PHOTOGALLERY
Faberge And His Eggs
VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: Ten Years Ago Today, Putin Declared War
On Feb 10, 2007, the Kremlin leader stunned the Munich Security Conference with a bellicose speech suggesting that Russia was preparing to challenge the post-Cold War international order.
VOX POP: Who Is Behind The Killings Of Separatist Leaders In Donbas?
A majority of respondents to a street poll in Moscow said the killings are the result of internal power struggles among separatist factions, although some blamed Ukraine, one person accused the KGB, and one blamed the U.S., saying “America is Ukraine’s sponsor” and has “ruined the whole world.” (Russian Service)
Vote-Buying In Turkmenistan?
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has been in a particularly generous mood on the campaign trail as he runs for a third term against virtual unknowns.
A Love Story Set Amid The Holodomor, Ukraine's 20th-Century Famine, Hits The Big Screen
Think Doctor Zhivago, except instead of the Russian Revolution, this film is set during the Holodomor -- the famine that killed millions in Ukraine in the 1930s and that shadows the country's relationship with Moscow to this day.
OTHER NEWS
Ahead Of Russian Drills, Grybauskaite Says Baltics Seek Greater NATO Role
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite says the Baltic states will seek additional security measures from the United States and NATO ahead of a massive Russian military exercise in September.
Echo Of Moscow Told To Drop Foreign Investor
Russian state media regulator Roskomnadzor has sent a letter to local broadcaster Echo of Moscow (Ekho Moskvy) ordering the station to terminate its relationship with U.S.- registered EM HOLDING COMPANY LLC, which owns a 19.92 percent stake in the station. Previously, Russian media law was understood to allow a foreign company to own up to 20 percent of a domestic broadcaster, but chief editor Aleksei Venediktov told Current Time that according to a new interpretation, “a foreign company cannot co-own media in Russia.” (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Russian Court Orders Review Of Dadin Case
Russia’s Constitutional Court ruled on Feb 10 that the case of imprisoned Russian opposition activist Ildar Dadin is to be reviewed, and the article in the Criminal Code under which he was convicted is to be amended.
Top U.S. Senator Suggests Empowering Trump Officials Who Are Tough On Russia
A top U.S. senator has suggested lawmakers should empower officials in Donald Trump’s administration whose views on Russia diverge sharply from the president’s.
Frustrated Siberians Take On Russia's Justice System
A group of approximately 1,000 relatives of convicts from Siberia and the Russian Far East have banded together with Moscow prisoner-rights advocates to draw attention to what they say are outrageous abuses of the legal system.
Ukrainians Unhappy With NATO
A recent Gallup poll shows that trust in NATO has declined among Ukrainians, with 29 percent of respondents crediting it with protecting their country, down from 36 percent two years ago, and 35 percent saying it represents a threat. (Ukrainian Service)
EU Promises Ukraine Visa-Free Regime By Summer
Ukrainian media reports that following a Feb 10 meeting with Prime Minister Volodymr Hroysman, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced that the date for introducing a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU will be resolved by summer. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
French Court Holds Hearing On Extradition Case Of Former Kosovar Prime Minister
A French court has held a hearing on Serbia’s request to extradite former Kosovar Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.
Kazakhstan Seeks To 'Stamp Out' Dissent On Social Media, Report Finds
Kazakhstan is using "increasingly elaborate and aggressive methods to stamp out" dissenting voices on the Internet and social media, Amnesty International warns.
ANALYSIS: South Ossetia Referendum Steers Clear Of Unification Issue
A newly decreed referendum on renaming the Republic of South Ossetia stops short of addressing a thornier issue, the unification of the Ossetian nation, which is currently divided between South Ossetia and the neighboring Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, which is a Russian Federation subject.
COMMENTARY: Blogger Lapshin, Power-Plays, And Intrigue
Belarus’s extradition of Russian-Israeli blogger Aleksandr Lapshin to Azerbaijan has raised tensions among Moscow, Minsk, Baku, and Yerevan. Armenian journalist Aza Babayan told RFE/RL that the decision suggests an attempt by Belarus President Lukashenka to cozy up to Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijani political analyst Mekhman Gafarly said that Aliyev has much deeper relations with Russia, pointing out that 2 million Azerbaijanis live in the Federation, and values relations with Putin more. (Russian Service)
COMMENTARY: Fresh Talk In Balkans Of Reinstating Military Draft
MEDIA ADVISORY: Date Set For RFE/RL Crimea Contributor’s Trial
INFOGRAPHIC: Power Pitch: Russia’s Nuclear Empire