Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner of France said that Moscow had been issuing Russian passports in Crimea, a region in southern Ukraine where Russia’s Black Sea fleet is based.

European leaders confirmed Friday that Russians had met a deadline to withdraw troops from buffer zones outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

European leaders on Friday confirmed that Russians had met a deadline to withdraw troops from buffer zones outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia formally recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in a challenge to the West, which backs Georgia?s territorial integrity.

Russia formally recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a challenge to the West, which backs Georgia?s territorial integrity.

The Dalai Lama said that China had increased repression of Tibetans during the Olympic Games in Beijing, and he urged China to ?march toward democracy.?

Europe does not want to get into a long battle with Russia over a conflict that many believe was initiated by the Georgian government.

Why interventions aren?t going away.

Among European Union leaders, the arrest of Radovan Karadzic was viewed as a vindication of the continent?s favored political doctrine: soft power.

China stepped into an internal French political spat on Tuesday, fiercely condemning a decision by Paris?s Socialist city council to make the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen of Paris.