By Richard Weitz (8/20/2008 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The members of GUAM had long sought to avoid further Russian military intervention on their territory, by seeking the resolution of the “frozen conflicts” in Georgia and other former countries of the former Soviet Union. Unfortunately, GUAM proved unable to make much of a contribution in resolving these conflicts, which constantly threatened to thaw, due to Russian opposition, West European indifference, and growing problems with wayward Moldova.

By Stephen Blank (7/24/2008 issue of the CACI Analyst)

As Dmitry Medvedev grasps the reins of Russia’s presidency, it remains an open question as to whether or not he or Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will control foreign policy and what their respective roles in this domain will be. There is no doubt that Putin is building up his own Prime Ministerial apparatus to oversee foreign policy and has already traveled to France and Belarus. But Medvedev’s trips to Kazakhstan, China, and Germany and appearance at the CIS Summit in St.

By Kevin Daniel Leahy (7/24/2008 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov appears sanguine about the new-look Medvedev-Putin partnership that has emerged in Moscow. However, despite significant personnel changes in the presidential administration and a parallel government reshuffle, certain powerful politicos in Moscow, who have opposed Kadyrov over the past four years, have managed to retain much of their pre-election power and influence. Disagreements between Kadyrov and this constituency are manifold, but it is the dispute concerning where ownership of Chechnya’s natural resources should reside that is perhaps the greatest point of contention.