Angela Stent, participant of the upcoming meeting of the Valdai Discussion club, Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies in the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, dwells on the influence of history on Russian future development in an interview for RIA Novosti.

// Aug. 31, 2010 - 06:00 GMT

Projects developed in some Anglo-Saxon circles, whose goal is the strategic separation of Russia and Ukraine, have failed. They were unrealistic and dangerous, both for the two countries and the rest of Europe. It is obvious that for historical reasons, Ukraine will always occupy a special place in Russiaâ™s political vision. </p>

// Aug. 31, 2010 - 05:32 GMT

In advance of the seventh regular meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, which is to be held in St. Petersburg, Kizhi, Valaam and Moscow in the first decade of September, Richard Pipes, an American Professor of Russian History, gave an interview for RIA Novosti where he explained his views on the influence of history and geography on the Russian political system. According to his opinion Russia has its own, different from Western civilization, development path.

// Aug. 31, 2010 - 05:17 GMT

In an interview with RIA Novosti, former Polish Prime Minister (2001–2004) Leszek Miller says that Russia and Europe need to develop their relations gently. Mr Miller is to take part in the forthcoming meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club. In Europe, they expect Russia to continue promoting its market economy and democracy, but understand that Russia should not blindly follow European traditions, Leszek Miller said.

// Aug. 31, 2010 - 04:50 GMT

For several centuries, everyone in Russia â“ from great minds to cooks â“ has been discussing the same issue: should Russia look to Europe or Asia? The worldâ™s geopolitical structure has changed in this time, and yet we still have not resolved this issue. Xing Guangcheng, an expert on Russia and a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who will be attending the upcoming seventh meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, shared his views on this question with RIA Novosti. </p>

// Aug. 31, 2010 - 04:42 GMT

It is high time Russia and the European Union started discussing a possible âœresetâ� in their relations now that Russia has successfully âœresetâ� its relations with the United States, believes Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform. </p>

// Aug. 31, 2010 - 04:33 GMT

The next meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, taking place in early September in St. Petersburg, Kizhi, Valaam and Moscow, will provide its foreign participants with a truly unique chance of âœimmersion into the Russian dimensionâ� </p>

// Aug. 31, 2010 - 04:23 GMT

With the European Union's adoption of tough sanctions last week, the west has finally succeeded in gaining leverage over Tehran. Reports this week of an assassination attempt against President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, whether accurate or not, will augment that leverage by causing jitters throughout the Iranian elite.

// Aug. 09, 2010 - 04:30 GMT

Oddly enough, the scandal has shown that political ties between Russian and U.S. leadership are much closer than one might think.

// Jul. 13, 2010 - 07:31 GMT

NATO and Russia might find it more profitable to pursue another Russian ideaâ”better integrating the multilateral interdiction efforts aimed to counter the Afghan narcotics problem. </p>

// Jun. 29, 2010 - 08:29 GMT