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 ...

TODAY: Russia relenting on Iran sanctions; calls missile defense decision constructive; arms reductions talks are apparently progressing apace; Medvedev urges for Middle East arms cuts too.  Island cooperation for Japan and Russia; Georgia undecided on Guantanamo guests; Poland - officially - condemns Soviet invasion. Moscow mayor doesn't take criticism lightly. President Medvedev has apparently agreed following talks with Barack Obama to consider sanctions if Iran does not agree to transparency about its nuclear program. 'Sanctions rarely lead to productive results but in some cases are inevitable', the Russian president has said.  'The sanctions Medvedev has in mind might fall far short of those that the White House are thinking of', suggests a piece in the Guardian.  The ...

TODAY: Georgia and Russia, one year on, guns quiet but war of words blazing: who started it?  Opposition says democracy far off; humanitarian issues remain; strike on Twitter linked to conflict.  Chavez military deal; Russia to calm Uzbekistan; launch radar.  Bloggers detained.'Differing narratives of the war persist': the New York Times looks back.  'There's even disagreement on what day marks the beginning of the five-day conflict'.  A 40-page report released by the Georgian government and a Russian Foreign Ministry statement highlight the different spins.  The Guardian outlines the arguments on both sides.  Georgia's Reintegration Ministry has defended the actions of President Mikheil Saakashvili in relation to the war, whilst the Georgian opposition brand the ministry's ...

TODAY: Medvedev reiterates warning to Georgia as tensions simmer; Russia will not impose sanctions on Iran at Washington's behest; activists slam 'repressive' army measures; hrono up again.'I would not like to specially recount what happened last year ... and to what we were forced to give a tough and pretty effective response,' Medvedev has repeated a warning to Georgia over South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Meanwhile a US warship has anchored off Georgia's coast for joint war games.  Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has recently played down the threat of Russian military action: RFE/RL suggests US guarantees an a explanation, quoting sources claiming that Obama told Medvedev privately that any attack against Georgia would have 'grave consequences' ...

TODAY: Medvedev visits South Ossetia in move called 'provocation' by Saakashvili, flouting US comments about unity of Georgia?; British academics bemoan closure of history website; Bolshoi's musical director quitsMedvedev has made a surprise visit to South Ossetia to pledge support for its leadership, a move condemned by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who called the visit 'the most immoral and shameful precedent in centuries'.   Medvedev and South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity visited a Russian military base in Tskhinvali.  The Russian President promised citizens that rebuilding would take place and announced that 'there is a need to support and cooperate in the defense sphere'.  Commentators suggest a rebuke to Obama who asserted the independence of Georgia on ...

TODAY: Russia back firm but cautious stance on North Korea; Russia-NATO council meeting on level of ambassadors; Russia-Georgia discuss border reopening; Kremlin seeks extradition of Yukos' Spanish head; Putin tries his hand at journalismVitaly Churkin, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has said that Russia will back a 'strong resolution' on North Korea.  According to other sources, Russia believes that a blockade should not be imposed, 'in any case it is counterproductive to raise the question of the DPRK's international isolation. The path to dialogue should not be disrupted, and the problem can be solved only in political and diplomatic ways'.  An article in the Moscow Times explains why Russia has the most to lose from North Korea's nuclear ambitions.  'One of ...

TODAY: Economic ties and energy on the agenda for Putin's Japan meeting; no end to the stalemate in Georgia, fears of violence resurge; Obama visit to Russia in July; Medvedev undermines Constitutional Court freedomsPrime Minister Putin has emphasized friendly links with the ex-premier of Japan, Yoshiro Mori, in an attempt to facilitate an improvement in Russo-Japanese relations.  Russia is reportedly looking to come to an agreement on territorial issues with Japan (the four South Kuril Islands remaining a point of contention) through the development of more substantial economic ties.  Barack Obama's first visit to Russia has been scheduled for July 6-8.  Cracks may appear to be forming in the restart but Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has insisted that he sees no ...

It seems that if Russia wanted to do something dramatic about Georgia, now would be the perfect time, given that Barack Obama's options may be more constrained now than in the future and Mikheil Saakashvili is on political death watch.  Whether or not that is what is happening right now with the rebellion of a tank battalion (on the eve of exercises with NATO) is still unknown.  From the Financial Times:

Russia's interest in seeing Mr Saakashvili leave power is clear, although Russian officials on Tuesday rushed to deny Kremlin involvement in the uprising, which Georgia has said is a Moscow financed coup attempt.Mr Klimov called the action a "show" made for western consumption, which would help Georgia's president Mikheil Saakashvili distract Georgians from the opposition demonstrations. "This is one of Saakashvili's tricks, he is a master ...

TODAY: Troops begin controversial Georgia border control; EU fears Russia not a 'reliable partner'; Medvedev's first year analyzed; Russians unimpressed by income anti-corruption drive; democracy dwindling but economy bolstered in Sochi?; balletSurveillance on the borders between Abkhazia and South Ossetia and Geogia has begun with hundreds of troops deployed; Russia apparently plans to construct a naval base in Abkhazia.  Russian Ambassador to Abkhazia Semyon Grigoryev has set up the country's new Russian embassy.  Reuters has a list of 'tipping points' in relations between Georgia and Russia here.  The Chairman of the Duma's International Affairs Committee has apparently reiterated that Russia was forced to intervene in Georgia due to actions undertaken by President Mikheil Saakashvili.  'Any hope for trust, which is ...

TODAY: Medvedev the latest to criticize NATO exercises; perseverance required in nuclear talks; budget revenues may fall short; one million temporary jobs to be created; London's Speakers Corner 'cool' President Medvedev has spoken out against the NATO war games to take place in Georgia, calling the move 'the wrong decision'.  China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have engaged in military exercises for the first time since Kyrgyzstan said it would close down the Manas air base, the last U.S. air base in Central Asia.  At a conference for 'Overcoming Nuclear Dangers', Mikhail Gorbachev and former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz have discussed their failed 1986 US-Russia Reykjavik summit and urged the new presidents to persevere when it comes to nuclear disarmament talks. ...