Ukraine gives some ground on granting special status to rebel-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. And Georgians protest their government's accommodationist policies toward Russia.
On this week's Power Vertical Briefing, we look ahead at legislation pending in the Ukrainian parliament decentralizing political power in the country -- and what it may mean in the war-torn east. Also on the Briefing, we take a look at the fallout from Russia's recent land grab along the de facto border with breakaway South Ossetia.
Joining me is Pavel Butorin, senior producer for RFE/RL's Russian-language television program Current Time.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Power Vertical Briefing is a short look ahead to the stories expected to make news in Russia in the coming week. It is hosted by Brian Whitmore, author of The Power Vertical blog, and appears every Monday.