OK, so basically I have some bad news and I also have some good news.
The bad news is that this is my last day at RFE/RL after 11 terrific years that I am deeply grateful to my colleagues and to RFE/RL management for.
And that means that this will be the last time I will address you from this studio.
This is the last Daily Vertical that you will see in this particular format -- but more on that in a minute.
Over the years, I have tried to give you my honest and unvarnished take on events related to Russia and its neighbors.
And yes, I have been critical of the current Kremlin regime -- that's no secret.
But I've been critical for a reason.
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I've been critical because I see Vladimir Putin's regime establishing the same kind of autocratic, oligarchic, and kleptocratic governance that has prevented the Russian people from realizing their potential for centuries.
And I believe that the well-being of the Russian people matters.
I've also been critical because I see the Kremlin pursuing a clear agenda aimed at undermining the sovereignty of its neighbors and preventing them from achieving their aspirations.
And I believe that the fates of the Ukrainians, the Georgians, the Moldovans, the Estonians, the Latvians, the Lithuanians, and those of all of Russia's neighbors matter.
So now for the good news.
Next week, I begin my new job as a senior fellow and director of the Russia Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, D.C.
And thanks to RFE/RL's generosity, I will retain the Power Vertical brand name and take it with me to CEPA.
So the Power Vertical will indeed continue in video, audio, and text formats.
I will also keep the Power Vertical Twitter feed and Facebook fan page.
And that means you can keep on telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
