Vladimir Putin once again managed to throw Kremlin watchers into a tizz, by giving another cryptic answer to the question of what he intends to do in 2008 when his second term as President runs out. Asked if there...
AndyKhodorkovsky roundup
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former Yukos boss and now full-time jailbird, has been pretty busy over the past couple of weeks. Yesterday saw the beginning of an appeal against his conviction for tax fraud and...
Russia demands OSCE reforms
OSCE delegates are considering a raft of Russian proposals to make the organisation ‘more effective.’ Russia effectively held a gun to the OSCE’s head a year ago, when it threatened to withold...
Putin interview – says ‘No. I won’t run for President in 2008’
Sitting in Glasgow airport’s Burger King (everything else was closed!) yesterday, this Times interview with President Putin caught my eye. Actually, it’s not a transcript of an interview, more a number...
Chinese tourists to travel to Russia visa free
According to RIA Novosti, from tomorrow Chinese tourists will no longer need visas when they visit Russia on an organised tour. According to Shengeliya, 1.7 million Russians visited China in 2004, while 800,000 Chinese...
Do you have a ‘Big Russian Soul’?
I’m embarrassed to say that I took the test, and I most definitely do not have a Big Russian Soul. Your so-called "soul" earned 0 out of five troika matreshki. You are utterly devoid of Russian soul. You...
Russia to stop supplying cheap oil and gas to CIS
According to this Moscow Times report, the Russian government has decided that it should no longer supply gas and oil to Former Soviet states at a discounted rate. "As market reforms proceed in our countries, we...
Khodorkovsky on dry hunger strike
News is beginning to break that Mikhail Khodorkovsky is on a dry hunger strike – he is refusing all food and water – in support of his jailed colleague Platon Lebedev. Lebedev, who is thought to be...
More on Kalmyk-Chechen conflicts
On Friday I wrote briefly about a brewing conflict between Chechens and Kalmyks in the Buddhist Russian Republic of Kalmykia, promising to update when I got back from my weekend away. Well, judging by the lack of...
Russia to join forces with European Space Agency
Russia and the European Space Agency (ESA) could be working together to develop the Kliper (Clipper) space shuttle. It’s all but official�Russia and Europe will soon embark on a cooperative effort to build a next...