February 28, 2008
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on links for 2008-02-28: Russian election special
Sizing up Medvedev, the next Russian president Yet another Russian riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. This is why Russia’s always so fascinating. And terrifying… (tags: Russia) Russia’s Dangerous Double Act “Shared leadership has never worked in Russia” … Continue reading
February 19, 2008
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on And so it begins…
After the little-reported grenade attack on a UN court on Sunday afternoon, it seems that Kosovo’s Serbs aren’t going to accept independence without a fight. Reuters: U.N. police pulled out from a Kosovo border post that was destroyed on Tuesday … Continue reading
February 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Shutting down an entire university due to breaches of fire regulations would sound a little harsh at the best of times. When the university in question is St Petersburg’s European University, however, suspicions are naturally raised – not least thanks … Continue reading
February 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
My big worry over Gazprom boss Dmitry Medvedev becoming president of Russia is his use of the country’s gas supplies as political weapons. Continue reading
January 30, 2008
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
A little something from me over at Our Kingdom. Looking at the possible impact of the US and Russian presidential elections on the EU and UK in 2008. Oh, and while I’m checking in, yay for John McCain! I like … Continue reading
January 22, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Rather than wait until after the elections, Serbia’s already signed that gas pipeline deal with Russia, effectively scuppering the EU-backed alternative. Now we’re going to end up with a president of Russia, Medvedev, who’ll not only be the former head … Continue reading
January 18, 2008
by Nosemonkey
9 Comments
Monday sees the first round of the Serbian presidential elections – and they could well prove vital for the future of Europe. If power shifts we could all, to coin a phrase, end up exponentially screwed. But surely, you might … Continue reading
December 3, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
I mean, seriously. According to pretty much every opinion poll throughout his time in office, Putin has scored a 60-90% approval rating. He’s insanely popular in Russia, while the opposition – given considerable airtime in the West largely due to … Continue reading
November 18, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Russian elections: two weeks to go
And it doesn’t look good so far, the FT noting that Europe’s main election monitoring group said on Friday it was scrapping plans to deploy observers to Russia’s forthcoming parliamentary elections in a decision that could cast doubt on the … Continue reading
November 15, 2007
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
For a largely foreign policy-focussed blog, Gordon Brown’s offered little of any interest since becoming Prime Minister. He simply doesn’t seem to have much interest in the rest of the world, happily ignoring both the EU and the US for … Continue reading
September 13, 2007
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
So, is new Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov going to be the next President? After all, Boris Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister (out of nowhere) shortly before the 2000 presidential election in which Putin took power. Is Vlad … Continue reading
July 19, 2007
by Nosemonkey
11 Comments
Well, now that the EU has lent its collective support to the UK’s efforts, and with Gordon Brown heading off to meet Nicholas Sarkozy tomorrow (where the Russia dispute will almost certainly be raised), it’s no doubt past time to … Continue reading
January 2, 2006
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
You can be fairly sure that Russian claims that Ukraine is “stealing Europe’s gas” are bollocks, and that this is indeed “the Putin regime’s answer to the Orange Revolution”. This little spat could, however, severely affect large chunks of Europe … Continue reading
March 31, 2005
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Russian revolts – March madness?
It’s all going a bit mental in the former Soviet Union, in case you hadn’t noticed. Siberian Light’s weekly news roundup has some concerning and potentially important stories which the western media certainly doesn’t seem to have picked up on … Continue reading