Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategic win over the U.S. in Syria vindicates his foreign policy at a time when he faces difficulties at home.

It is now almost impossible to imagine how Conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron will find a compromise on Europe that will satisfy members of his party.

There is little reason for optimism that new Japan-Russia talks over the fate of the Northern Territories will fare any better than previous attempts to reach a deal.

Now that her funeral is over, let's begin a dispassionate assessment of why politicians of all parties remain enthralled by the legacy of Margaret Thatcher.

Most people like talking about themselves, including those in the press. Since publication of Lord Justice Leveson’s report into press culture, practices and ethics at the end of last month, Britain’s newspapers have been consumed with discussing their own future. From among the many ...

Last Wednesday’s Queen’s Speech saw Britain’s hereditary monarch announcing government plans to effectively abolish the House of Lords, the British Parliament’s unelected second chamber. It is hard to imagine that the queen did not feel the irony. But she may still have the last ...

On March 10, thousands of Muscovites took to the streets for a fourth time in as many months to protest against fraudulent elections. Protesters held placards demanding “Russia without Putin.” But this rally was smaller and quieter than previous anti-Putin protests. The reason for ...

The battle over Scotland’s future as part of the United Kingdom has begun. Last week, politicians on both sides of the border set out passionate arguments for and against Scottish independence. All three of Britain’s main political parties are committed to preserving the union. ...

It came as no surprise to Russian citizens that parliamentary elections held Dec. 4 were neither free nor fair. Elections in Russia have become increasingly managed since Vladimir Putin’s first stint as prime minister in 1999. Even before Putin, under President Boris Yeltsin, elections ...

For Britain’s Euro-skeptics, the current eurozone crisis has an air of inevitability and opportunity. The crisis validates their view of the single currency as a straitjacket forcing disparate economies into an unworkable union. “We told you so”, crow Britain’s anti-European politicians, goaded on by ...

After 168 years of titillating Britons over breakfast, the News of the World has closed. Last Sunday’s edition was the tabloid’s last. Allegations of police bribery and phone tapping by Britain’s best-selling newspaper were met with public outrage. But are these revelations really so ...

In the highly controlled environment of Russian domestic politics, there are few surprises. Russia is a managed democracy in which political changes and election outcomes are carefully orchestrated by the Kremlin. Within this context, the surprise announcement that Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia’s third richest man, ...