Free Republic

The biggest risks posed by unilateral recognition of Kosovo's independence are in the South Caucasus, a region that abuts the tinderbox of today’s Middle East. Here, there is a real danger that Russia may recognise breakaway regions in the South Caucasus, — and back them more strongly than it does now Look before you leap is as sound a principle in foreign policy as it is in life. Yet, once again, the Bush administration is preparing to leap into the unknown. Even though lack of foresight is universally viewed as a leading cause of its Iraq debacle, the United States...

REGNUM: What parallels can be set between Kosovo and South Ossetia deriving from a possibility that Kosovo independence can be recognized? Of course, analogies can be set between the Kosovo variant and our situation, if we put Georgia on the place of Serbia and South Ossetians instead of Albanians. Each conflict is backed by forces of more powerful states. Well, it is clear that the US stands behind Kosovo, and Russia stands behind us. But in our case it is more comprehendible and grounded, as we used to live in a single country. It is natural that Russia has its...

Some Russians see Machiavellian motives within the security service, writes Helen Womack in Moscow. The forthcoming Russian presidential election might seem a simple affair. The opposition candidates are standing mainly for form's sake, as the popular incumbent, Vladimir Putin, looks set to win a landslide victory. But recent dark happenings suggest murky undercurrents in Russia's political life. Despite more than a decade of supposed democratic reform, Russia can still produce events that are terrifying one minute, farcical the next. "Our country produces the best black theatre in the world," said one Muscovite in the week when at least 39 people...