TODAY: Lavrov keeps eagle eye on Georgia; Netanyahu's fears about Russian rogue scientists; Chubais takes the fall for hydropower plant disaster.  Litvinenko widow despairs over apparent British moves towards rapprochement.  Luzhkov-Baturina to take Nemtsov to court. UN report pessimistic on Russia's demographic decline; Ban Ki-moon voices approval for ecological care.According to the Moscow Times, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that Russia will survey shipping in the Black Sea to monitor Georgian 'provocations' which are a 'serious concern'.  Jorg Himmelreich in the International Herald Tribune suggests that much analysis of last year's Georgia-Russia conflict has overlooked the crucial matter of President Bush's Georgia policy.  Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko says that he believes that the ratification of the Lisbon treaty would benefit ...

TODAY: Russia keeps its voting rights in Council of Europe; Lavrov says Russia wants unbiased discussions about human rights; French Foreign Minister argues Russia flouting ceasefire; Israeli diplomat makes swift exit; UK Foreign Secretary visit to ease tensions?; Scientology 1- Russia nil.At a meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Sergei Lavrov has asserted that the Kremlin has not avoided discussing human rights issues with other European states, 'but that dialogue should not be politicized, it should be concrete'.  According to Bloomberg, Kouchner has said that Russia is not honoring the terms of the 'Sarkozy-Medvedev' ceasefire agreement.   Ex-Georgian parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze has blamed President Mikheil Saakashvili for last year's conflict with Russia and has affirmed ...

Honestly, is there any other way to interpret this?

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko, as reported by the AP:

Moscow wants NATO to listen to its concerns and hold serious discussions on the Kremlin's proposal for an overarching new European security treaty.

Reacting to Rasmussen's remarks, Russia noted "the readiness he declared for stepping up Russia-NATO relations," Nesterenko said in a statement. But he suggested the alliance must do more to earn Russia's trust and remove its concerns.

"We are realists...further prospects for cooperation will depend first of all on the general backdrop of relations with the alliance, the restoration of trust, readiness to

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TODAY: US missile defense in Eastern Europe plans officially scrapped in favor of 'more efficient' new program.  A matter of concession or conviction on Obama's part; mixed reaction from former would-be host countries fearful of Russian dominance; is the US expecting Russian cooperation in Iran in return wonders media - and will it get it?  NATO to have increased involvement in new plans. Georgia and Russia to negotiate.  Gapzrom may get its tower. The US plans to build missile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic have been binned; the Moscow Times reprints President Obama's speech on the decision here.  'This is not about Russia',  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has said.  According to the ...