Just when you thought it was time to enjoy the lazy days of summer, the latest twists and turns of political intrigue are keeping PBNers around the world glued to the television, to the newspaper and even to the streets. Political issues are even hotter than the temperatures in Washington, Moscow and Kyiv.

Russia is abuzz with the facts, fictions and falsehoods of the most recent banking crisis, not to mention the seemingly inevitable bankruptcy and nationalization of Yukos, hitherto Russia's largest and most successful company. In Ukraine, a bargain basement sell-off of some of the country's most prized assets is underway. And, in Washington DC, presidential politics have turned international trade issues into trading cards for electoral votes in key battleground states.

In this issue of Access PBN, three PBN policy analysts provide a behind-the-scenes look at each of these intriguing situations. The common thread to each: "all is not what it seems."

"Understanding the intricacies of political and economic situations is not a science, but an art," says PBN Chairman Peter B. Necarsulmer. "And we practice this art every day, whether it is in the Russian, Ukrainian, Baltic, European or U.S. context."

Read on to find out what we think are the realities of and reactions to the Russian banking crisis, the Ukrainian privatization scandal, and the politics of international trade during a U.S. presidential election year.