Will Russia Go for a Military Victory in Chechnya?
Six full weeks after the December 1999 parliamentary elections, Russian troops managed to raise their flags over the familiar ruins of the presidential palace in Grozny. Victory has been proclaimed…
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North Caucasus
87 posts
The Prospects for ABM Treaty Modification
Since August 1999, the US-Russian START III/ABM Treaty talks have not shown evidence of any progress. At these talks, Moscow consistently refused discussing modification of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty…
Is Russian Nationalism on the Rise?
Recent developments in Russian politics have been widely interpreted as signaling a groundswell of public support for aggressive Russian nationalism. The story goes like this: Prime Minister (and now acting…
The Dynamics of US-Russian Relations: A Critical Perspective
I would like to suggest–and I don't know if this goes against the grain or with the grain–that we've very badly mismanaged US-Russian relations. I will focus my remarks on…
Putin in Russian Historical Context
The second president of Russia seems as surprised as anyone by his rapid ascension to the helm. Vladimir Putin's machismo, stiffness, the blurtings of hooligan jargon and the almost brazen…
The 2000 Presidential Elections: The Political Taste and Aftertaste
The first relatively free and fair elections to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR took place on March 26, 1989. These elections gave a strong impetus to the…
Consolidation of the State and Economic Policy Scenarios Under Putin
Russia is currently on the edge of a third stage of economic and political reform. The first stage (1985-1991) was political liberalization. Transformation of the communist political and ideological regime…
Putin and the Provinces
Since Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister of Russia in August 1999, and especially since he assumed the presidency on December 31, he has placed a high priority on reasserting federal…
Putin and the Military: How Long Will the Honeymoon Last?
Russian President Vladimir Putin aggressively wooed the man in uniform during his victorious campaign for the Kremlin, from the time of his appointment as prime minister in August 1999 until…
Southern Russia: The Heartland or Russia’s Soft Underbelly?
Southern Russia is undoubtedly of strategic importance. Its figures are not too impressive: with about 13% of Russia's total population, the region produces 15.5% of the country's agriculture and just…