Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze attempted to stake out an aggressive diplomatic stance after planes coming from Russian airspace bombed Georgia's Pankisi Gorge on November 27. But after backpedaling in the face of Russian denials of responsibility for the bombing, he appears to be in a weaker position than ever.
The attempt to stabilize Afghanistan is sure to spawn new geopolitical challenges for countries in the region. With Russian diplomats and military "advisors" now returning to Kabul for the first time since 1992, strategic planners in Moscow are looking to the past for guidance on current policy making.
As the anti-terrorism campaign continues to captivate international attention, a confrontation between major oil producing states is building. Falling oil prices are the source of friction. Saudi Arabia is leading an effort by oil producers to cut production and stabilize prices. However, Russia is not complying with the Saudi initiative.
Russia is groping for a way to end the Chechen imbroglio. But both sides are finding it difficult to set aside years of pent-up hostility to make a deal. The kidnapping of Lt. Col. Sergei Boryayev helps illustrate the difficulties of negotiating an end to the Chechen war.
Following the Bush-Putin summit, political observers in Russia are cautious about the prospects of the rapprochement between Moscow and Washington. Despite the current cooperation in the anti-terrorism campaign and a good rapport between the Russian and US leaders, many Russians still see substantial strategic differences that separate the two countries.
The length of the anti-terrorist campaign in Afghanistan, and possibly elsewhere, will greatly influence the future US-Russian relationship. US officials have stressed that success should be measured over the medium - not short - term. Accordingly, the United States has geared cooperation with Russia with an eye to the long term.
Washington, 6 November 2001 (RFE/RL) -- Even before U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had returned to Washington, military and diplomatic analysts said his trip to Russia and Central Asia appeared to have been successful.
The image of World War II anti-fascist coalition appears repeatedly in both American and Russian media as a role model for today's cooperation between Moscow and Washington in fighting the Taliban.
GUUAM comprises Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova. It began to take shape in 1997, although participating states adopted the organization's charter only in June 2001. A primary aim of GUUAM, whose members tend to have a robust distrust of Russia, is to serve as a counterbalance to the Moscow-dominated CIS Security Pact.
