Bulgaria's government has made it clear it is not daunted by the risk of being taken to arbitration by the Russian contractor in Belene nuclear project, should it decide to abandon it.

• March 22, 2012

In a major diplomatic blow for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia and China joined the Security Council on Wednesday in voicing support for U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's bid to end violence that has brought Syria to the brink of civil war.

• March 20, 2012

Syria imported nearly six times more weapons in 2007-2011 than in the previous five-year period, with Russia accounting for 72 percent of the arms supplies to President Bashar Assad’s regime, an international research institute said Monday.

• March 16, 2012

The US has asked Russia to carry an ultimatum to the leaders of Iran, warning that upcoming six-nation talks on the Iranian nuclear program will be the "last chance" for progress before it pursues a military option, the leading Moscow daily Kommersant reported today (in Russian).

• March 15, 2012

The Russian Defense Ministry has settled its debt to Kyrgyzstan for keeping its military bases in that country, the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry told Interfax on Saturday.

• March 3, 2012

Tajikistan's ambassador to Russia says his country expects Russia to pay rent for bases it uses on Tajik territory.

• February 29, 2012

Military officials of Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and China discussed arms reduction at the border during a special seminar in Astana, the press-service of the Kazakh Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

• February 29, 2012

Russia plans to repay its $15 million debt to Kyrgyzstan for the lease of military facilities until the end of February, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Monday.

• February 27, 2012