ESTONIA
The press continues to highlight the Russian-Estonian border treaty. Forecasting the further course of events, the media write with unconcealed sarcasm about potential "Russian preventive strikes at Estonian territory." "In this case, there will be no need to deal a serious blow - a small 'Qatar' would be enough. What we need is just to seize the building of the Estonian Foreign Ministry for a while, confiscate treaties and deliver them to Moscow for the procedure of recall." (Delfi, August 4.)
Estonian media are still showing interest in the events in the North Caucasus, sparked by the escalation of violence in this region. "The Russian government is preparing for a large-scale war in the North Caucasus ... An operation to redeploy the Russian Armed Forces (the largest since the breakup of the U.S.S.R. in 1991) is being prepared. By transferring additional forces to the area, Moscow wants to achieve success in the Chechen war at last." (SL Ohtuleht, August 5.)
The media claim that now that the authorities are intensifying combat activities in Chechnya, the majority of Russians agree with the need for the secession of the Chechen Republic.
Conspiracy theories in the North Caucasus are popular in some quarters. "One of them claims that those who do not want Dmitry Kozak (the president's representative in the Southern Federal District) to become the main claimant in the 2008 presidential election stand behind all this. The second, more popular, version says that the region cannot be bent to the Kremlin's will without a serious crisis." (Parnu Postimees, August 4.)
The media gave wide coverage to the operation to rescue the sailors of a mini-sub trapped on the ocean floor off the Kamchatka coast. "It turned out that Russian has not a single device capable of helping the AS-28 submersible, to say nothing of preparedness to act in case of a more serous accident." (SL Ohtuleht, August 8.)
LATVIA
The creation of a commission to estimate "the damage caused by occupation" served as a pretext for the opposition media to accuse the authorities of populism and attempts to gain political capital. "The current decision to initiate the estimation of the amount of 'the damage caused by occupation' is harmful and counter-productive because it deprives Latvia of the last chance to improve relations with its largest neighbor." (Vesti-segodnya, August 9.)
Referring to foreign sources, Latvian media continue making suppositions about Russia's potential preparation for a new phase of the armed conflict in the North Caucasus. "Moscow is carrying out a major re-deployment of troops and preparing for a large-scale war in the Caucasus." (Telegraph, August 5.)
The Russian mini-sub accident gave the media a pretext to review the Russian fleet's potential and make conclusions "on a country-wide scale." "At first, they did not want to rescue the sailors of the AS-28 submersible for fear of damaging the secret antenna on which the min-sub had got snagged ... After the Kursk submarine accident, the state, the Defense Ministry and the Navy have not done all that is necessary to prevent a repetition of such tragedies." (Gorod.lv, August 9)
LITHUANIA
The media are scathing in criticism of the government for the lack of clear-cut reference points in the country's foreign policy, particularly in relation to Russia. "Does Lithuania have a foreign policy OF ITS OWN? We keep vacillating between the interests of the EU and the U.S. Relations even with our nearest neighbors - Poland, Latvia, Russia and Belarus - are abnormal and vague." (Lietuvos rytas, August 5.)
The escalation of violence in Dagestan and the interview with terrorist Shamil Basayev broadcast on America's ABC television network a week earlier sharply increased the number of negative articles on Chechnya. "The Kremlin's reaction (to the interview with Basayev), which is hard to justify, is a clear signal of an even greater limitation of freedom of the press." (Lietuvos rytas, August 6.)
The media called Gazprom's statement on plans to raise gas prices for Lithuania in the near future the Kremlin's blackmail and striving to act by using old vicious methods.
UKRAINE
The media do not share Kiev's optimism on the hypothetical results of the talks between Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom. "The composition of the group calls into doubt the possibility of quickly settling the gas conflict between Russia and Ukraine which have been intensifying in recent months." (ForUm, August 5.)
The media cite the opinions of experts who claim that Russia will try to take revenge in the Ukrainian parliamentary election. "Moscow will not openly interfere with the election the way it did before. During the election, Moscow will see who will show himself and how - this will be a kind of a parliamentary rehearsal for the 2006 presidential election." (Glavred, August 3.)
The incident involving the beating of Russian diplomats' children in Poland gave the media a pretext to write about tensions in Russian-Polish relations caused by Poland's participation in the settlement of the situation that arose in the presidential election in Ukraine. "Polish President Alexander Kwasnievski's mediation during the 'Orange Revolution' spoiled Polish-Russian relations, which have been cool since then." (Den, August 3.)
The publication in the Russian press of an interview with former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky provoked the revival in the media of the thesis about an internal political crisis in Russia on the eve of the 2008 presidential election.
"The Kremlin mopped up the political field to such an extent that it has no one with whom to conduct an equitable political dialog with in the country. Khodorkovsky seems to be all but the only worthy opponent of the authorities. The public accusation made by Khodorkovsky shows that covert struggle for power in the Kremlin is coming to the surface." (Rupor, August 9.)
MOLDOVA
The local press says the law adopted on the main provisions of Transdnestr's legal status will render Russian interference in Moldova's political problems impossible. "There will be no sense in Russia meddling in Moldova's political processes and elections in an attempt to change power here, because the law has been adopted, and whatever government comes to power will not venture to change or cancel it." (Moldova Suverana, August 3.)
Pro-Romanian media sound the alarm over a "new occupation by Russia," and say that the media in Bessarabia use Russian in most of their broadcasts and publications. "There is every reason to speak about a new occupation of Moldova by Moscow, which is worse than the occupation by Soviet Russia. Music and news broadcasts produced in the capital of the occupant country are heard in the streets and in public transport." (Jurnal de Chisinau, August 5.)
The media say that statements by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov about the continued Russian military presence in Transdnestr compromises Russia. "Russia, whose officials like to accuse everyone they don't like of using double standards, itself not just uses these double standards in practical politics - it uses them to its own detriment." (Nezavisimaya Moldova, August 4.)
More publications describe the present situation in Russia as a return to the Soviet realities. Russia's response to the interview with terrorist Shamil Basayev in the American ABC News is viewed in this context. "President Vladimir Putin likes to speak about democracy and freedom of press. But a country where these values are respected does not need to employ Soviet methods in communicating with foreign newsmen." (Press-review, August 4.)
ARMENIA
The scandalous investigations of the terrorist acts in Georgia were interpreted as an action to discredit Armenia and Russia in the Caucasus. "The West, the U.S., in particular, is playing a dirty game to discredit Russia and Armenia. The developments show that discrediting Russia and Armenia in the Caucasus is a priority ... To discredit and intimidate them, they refer to the arguments of terrorism so liked by the Americans, who assert or strengthen their influence under the guise of combating terrorism in the regions that used to be in the sphere of influence of Russian arms." (Hayots Ashkhar, August 3.)
Russia is accused of stressing the Armenian ethnicity of V. Arutyunov, who attempted to assassinate U.S. President George Bush, which is viewed as a deliberate drawing of Armenia in the incident. "It is not by chance that the Russian press was the first to say that the grenade was allegedly of an Armenian make. Evidently by using such methods Russia tries to involve Armenia in the incident and threatens its security. It is time to pursue an independent state policy and to stop being Russia's appendage." (Aravot, August 3.)
GEORGIA
Russian troop withdrawal is called an historic event in Georgia. "Troop withdrawal from Georgia is a political act, by which Russia has shown that it is not doomed to rummaging about in its imperial past. Russia stands a chance of becoming a normal country, whose citizens will not calm themselves by telling themselves that the life of others is not good either and infringement on the interests of neighbor countries will no longer be a compensation for infringement upon their own interests." (Khvalindeli Dge, August 3.)
Experts are convinced that Russia benefits from the confrontation between South Ossetia and Georgia. Their forecast is that the Russian security-related agencies will provoke events, which will worsen the situation still more. "If any provocation is staged in the Tskhinvali Region, it will be organized by those who during the past week have been telling the world that Georgia is allegedly getting ready for a war with Tskhinvali ... Russia's Federal Security Service is trying to set indigenous Georgians and Ossets against one another," (Khvalindeli Dge, August 8.)
The sharp statement by Andrei Kokoshin, chairman of the parliamentary CIS Committee, about Russia's readiness to take tough actions if Georgia tries to resolve the South Ossetia problem by force is interpreted as the Kremlin's "trial balloon" before intervening in the Georgia-Ossetia situation with the use of force. "Russia has shown more than once that it can easily interfere in the domestic affairs of another country, especially Georgia ... At present Russia is preparing political arguments and checks the political ground to learn what response to such statements would be in the world." (Rezonansi, August 5.)
The emergency situation with the Priz mini-sub at the Kamchatka shore was used by the media for attacks on Russia. "If it were not for the American and British help, the president of Russia would perhaps have to repeat those tragic words on television - "It sank" ... It is no secret to anyone that something is wrong with the Russian army after the breakup of the Soviet Union." (24 Saati, August 8.)
AZERBAIJAN
Local media blame Moscow for the small throughput capacity of checkpoints on the Russia-Azerbaijan border and growing tensions, saying that neither is connected with the counter-terrorism struggle but that both are designed to pressurize Azerbaijan. "A political expert in Makhachkala said ... that this is Moscow's warning to the U.S. and other Western countries trying to reinforce their positions in the region that they should respect Russia's interests in the South Caucasus." (Day.Az, August 4.)
The press highlights major positive changes in the Kremlin's policy regarding Azerbaijan's opposition parties and movements. "The Kremlin's desire to cooperate with opposition forces in Azerbaijan is confirmed by the fact that ex-president Ayaz Mutalibov has emerged from the shadows and announced his intention to return to Azerbaijan and resume political operations there."(Zerkalo, August 3.)
The media increasingly accuses Russian authorities, media and society of racial intolerance and xenophobia regarding migrants from the CIS countries. "Be it danger of typhoid fever or malaria, Russian media obediently blame them on migrants from the former Soviet republics ... This is taking place amidst an alarming growth of ultra-nationalist sentiments, which are no longer limited to the marginal sections of society." (Echo, August 5.)
KAZAKHSTAN
Russia is losing its standing in Central Asia because of its vague policies. "A big political game is underway in the region. Kazakhstan has aces in relations with Russia, the U.S. and China ... Its rapprochement with the U.S. will not radically change the attitude of its other two neighbors. Russia is not making its position known in any way." (Liter.kz, August 4.)
The media accuse Russia of excessive ambitions and chauvinism, and call on it to find fair forms of cooperation. "A union with Russia cannot be a union of equal states. In this new geopolitical situation, Russia should search for new forms to preserve and develop close cooperation with Kazakhstan ... It would be naive to think that Kazakhstan would forego its interests by inertia and habit." (Liter.kz, August 4.)
The involvement of political scientist Gleb Pavlovsky in the presidential election campaign in Kazakhstan can be explained by Russia's immunity to "Orange Revolutions," the media says. "Russian political technologies are waning ... The invitation of Pavlovsky, who discredited himself [in Ukraine], to Kazakhstan would have looked strange but it proves the impossibility of using the 'Orange' mechanism of revolutions in Kazakhstan. In a favorable situation, even Pavlovsky can successfully fulfill his election mission." (Liter.kz, August 6.)
KYRGYZSTAN
Rumors of possible deployment of Russian troops in Uzbekistan and of a strengthening Russian presence in Kyrgyzstan revived local concern. "Fearing for his power, Uzbek President Islam Karimov launched secret talks with Moscow immediately after the May unrest in Andijan. As a result, Russia might send its troops to Uzbekistan in case of new problems ... In addition, the Kremlin demands a permanent military base in the region and one more in southern Kyrgyzstan." (AKIpress, August 5.)
The press does not trust information about a possible withdrawal of the U.S. air force base from Kyrgyzstan. "The struggle against drugs can last until the end of the world, and NATO troops might remain in the region as long." (KyrgyzInfo, August 4.)
The press does not support Moscow, which complains about the excessive weaponization of the region. "Russian observers complain that the West has surrounded the country with military bases, but we should remember that they came here at the invitation of ... the Russian president. Last week, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov for the first time publicly admitted this in Washington, saying that Putin had personally called Central Asian leaders after 9/11, asking them to allow the deployment of NATO bases in their territories. So, Russia should blame itself for the current problems." (KyrgyzInfo, August 4.)
Some media view concern over the U.S. bases in Kyrgyzstan as a fresh demonstration of the imperial ambitions of Russia, which hopes to regain influence in Central Asia. "The main element of Putin's foreign policy is the attempt to regain the position of a great power. This explains the establishment of a Russian air force base at Kant. But the base did not visibly strengthen our security." (Jany Ordo, August 5.)
UZBEKISTAN
The press writes about the recent visit by President Islam Karimov to Moscow, where an agreement was reached on a Russia-Uzbekistan military exercise and presumably the deployment of Russian troops in that Central Asian state. "Karimov has turned back to Moscow, which welcomed him wholeheartedly because the Kremlin has plans for Central Asia. By extending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it may realize an old dream of creating counterbalances to NATO and OPEC. " (Fergana.ru, August 5.)
Some media recommend that Russia abandon stereotypes and adopt a more effective foreign policy. "Russia's strategy regarding Uzbekistan should be more multifaceted. The moves taken to strengthen Russia's influence in Uzbekistan can succeed only if based on a comprehensive and balanced strategy, which Moscow has not had in relations with nearly all CIS states." (Uzland-uz, August 4.)
TAJIKISTAN
The key subject of the week was the problems of Tajik migrants in Russia. "The State Migration Service of Tajikistan reports that over 2,000 people appealed to the Russian office of the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection in the first quarter of this year, and over 4,300 last year. They mostly complain about delays in the payment of wages, illegal detention in special centers, and violation of their rights by employers, etc." (Avesta, August 3.)
The media is alarmed by the fact that heroin-conversion laboratories are moving to the northern regions of Afghanistan bordering on Tajikistan. "Up to 30% of Afghan drugs enter via the CIS. Since more than 4,000 tons of opium are produced in Afghanistan annually, you can imagine the burden on the drug police." (Leninabadskaya Pravda, August 4.)
