Officials in Moscow and their allies in Abkhazia and South Ossetia all canceled meetings with international diplomats brokering the discussions, casting the future of the talks into question.
Turkmenistan has traditionally fostered its closest security relationship with Russia. But it has found room to develop military ties with the U.S. and China. Our weekly briefing.
In South Ossetia, meanwhile, the authorities have remained completely silent on the issue. Most residents in both territories hold Russian citizenship, raising the prospect they could be drafted.