mother. Sending the 7-year-old boy on a transatlantic flight back to Russia by himself, Torry Hansen set off an international incident that led to a suspension of adoptions of Russian children by Americans. Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/07/britains_roller_coaster_ride.html The 2010 British General Election has been a rollercoaster ride for the British people and politicians of all parties from Lands End to John O’Groats. No one could have forseen when the Queen formally dissolved Parliament on April 12th the ups and downs for all three major political parties and above all the level of engagement and interest across the nation in the election. Most of the country including your correspondent was up late into the night as seats were won and lost with no obvious pattern and was still left wondering at 6am-who has actually won? We know now that we have a hung Parliament and Conservative leader David Cameron, now with the largest number of seats and votes, is in negotiations with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. Let's hope they can do a deal. I don’t think I can face this again in a few months time. Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/07/tenacity_to_remember.html Every nation has its own vision of World War II. And obviously every nation focuses its remembrance on its own contribution. For Americans, the recollection centers on Pearl Harbor, the beaches of Normandy, D-Day and raising the flag at Iwo Jima. Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/01/armenia_turkey_peace_process_stalls.html The normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations is going through another crisis. On April 22, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian suspended the ratification of two protocols signed by Yerevan and Ankara in Zurich on October 10. The current situation is made more difficult by the fact that Armenia and Turkey have yet to establish diplomatic relations. Ankara is still enforcing a land blockade of Armenia although planes between Turkey and Armenia are flying. Turkey supports the position of Azerbaijan in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, helps prepare Azerbaijani officers for the military, builds transportation routes circumventing Armenia, and at the official level still denies the 1915 genocide of Armenians. In Armenia, these events are principle subjects of historiography, the collective memory and the spiritual culture. Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/29/russias_dance_with_nato.html Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/29/how_the_us_resembles_the_ussr.html Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/28/in_the_face_of_terror_we_are_now_united.html Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/28/the_eu_and_russia_where_next.html Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/16/chechyna_war_after_war.html Exactly one year ago, April 16, 2009, the counterterrorist operation (KTO) in Chechnya was concluded. President Ramzan Kadyrov declared that day a national holiday for all Chechens – the day the war ended. Yet a year later, peace has not come to Chechnya. Between April 2009 and March 2010, 85 law enforcement officers were killed in the republic and 168 wounded. Acts of terrorism continue. The first post-KTO suicide bombings occurred less than a month after the declaration, in May 2009. Of the 57 terrorist acts registered in Chechnya between April 2009 and March 2010, nine were suicide attacks and a tenth suicide attack was averted. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/13/looking_for_future_kyrgyzstan.html Today any expert who begins a conversation about recent events in Kyrgyzstan runs the risk of being late with his assessments and prognoses. The situation in this small nation in Central Asia is rapidly changing, and I doubt that anyone would make the claim that this latest revolution is over. Indeed, this is the second time five years that power has changed hands by means of revolution. This is an extraordinary event even for post-Soviet space where the biggest problem remains political continuity. Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/12/worth_the_risk.html Russians are justifiably proud of their historic space program milestones, which include not only the first man, but the first woman, the first spacewalk and decades later, ferrying the first—and still only—space tourists. Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/31/Playing_the_power_game.html Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/31/television_worth_seeing.html Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/30/bureaucracy_or_corruption_two_sides_of_the_same_coin.html Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/30/medvedev_a_hi-tech_president.html Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/30/perestroika_at_25.html Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/24/240310_cheremushkin.html Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/24/240310_conspiracy.html Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/05/5310stalinopinion.html Whenever the powers that be, local or federal, need to create a distraction from events that reflect badly on them, they bring up Stalin. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/02/24/240210_decade.html Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0300