Ben Judah talks to the co-chairman of the Party of People’s Freedom, Vladimir Milov, about forthcoming parliamentary elections in Russia, the possible return of Putin as president in 2012, the North Caucasus and the role of the European Union in supporting opposition parties.

The outcome of Sunday's elections might be a foregone conclusion, but Europe should still pay close attention. There might be no change in government, but the vote will affect how an increasingly influential Turkey deals with its neighbourhood, and with the EU.

The atmosphere between the EU and Russia has improved remarkably over the last couple of years; but - ahead of this week's summit with Russia - the EU is struggling to turn good atmospherics into tangible progress in areas that really matter.

Dimitar Bechev reflects on the Sofia Platform, a major conference hosted by ECFR and the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week, which brought Europe and the Middle East together to discuss the Arab Spring, with fascinating consequences.

The Russian presidential elections are less than a year away it is by no means clear who will be the Kremlin's candidate. We should not be surprised by tensions at the top in Moscow; Putin is not as powerful as the image the West – and many Russians – have bought into.