A Day In The Life Of Russia's Collective Unconscious

At first glance it would appear that, in full accordance with the Kremlin's realpolitik, the entire territory of the former Soviet Union has been turned into one giant chessboard on which the battle between Moscow and Washington is being played out. The only problem is that in this match, there is only one player and he seems to be carrying out some complex maneuver aimed at himself. More

Europe Misses Another Energy Wake-Up Call

It has become cliche to say that the latest natural-gas row between Russia and Ukraine should be a wake-up call for the EU. A similar flap between Moscow and Kyiv in 2006 was supposed to have set off alarm bells. But, it did not. And, this latest crisis will not either. More

Belarus 'Halfway' In Partnership Project

EU officials emerge from a meeting hinting that their gamble -- temporarily lifting sanctions -- might be paying off, saying Belarus has reacted to the prospect of Eastern Partnership membership with "great interest." More

Picking A New Patriarch

Hundreds of electors representing the Russian Orthodox Church's 165 million adherents are in Moscow to pick that resurgent institution's new leader. There was plenty of jockeying ahead of the gathering, and no one is ruling out the emergence of a surprise choice. More

In Long Term, Spat Could Redraw Gas Map

Russia lost hundreds of millions of dollars a day by shutting off gas shipments. Ukraine lost a portion of the $3 billion it collects each year in transit fees. But the long-term consequences could prove far more significant. More