TODAY: NATO ministerial level meeting to take place in Corfu; deputies suggests nationalization of troubled Pikalyovo factory; gay rights activist to sue Moscow mayor; blacklisting practice; bribery affecting the poor'We have always had quite good relations with the Korean leadership but what has happened arouses very big concern': says President Medvedev on North Korea.  The Kremlin has stated that it may support economic sanctions against the rogue state to convince it to put a halt to its nuclear program.  US and Russian officials have concluded their talks on strategic arms reduction without comment from Russia, but the US negotiator, Rose Gottemoeller, has called them 'productive'.  NATO and Russia Foreign Ministers are set to meet in Corfu on June 27 in the ...

President Medvedev did not receive the wholehearted backing he had hoped for from Finnish countepart Tarja Halonen over the Nord Stream gas pipeline; the Finns feel that 'an ecological question' remains.  Nonetheless Finland apparently hopes to have these environmental concerns addressed by June.  Russia plans to unveil new measures for international energy cooperation, including rules on transit.  Russian uranium company Atomredmetzoloto has reported an increase in output of 4.5% in comparison with last year's January-March figures.  Russia and China have reached an agreement to allow Rosneft and Transneft to receive loans in exchange for oil.  Brazil's state controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA will not participate in a similar kind of deal which would see the company provide oil in exchange for $10 billion worth of loans.  OPEC is reportedly 'frustrated' with the fact that ...

TODAY: Medvedev tentative regarding US nuclear deal; Russia to boycott forthcoming NATO meeting?; early voting takes place in Sochi; ombudsman says human rights situation in Russia is staticPresident Medvedev has expressed caution regarding Obama's plans for nuclear disarmament, saying that 'more conditions' need to be agreed upon.  According to Ria Novosti, the President says the replacement START treaty should also include delivery systems.  Medvedev has also reiterated concerns about 'unilateral efforts' to establish missile defense in Europe, says the Washington Post.  Dmitry Rogozin has threatened that Russia may boycott next month's NATO meeting if the latter's exercises in Georgia go ahead.  An op-ed piece in the Moscow Times analyzes the 'obvious discrepancy' between the NATO war games and 'Russia's heated overreaction'.  ...

TODAY: Medvedev tentative regarding US nuclear deal; Russia to boycott forthcoming NATO meeting?; early voting takes place in Sochi; ombudsman says human rights situation in Russia is staticPresident Medvedev has expressed caution regarding Obama's plans for nuclear disarmament, saying that 'more conditions' need to be agreed upon.  According to Ria Novosti, the President says the replacement START treaty should also include delivery systems.  Medvedev has also reiterated concerns about 'unilateral efforts' to establish missile defense in Europe, says the Washington Post.  Dmitry Rogozin has threatened that Russia may boycott next month's NATO meeting if the latter's exercises in Georgia go ahead.  An op-ed piece in the Moscow Times analyzes the 'obvious discrepancy' between the NATO war games and 'Russia's heated overreaction'.  ...