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Due West: Kremlin Reshuffle or ‘Refluffle?’

Weekly column by Konstantin von Eggert

The new government that Vladimir Putin was putting together for Dmitry Medvedev while the latter was talking to Barack Obama and the G8 leaders in the United States has finally been presented in Moscow.

Uncertain World: Does Europe Have Any Alternative?

Weekly column by Fyodor Lukyanov

Tomislav Nikolic defied the odds and expert forecasts to win the presidential election in Serbia. Quite recently, he was considered a radical nationalist with markedly anti-Western views. But he has managed to shed this extremist image. He is not against joining the EU, nor does he seek to recapture Kosovo.

Sam's Exchange: State at War

Biweekly column by Sam Barden

There is a war raging inside the U.S. State Department at the moment, between those who back the real (energy) economy and those who back the financial (dollar) economy. In the course of my strategic advisory work at Wimpole International (www.wimpole-international.com) I ran headlong into this war.

Deeper Than Oil: Russia’s Euro Joy

Weekly column by Marc Bennetts

It’s a little over two weeks until Euro 2012 kicks off in Ukraine and Poland. Although Russia are involved, this year’s competition is unlikely to see football fever sweep the country in the way it did at the last tournament, four years ago.

Trendwatcher: Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty

Weekly column by Natalia Antonova

The good weather has had Russian protesters camping out in Moscow. The authorities treated this as yet another fad - it’s just kids being kids, having fun, hanging out on the grass, blah blah.

Features, Opinion & Analysis »

Russian Public Not Split Over Reforms – Study

MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti, Alexey Eremenko)

The political rift between the opposition-minded middle class in Moscow and the population in the Russian provinces is a myth, with most of the populace united in the demand for change, a group of experts established by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Thursday.

Traditional Media Face New Tech Challenge

MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti, Larisa Sayenko, Anastasia Alekseeva)

The domination of the information market by mainstream media has rested upon a traditional business model for many years, but it seems to be in rapid decline. Mass media face a new challenge to create distinctive value for tech-savvy young consumers, believes Andrew Heyward, former President of CBS News, and a leading American expert in innovative digital technologies.

Ignoring the Status Quo

Svetlana Babaeva, RIA Novosti Staff Writer

A new political cycle has begun in Russia with the detention of more than 700 protesters in Moscow and renewed attempts to restrict street activity in the capital. It was unusual for the authorities to put on such an undisguised display of force at the outset of a new Kremlin administration as they have done this month.