To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
Headlines
How to Resist Russian Propaganda on a Tight Budget; Expensive U.S. and EU efforts are no match for a few simple techniques.
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – September 13, 2017) The awkwardly named European External Action Service East Stratcom Task Force provides the latest exercise […]
NEWSLINK: “RT, Sputnik and Russia’s New Theory of War; How the Kremlin built one of the most powerful information weapons of the 21st century – and why it may be impossible to stop” – New York Times Magazine/ JIM RUTENBERG
“… Military officials in America and Europe have come to refer to this idea alternatively as the ‘Gerasimov doctrine’ and ‘hybrid war,’ which they accuse […]
NEWSLINK: “Russia’s Hand Is Visible Everywhere in the Middle East; Moscow has used its new-found influence in the Middle East to thwart the U.S. effort to use Saudi Arabia as a pressure point against the Russian economy.” – The National Interest/ Nikolas K. Gvosdev
“… During the Cold War, the Soviet Union attempted to compete frontally against the United States-and found itself outclassed. Today, Russia is engaged in a […]
NEWSWATCH: “A Problem Much Bigger Than Putin” – New York Times/ Mikhail Khodorkovsky
“More than 25 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the attempt to build a democracy in its place, Russia has once again […]
Russia’s Local and Gubernatorial Elections, the Reactions
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – September 11, 2017) On Sunday, 82 Russian regions held elections for different levels of government. The elections traditionally attract little […]
How a Former Governor Invaded Ukraine; The failure of President Petro Poroshenko to keep a political rival out of the country speaks volumes.
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – September 11, 2017) Leonid Bershidsky is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian […]
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2017-175 :: Tuesday, 12 September 2017
To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
NEWSLINK: “Russia’s CBR gets tough on banks, demands they reveal owners’ identities” – bne Intellinews
“The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) will demand that all of Russia’s banks fully disclose the identities of their owners from the start of 2018, […]
NEWSLINK: “Greasing the public’s hands: how oil and gas taxes financed the Kremlin’s social contract” – Bear Market Blog/ Miranda Lupion
“This past month, Russian news outlet RBC published a detailed report breaking down the revenue sources that funded the Kremlin’s 2016 federal budget. While the […]
NEWSLINK: “Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to be nominated as a presidential candidate in November” – bne Intellinews/ Ben Aris
“Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to be nominated as a presidential candidate in November. The procedure for nominating the current president as a candidate […]
NEWSLINK: “Russian life expectancy reaches a record 72.5 years” – bne Intellinews/
“The average life expectancy of Russians reached 72.5 years for the first time in history … according to Rosstat … men’s life expectancy increased by a year […]
NEWSWATCH AUDIO: “An Interview with Jack F. Matlock, Jr.” – Reconsidering Russia Podcast/ Pietro A. Shakarian Interviewer
“In this wide-ranging interview, Ambassador Matlock discusses his life and career. It encompasses discussions of his interest in Russia, his first meeting with his wife […]
NEWSLINK: “Russian Art Fair Cosmoscow Celebrates Its Fifth Edition” – Forbes/ Ann Binlot
“… Cosmoscow began in 2010 with just 28 galleries, and it was put on hiatus until 2014. From September 7 to 10, the only contemporary […]
RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Putin at] Meeting with Government members” – KremlinRu
(Kremlin.ru – September 11, 2017) Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Government members, to discuss current economic situation in the country, prospects for banking sector […]
RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Medvedev at] Moscow Financial Forum” – Government.ru
(Government.ru – September 8, 2017) Dmitry Medvedev addressed a plenary session of the Moscow Financial Forum titled Financial System of the 21st Century Competitive Economy: […]
Russia to deprive U.S. diplomats of most privileges
(Pravda.ru – September 11, 2017) Russia will have to reduce the number of US diplomats by another 155 people to achieve full parity, Russian Foreign […]
NEWSLINK: “Why Gorbachev likes Putin more than you might expect; When democratic reforms faltered, Russians – including Gorbachev – hungered for authoritarians” – Washington Post/ William Taubman
“Mikhail Gorbachev and Vladimir Putin would seem to be polar opposites. … rejecting Gorbachev’s legacy has provided Putin with the main planks of his political platform. […]
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2017-174 :: Monday, 11 September 2017
To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
Know Your Enemy: Russian War Games Expected To Yield Valuable Insight For Western Watchers
(Article ©2017 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – September 10, 2017 – also appeared at https://www.rferl.org/a/zapad-war-games-valuable-insight-western-observers-russia-belarus/28727052.html) When thousands of Russian troops wheeled and […]
U.S.-Russian Relations, U.S.-Ukrainian Relations
How to Resist Russian Propaganda on a Tight Budget; Expensive U.S. and EU efforts are no match for a few simple techniques.
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – September 13, 2017) The awkwardly named European External Action Service East Stratcom Task Force provides the latest exercise […]
Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
NEWSWATCH: “A Problem Much Bigger Than Putin” – New York Times/ Mikhail Khodorkovsky
“More than 25 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the attempt to build a democracy in its place, Russia has once again […]
Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
NEWSLINK: “Russia’s CBR gets tough on banks, demands they reveal owners’ identities” – bne Intellinews
“The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) will demand that all of Russia’s banks fully disclose the identities of their owners from the start of 2018, […]
Russia & Ukraine
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2017-176 :: Wednesday, 13 September 2017
To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
How a Former Governor Invaded Ukraine; The failure of President Petro Poroshenko to keep a political rival out of the country speaks volumes.
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – September 11, 2017) Leonid Bershidsky is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian […]
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2017-175 :: Tuesday, 12 September 2017
To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2017-174 :: Monday, 11 September 2017
To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
PONARS Eurasia releases 5 policy e-books to mark 20th Anniversary
(PONARS Eurasia – ponarseurasia.org – September 7, 2017) PONARS Eurasia is pleased to make available five thematic policy memo volumes to mark the program’s 20th […]
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2017-173 :: Friday, 8 September 2017
To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2017-172 :: Thursday, 7 September 2017
To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2017-170-171 :: Wednesday, 6 September 2017
To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; […]
RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “Vladimir Putin’s news conference following BRICS Summit”- KremlinRu
(Kremlin.ru – September 5, 2017) Vladimir Putin answered Russian journalists’ questions following his visit to China to take part in the BRICS Summit. Vladimir Putin […]
Interfax: Conditions already exist for UN peacekeepers’ introduction in Donbas – Gryzlov
MOSCOW. Sept 5 (Interfax) – Donbas already has the conditions allowing, with Kyiv’s good will, for an introduction of UN peacekeepers there, Boris Gryzlov, Russia’s […]
Human Rights
NEWSWATCH: “The Show Trial of a Russian Theater Director; If it is not clear by now, let me say it in no uncertain terms: The #Serebrennikov case is a show trial” – Moscow Times/ John Freedman
“The arrest of director Kirill Serebrennikov … created a firestorm of reaction …. Serebrennikov’s arrest is the latest development in an affair that went public in […]
Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
NEWSLINK: “Russia’s surveillance state is giving us a false sense of security The Russian state’s mass expansion of surveillance online and offline is not making citizens any safer.” – OpenDemocracyNet – Damir Gainutdinov
“… Human rights defenders moving around the country regularly encounter increased attention from law enforcement agencies — they are detained, searched and questioned about why […]
Oil, Gas, Energy
NEWSLINK: “Greasing the public’s hands: how oil and gas taxes financed the Kremlin’s social contract” – Bear Market Blog/ Miranda Lupion
“This past month, Russian news outlet RBC published a detailed report breaking down the revenue sources that funded the Kremlin’s 2016 federal budget. While the […]
Nuclear, Missile Defense
Moscow Ponders Trump’s Fire and Fury
(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – MAXIM TRUDOLYUBOV – August 11, 2017) Maxim Trudolyubov, Senior Fellow with the Kennan Institute and editor-at-large with Vedomosti, has been […]
Chechnya, Dagestan, North Caucasus
A View from the South: Reflections on Dagestan
(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – EDWARD C. HOLLAND – July 31, 2017) Edward C. Holland is Assistant Professor of Geography in the Department of Geosciences […]
Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime
How Western Election Monitors Help Putin
(The Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Fedor Krasheninnikov – September 7, 2017) Fedor Krasheninnikov is a well-known Russian journalist and political analyst. He has been […]
Media, Social Media, Internet
How to Resist Russian Propaganda on a Tight Budget; Expensive U.S. and EU efforts are no match for a few simple techniques.
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – September 13, 2017) The awkwardly named European External Action Service East Stratcom Task Force provides the latest exercise […]
NEWSLINK: “RT, Sputnik and Russia’s New Theory of War; How the Kremlin built one of the most powerful information weapons of the 21st century – and why it may be impossible to stop” – New York Times Magazine/ JIM RUTENBERG
“… Military officials in America and Europe have come to refer to this idea alternatively as the ‘Gerasimov doctrine’ and ‘hybrid war,’ which they accuse […]
NEWSLINK: “RT reading list” – Boycott Russia Today/ To Inform is to Influence
“From ‘Boycott Russia Today’ … Updated “RT reading list” now in our BRT Notes section, with a dozen 2017 citations having been added …”
NEWSLINK: “Stories about Russia ‘are so hot right now’ – so BuzzFeed is partnering with Meduza for more substantive Russia reporting; ‘There’s an enormous interest in Russia we really haven’t seen since the Cold war.'” – NiemanLab/ SHAN WANG
“… BuzzFeed News is beefing up its Russia coverage by partnering with the Latvia-based online outlet Meduza, which has grown rapidly since its launch less […]
NEWSLINK: “On Free Press in Russia” – Cornell Daily Sun/ Artur Gorokh
“… When thinking about the issue of free press, we must address two separate issues: firstly, how much effort does it take for a motivated […]
Big Data Convert Channels Big Brother to Take Russia’s Pulse
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Anna Andrianova – August 22, 2017) Raw numbers no longer cut it for Russia’s central bank in its effort to keep […]
NEWSWATCH @McFaul: “I constantly want to remind people that RT and Sputnik are state-owned propaganda organizations. You should too.” – Michael McFaul / Twitter
(Michael McFaul – @McFaul – Twitter – August 21, 2017) “I constantly want to remind people that RT and Sputnik are state-owned propaganda organizations. You […]
NEWSWATCH: “The Front Line Drawn Across Russia’s Backyard” – Stratfor
“Globalization has changed how we think about time, space and distance, but geography is still the same where it counts: national security. … former Soviet states […]
New U.S. Website Aims To Track Russian ‘Disinformation’ On Twitter
(Article ©2017 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Aug. 3, 2017 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/us-pro-democracy-group-german-marshall-fund-launches-website-tracking-russian-disinformation-twitter/28656024.html) WASHINGTON — A pro-democracy group has launched […]
NEWSLINK: “Russian propaganda has flooded U.S. airwaves. How about some reciprocity?” – Washington Post editorial
“… The asymmetry is a problem. … Putin’s government, intent on undermining liberal democracies by casting doubt on the very notion of truth, and […]
Europe, EU
How to Resist Russian Propaganda on a Tight Budget; Expensive U.S. and EU efforts are no match for a few simple techniques.
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – September 13, 2017) The awkwardly named European External Action Service East Stratcom Task Force provides the latest exercise […]
Health, Alcohol, Smoking, AIDS, Epidemics
NEWSLINK: “Russian life expectancy reaches a record 72.5 years” – bne Intellinews/
“The average life expectancy of Russians reached 72.5 years for the first time in history … according to Rosstat … men’s life expectancy increased by a year […]
Assassinations
Navalny Was ‘Joking’ When he Said the Kremlin Could Murder Him
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 8, 2017) In an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Monday, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said […]
NEWSWATCH: “DID RUSSIA KILL A U.S. PRESIDENT? NEW CIA DOCUMENTS REVEAL SPY’S THEORY ABOUT JFK’S DEATH” – Newsweek/ TOM O’CONNOR
“The U.S. government released Monday a large trove of documents pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, including previously top-secret audio files and […]
VIDEO NEWSWATCH: “The deadly risk of standing up to Putin” – PBS Newshour
(PBS Newshour – July 13, 2017 – also appeared at pbs.org/newshour/bb/deadly-risk-standing-putin/) “What can happen to you if you oppose the Kremlin? There is a high […]
Russian investigators say Nemtsov not killed over religion
(Interfax – July 13, 2017) The Russian Investigations Committee has ruled out the theory that opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was murdered on religious, rather than […]
Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Theater, Music
NEWSLINK: “Russian Art Fair Cosmoscow Celebrates Its Fifth Edition” – Forbes/ Ann Binlot
“… Cosmoscow began in 2010 with just 28 galleries, and it was put on hiatus until 2014. From September 7 to 10, the only contemporary […]
Religion
U.S. Religious Freedom Report Names Russia ‘Country of Concern’
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 16, 2017) A U.S. report on religious freedoms puts Russia on a par with countries like North Korea and […]
