The United States is reportedly mulling further steps against Russia beyond the move announced earlier this month suspending a US-Russia civilian nuclear pact. It is unclear what these further measures might include, but State Department official William Burns told...
Crimea Calls for Recognition of South Ossetia, Abkhazia as Enclaves Sign Russia Defense Deal
The Crimean Parliament voted today 79-8 to press the Ukrainian government to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It seems highly unlikely that the Ukrainian government will act on the call given the collapse of its coalition government and the...
Georgia’s “Evidence” of Russian Aggression Revealed
Last week, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili claimed to have presented "very solid proof" to the European Union that the Russians instigated last month's brief conflict. Today, we finally have this evidence available for public scrutiny. It comes in the form of...
Ukraine’s Coalition Also a Casualty of Russia-Georgia War
Ukraine's Parliament is expected to declare its coalition government dissolved tomorrow, after a split between the factions of President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Unless a new coalition is formed within the next 30 days, which at this...
Georgia’s Path to NATO Stalled by Questions About Democratic Credentials
In a high profile visit to Tbilisi, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer reiterated the alliance's backing for Georgia in the aftermath of its brief August war with Russia. The NATO visit is seen as an important step towards Georgia's eventual membership in...
Pentagon Team Heads to Georgia as Medvedev Defends Decisions on War
The Pentagon is sending a team to Georgia to assess the state of its military in the wake of last month's brief war with Russia, a move likely to exacerbate tensions with Russia even further. Though the team is only authorized to determine Georgia's military...
Palin Won’t Rule Out War With Russia
In her interview today with ABC News' Charles Gibson, Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin stated in no uncertain terms "we cannot repeat the Cold War". However, in a follow-up question about a possible hot war with Russia, the Alaska Governor's answer was...
Ukraine Emerges as Latest Political Battleground Between West, Russia
The European Union has issued an official statement, and in it they have declared that they recognize Ukraine as "a European country". While this comes as hardly a surprise to anyone with access to a globe, the relevant message of this statement was clear: that...
Russia Repeats Threat to Target US Missile Shield Sites
Russian General Nikolai Solovtsov suggested today that US missile shield sites in Poland and the Czech Republic could become targets for Russian ICBMs in the future. The general said Russia "is obliged to take corresponding measures" to ensure the credibility of its...
Israel Warns Russia to Halt Arms Sales to Iran, Syria
In an interview with the Washington Times, Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor warned Russia that selling armaments to Syria and Iran is "destabilizing and dangerous for Israel and for peace in the region". After Syrian President Bashar Assad expressed support for...