Putin: Nobody knows, or nobody writes

A dreary vote in Russia. Yes. When journalists tell you that a story they are working on is "boring" and "dreary," you know it is unlikely to capture theatention of readers and television viewers worldwide. Alexander Osipovich, staff writer of The Moskow Times, feels the Russian campaign has certainly been less suspenseful than the U.S. race, where two Democratic senators, Clinton and Barack Obama, are competing for the chance to end eight years of Republican domination of the White House. First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is expected to win by a landslide. Medvedev holds a commanding lead in polls thanks to his close association with outgoing President Vladimir Putin. But does it make less interesting. We all know that Bush will go home in November. But what is going to do Putin in the Russian Duma? Nobody knows, or nobody writes...

Kosovo. And who will be the next?

The man tipped to become the next Russian president has vowed his country will "stick to" its support for Serbia in opposing Kosovo's independence. For the BBC, Medvedev's comments, and the timing of his visit, are an evidence that Russia's foreign policy is unlikely to change once serving President Vladimir Putin steps down. Is this bad news? Putin's term in office has seen a marked deterioration in relations with the West, most recently over the issues of Kosovo and Nato's ambitions in former eastern bloc states like Poland and the Czech Republic.
Russia has repeatedly said that granting Kosovo sovereignty could set a precedent and trigger a chain reaction for secessionist regions throughout the world, including in Greece, Spain, Georgia, Moldova and Cyprus. But Western countries supporting Kosovo's independence insist that the case is unique, and that there is no threat of the weakening of international law. Russia is worried about Kosovo, specially after looking to his own courtyard. Moscow repeatedly said Russia will not recognize the sovereignty of South Ossetia and Abkhazia if Kosovo's independence is recognized.
Like George Friedman wrote in 2007, the Kosovo issue has appeared to be one of those conflicts that never quite goes away but isn’t regarded very seriously by the international community.