U.S. doesn't recognize the ''former republics'' of Russia

 

The United States intends to work with Russia on arms control, but will not recognize a Russian sphere of influence for former Soviet nations, said Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniel Fried during a briefing on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to the Middle East and Europe next week.

Fried manages European and Asian direction of American foreign policy, which includes the former Soviet space. "The US doesn't recognize a Russian sphere of influence and the independence for two separatist Georgian regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia", Fried said.

Referring to the US Vice President Joe Biden's speech in a Munich earlier this month to setting the reset in Russian-American relations, Fried said that that some important points in that speech were missed from the attention of public opinion. ...

Russians Don’t Believe Medvedev Has Power

In print | February 26, 2009

The current economic crisis has hit Russia hard. Last week the Russian Economy Ministry forecast a major slowdown in the state’s economy, declaring that the country’s GDP is likely to contract by more than 2.2 percent. Unemployment is higher than it has been in years and, worst of all for Russia, the prices of two of its main exports — oil and natural gas — are in a state of freefall. Many economists predict that a recession is on Russia’s horizon.

The current regime, however, remains popular and resilient. But the economic ...

Russia's king of crude

Lukoil, the country's largest independent company, has become the face of Russian business abroad. But can it be the next Exxon?