A report by the Institute for Defense Studies, reportedly commissioned by the Defense Ministry, concludes that "the U.S. and its allies represent the main threat to Russian national security" and recommends a return to a nuclear stand-off and reoccupation of the Baltic states to counter Western attempts to isolate and destroy Russia, Segodnya reported on 20 October. The institute also recommends economic protectionism, a military-nuclear alliance with Iraq, Iran, and Libya, and the creation of a new state including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Duma Defense Committee Chairman Sergei Yushenkov, a member of Russia's Choice, said the report is a cause for concern as it reflects the mindset of the Russian high command. -- Constantine Dmitriev

OMRI - 23 October, 1995