Russia: Better Than Nothing

Facing chaos, Yeltsin and his opponents agree on Yevgeni Primakov. But can this diplomat govern Russia?

Russia was facing the threat of civil conflict, and ominous signs of disintegration were showing up in the provinces. It looked as if President Boris Yeltsin would once again put forward his choice for Prime Minister, Viktor Chernomyrdin--and parliament for a third time would reject him. That would mean dissolution of the Duma and new elections, as banks continued to fail and the ruble plunged. But the communists in parliament warned that if Yeltsin ordered them to leave, they would not go. They started up the machinery to impeach the President. Key military and security units around Moscow were put on...

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