Prime ministers Vladimir Putin (Russia) and Donald Tusk (Poland)

Several recent occurrences, in conjunction with each other, have been contributing factors to the increased commentary about the history between Russia and Poland. The recent instances include: this past August's OSCE resolution on (among other things) the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement, along with last month's 70th anniversary of World War II's beginning (on September 1, 1939), the Obama administration's scrapping of the missile defense shield program in Poland and the Czech Republic and a Polish parliament resolution stating that the World War II Soviet massacre of thousands of Poles at Katyn had genocidal traits.

Russia: Other Points of View (ROPV) features two articles on the subject of Russo-Polish history, which together, provide a more complete overview than has been generally (if not exclusively) evident in mass media. The two ROPV articles are Gordon Hahn's "NY Times Paints Problematic Portrait of Putin in Poland" (September 15) and Rodric Braithwaite's "Russia, Poland and 'History'" (September 25). Some additional points relate to the topic of what these articles discuss.

Continue reading "The Russo-Polish History Coverage and Some Related Matters " »

Posted by Michael Averko at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Iran's nuclear ambitions, the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, and the rising threat of Islamic fundamentalism, not only present a clear and extreme danger, but also provide the perfect logical base for closer U.S.-Russian cooperation. Of course, it is always easier to say what should have been done afterward, but shouldn't we at least learn some lessons from the not-so-distant past? No matter how much we despised and hated communism and the Soviet rulers, politicians with vision could have predicted the disastrous consequence of supplying the Afghan Mujahedeen, including Terrorist Number One Osama bin Laden himself, with tons of cash and the most sophisticated weaponry, like Stinger rockets.

After Jimmy Carter, along with his National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, yielded Iran to the Ayatollahs, it became pretty obvious that Islamic militancy was becoming a major threat to the West, a threat which overshadowed even the Soviet one. Anyone with basic understanding of the internal situation in Soviet Union knew that by the late 1970s - early 1980s, communism has exhausted its zeal. Not only did the Soviet intelligentsia reject its appeal, but even the highest Kremlin rulers, including members of Politburo, were privately laughing at their own speeches and slogans. Telling anecdotes and humiliating jokes about communism became major social entertainment. This, together with the sad state of the Soviet economy, should have led the White House to let communism pass into the ashes of history by way of a natural death, instead of creating a supposedly anti-Soviet Frankenstein's monster, who has turned out to be the worst U.S. and European nightmare.

Continue reading "Is Iran pushing Russia closer to the West?" »

Posted by Edward Lozansky at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Western fears that Russia may use its dominance in gas production and distribution to influence political decisions in Europe are dealt another blow with word that the Azeris and Turks are making considerable progress on an alternative route.

The Russian "threat" thereby diminishes.

Posted by Bruce Chapman at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is helpful when the media cover major industry conferences, for seemingly boring meetings sometimes reveal real news. That is what happened at the World Gas Conference in Buenos Aires recently, as reported by The Telegraph in England.

The confirmation of new gas supplies is cheering Americans eager to diminish the nation's reliance on foreign oil and Europeans who feared over-commitment to Russian resources.

By the same token, it is upsetting to some Russians, understandably.

"Needless to say, the Kremlin is irked. 'There's a lot of myths about shale production,' said Gazprom's Alexander Medvedev.

"If the new forecasts are accurate, Gazprom is not going to be the perennial cash cow funding Russia's great power resurgence. Russia's budget may be in structural deficit."

Regardless, this is a big story with real consequences, if true.

Posted by Bruce Chapman at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Logo of the Novaya Gazeta

There are signs of human rights progress in Russia. Editors of Novaya Gazeta, home to the reporter, Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered three years ago seem to feel confident that the killers are known.

The unsolved Politkovskaya murder has bedeviled the reputation of the Kremlin on human rights issues in recent years. Many have speculated on possible government involvement in the killing. If, in fact, progress is made in locating and prosecuting the actual murderers, Russia's image for civil order will be improved accordingly

In another development, Nashi, the government-backed student group that acts as a kind of youth activism front for the Kremlin leaders, is now coming under open criticism in a potentially consequential way. Once again it is the rule of law that itself is on trial. Crucial to the outcome is the integrity and resolve of the official investigative body, Pamfilova.

Posted by Bruce Chapman at 1:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)