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The article examines the significant influence and power of Russia in the Middle East during the early 21st century and its impact on the status of the U.S. in the region. The author argues that Russian president Vladimir Putin's strategy is based upon similar strategies employed by then-U.S. president Richard Nixon and then-secretary of state Henry Kissinger following the Yom Kippur War.

The author contends that aggression by the Russian government and tension in its relations with the U.S. during the early 21st century is a direct result of the Soviet Union's loss in the Cold War. The article also discusses the significance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its stance toward Russia.

The author argues that the final report issued by Special Counsel Robert Mueller concerning his investigation into alleged criminal collusion between the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald Trump and the Russian government to influence the 2016 U.S. election revealed that the 22-month investigation was pointless. The author also states that Mueller did not answer the question of whether Trump obstructed justice.

The article presents a personal narrative which explores the author's experiences campaigning in the 2008 Russian presidential election.

The article argues that democracy is taking root in Russia, despite the influence of special-interest groups in the country's politics and government. Russia has an important role to play in the keeping of world peace and stability. This role can be better served if democracy with free market economy will be firmly rooted in Russia. The future of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union is still far from clear. Economic reforms have not resulted into economic growth. The country's productivity continued to decline. An economists attributed to dismal performance to the fact that in Russia its the government and the economy that has been privatized.

The article compares the political and economic developments in Russia and in Ukraine. It argues that it is Kiev which is headed in the right direction. Hundreds of restaurants cater to the Russian bourgeosie. It states that a variety of extremisms dominated Russian politics. It also says that Ukraine has avoided the violence prevalent in post-Soviet Russia. Ukraine's effort to deal with Crimea's separatist parliament has been characterized by restraint. The Liberal Democratic Party of Vladimir Zhirinovsky in Russia won nearly a quarter of the votes in the December 1993 elections, while neo-fascists in Ukraine won only 3 out of 450 parliamentary seats.

The article criticizes Russian President Boris Yeltsin's move on March 20, 1993 to declare special rules regarding government reform. This led to a battle between Yeltsin and the Russian Parliament which produced nothing at all. He intensified his dialogue with the centrist Civic Union, redrafted his proposals for resolving the constitutional crisis and accepted a Congress agenda which he had initially opposed. He has defied power relationships in the government leading to alteration of the relationships. But then there is truth in the claim that Parliament represents the political forces in society because Yeltsin has had no mass movement, no power ministry and no representative institution.

This article presents information on some recent political developments in Russia. It is informed that in the month of October 2003, Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled the beginning of the "October revolution" with the arrest of the country's richest man, oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky, on charges of fraud and tax evasion. The arrest rocked domestic stock indices which fell by 15 percent. The Russian authorities followed up on Khodorkovsky's arrest by freezing 44 percent of the assets he and his associates controlled in the giant Yukos energy firm. It is also informed that on October 10, 2003, Russia's lower house of parliament, the Duma, passed the first reading of a bill on compulsory military training at schools and professional colleges.

The article comments on issues and events related to U.S. government and politics and international relations. The U.S. Supreme Court made a decisive judgment in the case Bush v. Gore which settled the controversy in the counting of ballots for the 2000 presidential elections in Florida. Reverend Jesse Jackson is criticized for his opinion on the U.S. Supreme Court judgment in Bush v. Gore in which he compared the case to Dred Scott. Democratic Party president candidate Al Gore is trying to show piety to the people so as to get their sympathy in the contested 2000 presidential election. Liberals in Canada have increased their majority in the Parliament. Russian President Vladimir Pution has restored the former Soviet Union national anthem.

The article comments on the state of politics in Russia under the leadership of President Boris Yeltsin, as of December 11, 1995. It discusses the impact of the December 17 legislative elections, and explores the progress of the country's adherence to democratic process. Factors that have provoked a conflict between the presidential administration and the team of Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin are identified.

The article comments on the crisis in Chechnya, Russia in 1995. Critics believe that the efforts of the Russian government to suppress the Chechen uprising will fail. Power ministries have pushed President Boris Yeltsin into this invasion. The Chechen people know how to fight a guerrilla war. The war lacks support from the Russian people. What those Russians who oppose the invasion have grasped is that what is at stake in this crisis is not a tiny piece of troublesome territory, but the fate of the federation itself.

This article comments on issues and events related to U.S. government and politics and international relations. The decision of Morton Halperin to withdraw his nomination for the post of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Democracy and Peacekeeping has spared the Republicans in the Senate the potential negative reaction from the media for the reason of his non-confirmation. It is good news that New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman, both Republicans, are off to stronger starts that many political commentators expected. Success of President Bill Clinton to survive a sex scandal that hit his administration. The move Russian President Boris Yeltsin to issue a formal condemnation of an early crime of the Communist era committed by the Red Army before the opening session of the country's new parliament is a tactical move against the diehard Communists in the country.

The article discusses the issues surrounding the democratic elections held in Russia in December 1993. The country previously held similar elections in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1993, though the latest one was called the most democratic. Even with all the developments in the government, the elections did very little to change things. The elections became even less important when the outcome of the elections still stayed with the traditional political systems, partially because most of the people did not vote.

This article looks at the issues arising from the failure of Russian President Boris Yeltsin to create a post-Soviet political system. In 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Yeltsin decided not to dissolve the Congress and call new elections. He decided not to establish his own political party and bring the democrats under his administration. As a result, he is left confronting the past. What looks like a battle between the government and parliament is really a confrontation with the remnants of the old political system. On December 1, 1992, the Congress of People's Deputies will convene its winter session. During that convention, Yeltsin is expected to confront new challenges to his administration. At stake are two foundations of the Yeltsin administration, namely the emerging market economy and the half-formed democracy.

Focuses on the political developments around the world. Victory of Bill Clinton as the U.S. President in the current presidential elections; Opinion of economist Adam Smith that Scotland could produce excellent wines by growing grapes under glass; Observation that Russian President Boris Yeltsin's government recently released documents that reveal lies perpetrated by its Communist predecessors; Investigation of seventy members of the Italian parliament, for taking bribes.

The article reflects on the diminishing class of intellectuals in Russia in March 1992. The intellectuals are losing their influence in Moscow and it is a melancholy passage. They were considered as the last leisured class. Moreover, they possess the free time for self-cultivation usually attributed to aristocrats. During the glasnost period, the intellectuals formed many organizations that were really discussion clubs or excuses to found a newspaper. The intellectuals also formed a democratic movement that, eventually, became the driving force of anti-Communism in Russia. The movement played a significant role in changing Russia's political and social landscape.

Considers the political upheaval in Russia. Conflict between Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin maneuvering to keep weak the former Soviet Union's central authority, and Mikhail S. Gorbachev trying to regain power from the Republics; Importance of the West's decision regarding whom to support, and how heavily; Gorbachev's ability to maneuver and Yeltsin's political mistakes after the coup attempt; Nuclear weapons and nationalist conflicts.

Discusses why the Communist Party of the Soviet Union collapsed in just three days after governing that nation for nearly eighty years. Transformation of active beliefs and ideology into reflex habits; Strength of Leninism-Stalinism; Experiences of the current generation; Role of Russian President Boris Yeltsin; Reflections on the Cold War; Position of the Bush administration; Outlook.

Comments on the direction taken by Western Sovietology over the past few decades that allowed it to be completely surprised by the recent coup attempt and subsequent changes in the Soviet Union. Misreading the influence of democratic centralism, which President Mikhail Gorbachev exploited; Ignoring the disintegration of the state; Failing to recognize the common-sense distinction between different political systems and regimes; Social science; The KGB; Details.

Presents an essay by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn adapted from his coming book, `Rebuilding Russia: Reflections and Tentative Proposals,' translated by Alexis Klimoff. Rebuilding the Russian government after the fall of communism; Need for the qualities of continuity and stability; Importance of democracy starting at the local level with grassroots issues; Importance of rediscovering a spiritual life; Repentence; Forces of glasnost and perestroika; Aim of universal suffrage; Details.

Profiles Russian President Boris Yeltsin, whose power has become pre-eminent in the Soviet Union since the August coup attempt. His 1990 autobiography, `Against the Grain'; Childhood; Rebellion; Advantage over Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev; Parallels with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln; Ability to learn; Views on economics and private property; Support for Baltic independence; Vision for a Russian commonwealth; Details.

Looks at the future for the Soviet Union now that the anti-Communist democratic revolution has firmly taken root. Massive redistribution of power; Reconfiguration of the Soviet political firmament; Potential for violence of the sort currently in Yugoslavia; Question of nuclear arms; Issue of economic non-viability; Russian imperialism; Changing powers of Presidents Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin; Details.

Presents an analysis of the August Revolution that ended Communist rule in the Soviet Union. Legacy of Presidents Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin; Force of popular resistance; Restructuring of the governing systems; Threat of economic collapse; Reaction of the Bush administration; Historical perspective of Marxism-Leninism; Impact on foreign affairs; Role of the United States in the world now; Details.

Considers events in world news from the previous week. Mikhail Gorbachev's proposed platform renouncing Marxism-Leninism and condemning the crimes of Stalinism; Nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court; Re-nomination of Alan Greenspan as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board; Importance of military action against Saddam Hussein; Others.

The article discusses what the author refers to as the dangers that Americans face as of 2015, and it mentions a cultural decline in the U.S., American constitutionalism, and the possibility that the way of life in the U.S. could be altered due to political inaction or the loss of a war. America's national defense and the strength of the Russian government are examined, along with the views of U.S. presidents and the political conditions in Israel, Iran, and Europe.

The article discusses European politics, with a particular focus on relations with Russia. Emphasis is given to Euro-Atlanticism and the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the region. Details on Russia's use of economic pressure, propaganda, and military force under the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin are presented. Other topics include Russian interference in Baltic airspace and defense spending in Europe.

The article focuses on the Russian Presidential administration of Vladimir Putin. The author presents evidence of a return to state controlled way of life in Russia. Noted are several mysterious deaths including the death of Alexander Litvinenko who was killed by ingesting Polonium-210 while exiled in London, November 2006.

The article focuses on the author's view that there are plenty of evidence that the Russian state has failed under President Boris Yeltsin. The condition is Russia is similar to the country's condition in 1917 before the triumph of the communists in a civil war. President Yeltsin is to a large extent unaware of the real condition of the country. The country's currency has practically collapsed, land remains unprivatized and wealth creation has grounded to a halt. President Yeltsin tactic of appointing new prime ministers every now and then does not help the country deal with the fundamental problems of the state. If the conditions in Russia does not improve, a civil war could start whose results will be unpredictable. There is widespread social degeneration of the Russians. President Yeltsin rules the country by decree having assumed legislative, executive and judicial powers.

The article comments on the events surrounding the removal of Anatoly Chubais as finance minister of Russia. Chubais was accused of not pay his 1996 income taxes in time. There were several financial improprieties at a non-profit center run by Chubais. The author has also explained the circumstances of the dismissal of Chubais' protege Alfred Kokh. Russian President Boris Yeltsin insists that Chubais is guilty only of ethical lapses. The author comments that such scandals have raised question regarding the fundamental nature of post-Soviet Russian reform.

The article discusses the mistakes committed by the Russian government in dealing with its social problems in 1996. One failure made by the government is the recapture of Grozny by Chechen rebels in August 6. A Russian offensive to retake the city was aborted in August 20. National security advisor Aleksandr Lebed intervened to halt the offensive, claiming that the presidential orders authorizing it were not signed by President Boris Yeltsin. The president presides over a divided and unstable government. Aside from the Chechen war, the country is also facing economic crisis. In its foreign policy, the government continues to make threats against the enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and pursues a cozy relationship with China and Iran.

The article comments on the outcome of the 1996 elections in Russia. The elections can be considered a landmark. The fact that a presidential election was held, that there was little apparent cheating and that the opposition accepts the result marks the tentative beginning of a new political era in Russia. The elections must also be regarded as an introduction of Russia's reforms. However, there is little certainty about Russia's future. The central reality facing Russia is its continuing economic difficulties. The government of President Boris Yeltsin predicted that 1996 will see real production growth, but instead production has continued to decline. Also, the government's tight-money policies had the effect of aggravating the existing nonpayment crisis as enterprises delayed salaries for months. Later, he ordered the government and state-controlled enterprises to clear all wage and pension arrears, which contributed to his victory in the elections.

The article discusses the political conditions in Belarus, a former republic of the Soviet Union. Majority of the people in Belarus still supports communism. Among the former republics of the Soviet Union, it is Belarus that have thoroughly adopted the mind-set of communism. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko desires to reintegrate Belarus to Russia. President Lukashenko reasoned that integration with Russia is needed because the country does not have much natural resources. Russian on the other hand does not have much interest in reintegrating Belarus.

The article discusses the war in Chechnya, Russia as of February 20, 1995. Chechen's strengths and weaknesses in this conflict are rooted in an anchronistic tribal structure that Soviet rule and even Joseph Stalin's mass deportations failed to eradicate. The Russian government has shown a chilling contempt not just for civilized behavior but for essential standards of truthfulness toward the Western countries with which it wishes to be on friendly terms. It is concluded in the article that the war in Chechnya has become a crucial test case for Russia and the world.

The article attempts to understand political developments in Russia, focusing on Communist and anti-Communist sentiment, which was discussed in the book, Double Lives--Spies and Writers in the Secret Soviet War of Ideas Against the West, by Stephen Koch. It reveals the obsession of Russians with anti-Communism. It is an exploration of Communist manipulation of the Western left-inclined which attempts to find an excuse to Joseph Stalin's and his successors' barbarity. Reviewer Maurice Isserman is very skeptical in her review of the book. He does not like the idea that Westerners might have been susceptible to the beguiling of Communist agents working for Stalin.

The article looks at the impact of Russian President Boris Yeltsin's decision to dissolve the parliament in September 1993. In line with this, the government will rule by decree until the new parliamentary elections in December 1993. It came as a surprise to many but not to the parliament's chairman, Ruslan Khasbulatov, or to Russian Vice President Aleksandr Rutskoi. The deputies thought they had finally lured Yeltsin to openly violate the Soviet-era constitution. In the spring of 1993, the Congress of Peoples Deputies was one vote short of impeaching Yeltsin when he threatened to implement similar action. However, this time, Yeltsin is by no means successful. Any kind of violence, even one provoked by the parliamentary issue, could affect his political gains. The reaction of the regions is not uniform. Several republics are aggressively opposed to Yeltsin. Even republics that support Yeltsin found themselves unable to approve his decision to dissolve the parliament. Yeltsin and the radical reformers supporting him consider the dissolution of the parliament as a step toward democratization.

This article considers the plans of the Russian government to use the glasnost policy for the second time since its original use during the administration of Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The first glasnost allowed the press and people to disclose information and in the end revealed some horrors of the past. However, glasnost centered at individual abuses but it never did allow the examination of the Soviet Communist institution. The opening of the Communist Party archives will prove a past of systematic falsehood and criminality.

This article comments on the policies imposed by Russian President Boris Yeltsin in his country during the 1990s. Russians still need to know a lot about the principles of the marketplace. Prices, for instance, tend to increase when a facility is run by the public sector and that privatizing agriculture is indispensable to plenty. Yeltsin should avoid the obscurities of capitalist syllogism. Political and economic challenges are being encountered by Yeltsin as he leads Russia to democracy and capitalism.

Comments on the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. Economic crisis faced by the country; State of the financial and administrative institutions of the country under the management of the Russian Republic; Leadership of Boris Yeltsin; Economic and military potential of the Russian Republic.

Presents five cartoons relating to world events. Nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court; Political developments in Russia; Others.

Editorial. Comments on United States policy towards the Soviet Union, both in recent years and for the future. Changing directions of President Mikhail Gorbachev; Building a missile defense system; Advice in 1990 from Professor John Roche; Armsrace; Current responsibilities; Details.

Discusses the various reactions of Western leaders to the news of the ousting of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev during the attempted coup. French President Francois Mitterrand; German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher; British Prime Minister John Major and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; Neil Kinnock of Britain's Labour Party; The Soviet embassy in London; NATO; Re-examining the treaties concluded with Gorbachev; Details.

Reports on the reactions of the Soviet Union's former satellite countries to the August coup in Moscow. Reactions of Presidents Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia and Lech Walesa of Poland; Prime Minister Jozsef Antall of Hungary; The Slovak National Party; Support for Russian democrats; Impact on the domestic policies of the former satellites; Speeding up the revolution in Eastern Europe; Details.

Recounts the series of events in Moscow that created the foundation for the failure of the attempted coup by hardliners. Supporters of Russian President Boris Yeltsin surrounding the Parliament building of the Russian Republic (RSFSR); First conflict with the troops that resulted in the deaths of three citizens; Defiance of the Soviet citizens; Impact of the change; Details.

Assesses the fall of communism in the Soviet Union. Session of the Congress of People's Deputies this week; Plan for a new national structure from President Mikhail Gorbachev; Coup as the final proof of the transformation of the Soviet people since Gorbachev came to power; Role of Boris Yeltsin; Details.

Presents a letter from editor William F. Buckley about the demise of communism. Reference to the first issue of the "National Review" in 1955, which announced a war against communism and no substitute for victory; Description of how the communists lost the war, with key figures such as Ronald Reagan and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; Reasons for the ultimate decline of communism; Tribute to those Hungarians who died in the fight for freedom in 1956; Thanksgiving for the transfiguration of Russia.

Analyzes Russian President Boris Yeltsin's recent ban on all organized political structures in all state institutions and enterprises on Russian soil. Focus on its impact on the Communist Party; Response of the Soviet and Russian governments and the Russian people; Projected consequences.

Presents news briefs pertaining to political and social issues in the U.S. as of December 1985. Popularity of the television program "The McLaughlin Group," in Washington; Attempt to explain why the author do not like rock music; Three generations of rock addicts in the country; Criticism of Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev's leadership.

The author offers opinions on U.S. foreign relations with Russia. U.S. President Barack Obama is criticized for not advocating stronger policies in opposition to Russia, as it is stated that President Vladimir Putin of that country has recreated the aggressive foreign policies and repressive internal politics of the former Soviet Union.

Cartoons are presented about elections in Russia, the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) regarding Iran, and former U.S. president Bill Clinton's view of the Iraq War.

The article argues that the post-Communist era that preceded the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union could not possibly and completely resolve the malaise of communist legacy. Such sorry state can be attributed to difference in history and culture and lack of knowledge among people who made the velvet revolutions. Boris Yeltsin is no Lock nor Rousseau who could provide the intellectual or ideological moorings needed after the communist apparatus was shattered.