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[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#50 :: 8 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#49 :: 7 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – editorial – March 6, 2014) As the U.S. and Europe consider financial sanctions to punish Russia for trampling on Ukraine’s sovereignty, they are coming up against an uncomfortable reality: Those sanctions tend to cut both ways. But how deep do they cut? Russia is far more financially intertwined with the West
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Tim Ash – March 7, 2014) Ok, so here is my quick fix for a solution herein. The West – or US – has just rediscovered the wheel almost by hitting on the idea of financial sanctions as a way to get Russia back to the negotiating table. This
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – March 7, 2014) Let’s get a few things straight at the start. Russia’s actions in Crimea is not the start of a war nor is it an invasion. There are no tanks on the street. No shots have been fired. No one has died.
(The White House – Office of the Press Secretary – For Immediate Release – March 06, 2014) Via Conference Call 8:38 A.M. EST MS. HAYDEN: Thank you very much. Good morning, everyone. Thank you so much for joining. This conference call is to discuss the visa restrictions and executive order that were released today in
MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax) – Russian President’s Press Secretary has called the actions of Western countries over Ukraine “a triumph of double standards.” “All in all, what we see now happening in and around Ukraine is such a triumph of lawlessness, a triumph of cynicism and a triumph of the collapse of international law, a
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anatoly Medetsky – March 7, 2014) In May, Ukraine will elect a president, whose history with Russia and perception by the Kremlin could advance or delay the cooling of relations with Kiev. It is far from obvious which of the current possible top contenders would be more palatable to President
(Interfax – March 6, 2014) Most Russian citizens believe that their country should actively protect the interests of ethnic Russians in Crimea, the head of the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM), Valeriy Fedorov, has said. He was speaking at an Open Tribune session in the State Duma on 6 March, as reported by privately-owned
MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax) – Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov has urged people not to look for “the hand of Moscow” in protest actions in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. “What is happening in the east (of Ukraine) and Crimea has nothing to do with the Russian Federation. These are not manipulated processes, let alone
(Moscow News – moscownews.com – David Burghardt – March 7, 2014) A woman’s place is in the kitchen, according to a recent poll by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research (VTsIOM) published on Friday. According to the latest survey, 72 percent of Russians believe a woman should choose the home and family over her
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#48 :: 6 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
(US Department of State – state.gov – Fact Sheet – Office of the Spokesperson – Washington, DC – March 5, 2014) As Russia spins a false narrative to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine, the world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote, “The formula ‘two plus two equals five’ is not
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Kateryna Choursina, Eduard Gismatullin and James M. Gomez – March 6, 2014) Near a display of confiscated weapons from elite police who fired on Ukrainian protesters during Kiev’s uprising, Mykola stands guard duty in a shack beside a barricade of tires, wire and park benches. The hated riot police gone, activists
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – March 6, 2014) As world leaders increase or trash their political clout depending on their audience and the statements they make about the situation in the Ukraine, some analysts were revising Russian GDP growth estimates to as low as 1.1 percent for the year. Wednesday was a
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Robert Coalson – March 5, 2014) Getting the real story of what is going on in Ukraine is hard enough. And the Russian media seems intent on making it even harder. With Russian forces controlling Crimea and with Moscow contemplating further military action in Ukraine, Russian media and leading political figures
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 6, 2014) Russian human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin called crackdowns on unsanctioned opposition protests illegal. According to Russia’s Supreme Court decisions, unauthorized protests were not necessarily illegal, Lukin said, Interfax reported. He added that often the protests pose no disturbance to citizens and that violations should only be pursued
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – March 6, 2014) The Federation Council is drawing up a bill that would allow the government to confiscate the property of U.S. and European companies in the event of Western sanctions, though political analysts dismiss both actions as intimidating rhetoric unlikely turn into action. Further decreasing the
MOSCOW, March 5 (RIA Novosti) – The top diplomats of Russia and the United States agreed at their meeting on Wednesday that they should help Ukraine to implement the EU-brokered reconciliation deal. “We have agreed that Ukrainians need assistance to implement the February 21 accord,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. He met with US
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 6, 2014) Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina have been attacked by five young men at a McDonald’s in Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday. The attackers threw metal objects at the women as they were eating, leaving Alyokhina with “a cut to her forehead,” their lawyer said, Interfax
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#47 :: 5 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
(Kremlin.ru – March 4, 2014) Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region The President of Russia met with media representatives to answer a number of their questions, in particular with regard to the situation in Ukraine. PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon, colleagues, How shall we do this? This is what I’d like to suggest: let’s have a
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#46 :: 4 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
(Interfax – March 4, 2014) The heads of Russian leading television stations have responded to their Ukrainian colleagues’ call for unbiased coverage of the ongoing events in Ukraine. The general directors of Channel One, the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) and NTV, Konstantin Ernst, Oleg Dborodeyev and Vladimir Kulistikov, said in an
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Matthew C. Klein – March 3, 2014) Matthew C. Klein is a writer for Bloomberg View You may have missed it amid the ongoing drama in Ukraine, but Russia’s central bank raised its main interest rate today to 7 percent from 5.5 percent — the single biggest increase in Russian benchmark
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine, March 4, 2014) The only place where you can see the Crimean peninsula from Russia is Port Kavkaz, a small harbor on the Kerch Strait, from where it takes only 20 minutes to get from Russia to Crimea by ferry. From there, the two entities
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Darya Lyubinskaya, special to RBTH – March 3, 2014) Russians hold rallies in support of and in protest against sending troops to Ukraine. Rallies in support of and against a possible military operation in Ukraine were held in several Russian cities yesterday. Rallies of those who oppose a
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Teneo Intelligence – March 3, 2014) Despite the ratcheting-up of rhetoric by European countries regarding the events in Ukraine, it remains unlikely for now that the European Union (EU) will impose sanctions on Russia. Not only would a high degree of consensus among EU member states be required in
MOSCOW, March 4 (RIA Novosti) – An adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that authorities would issue general advice to dump US government bonds in the event of Russian companies and individuals being targeted by sanctions over events in Ukraine. Sergei Glazyev said the United States would be the first to suffer in
SIMFEROPOL. March 4 (Interfax) – Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov said a referendum may be held in Crimea before March 30. “I think the referendum will be held even before March 30. We will make this decision in a working group [on the organization of the referendum] and we will try to fully learn what
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Tatyana Lisina, special to RBTH – March 4, 2014) The tensions in Crimea have already had serious economic consequences for Russia. The country’s stock market fell dramatically on Monday and the ruble continued its slide. Many experts compare the current developments to the events of August 2008, when
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anatoly Medetsky – March 5, 2014) A cheaper ruble and more expensive oil could actually go a long way in improving Russia’s economy, possibly offsetting other potential aftershocks of the Ukraine crisis. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in interviews on Sunday identified the ruble’s slide as among Russia’s economic
GORKI, March 4 (RIA Novosti) – The head of Russia’s state energy giant Gazprom said Tuesday that it will annul its discount on natural gas sales to Ukraine from April, a move that will further stretch Kiev’s teetering finances. Alexei Miller, who made the announcement while meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev outside Moscow, motivated
Subject: JRL 2014-#44/ Matlock Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2014 From: Reuben F. Johnson – Warszawa, Rzeczpospolita Polska reuben.johnson@sambadoaviao.org I have the honour to refer to Item 1 of this issue of JRL. I have enjoyed reading JRL for years and almost never make any comments on the pieces that are published. We all have too
TUNIS. March 4 (Interfax) – Russia thinks that the European Union and the United States want to cancel agreements reached between Ukraine’s authorities and opposition on February 21. “They are trying to annul the February 21 agreement on settling the crisis in Ukraine that was signed by Ukraine’s president and opposition,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
NOVO-OGARYOVO. March 4 (Interfax) – Far from all moves of Western countries are legitimate, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the Western criticism of Russia. “We are often accused of taking illegitimate actions. And when I ask if they think [their actions] are totally legitimate, they say yes. They have to be reminded about the
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Christopher Brennan – March 4, 2014) President Vladimir Putin spoke publicly about the political turmoil in Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time since ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych fled Kiev amid violence between police and anti-government protesters. Putin echoed comments made by Yanukovych at a news conference in Rostov-on-Don
(Kremlin.ru – March 4, 2014) Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region [Complete English translation will be here http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6763] The President of Russia met with media representatives to answer a number of their questions, in particular with regard to the situation in Ukraine. PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon, colleagues, How shall we do this? This is what
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#45 :: 3 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
(The Ukraine List (UKL) #468 – Dominique Arel - 2 March 2014) Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Ottawa – ukrainianstudies.uottawa.ca The unimaginable is now before us: the Higher Chamber of the Russian parliament has authorized Russia to send troops “on the territory of Ukraine,” leaving open the possibility that the Russian army, currently occupying Crimea,
KYIV. March 3 (Interfax) – The Ukrainian parliament plans to create a group of Ukrainian parliamentarians for negotiations with their Russian colleagues on Tuesday, Oleh Tyagnibok, leader of the Svoboda (Freedom) faction of the parliament, said. “At the conciliatory council, we decided to create a group of Ukrainian parliamentarians for negotiations with Russian parliamentarians. Obviously,
MOSCOW. March 3 (Interfax) – Russia does not want a war with Ukraine and is prepared to support all forces in that country that advocate stronger relations between Moscow and Kyiv, Russian State Secretary – Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said. “Russia does not want a war with Ukraine,” he said on Vladimir Solovyov’s Voskresny
MOSCOW. March 3 (Interfax) – Moscow expects the Federation Council’s consent to send Russian army servicemen to Ukraine to have a sobering effect on many forces in that country. “Speaking of the decision the Federation Council made yesterday, we expect this decision to sober up many and to demonstrate the seriousness of intentions of the
(Interfax – March 2, 2014) A senior Russian diplomat has said that Russia does not want war with Ukraine and will support those in favour of stronger relations between the two countries, privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported on 2 March. Another report quoted the diplomat, State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin, saying
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Sevastopol – March 3, 2014) Russia tightened its grip on Ukraine’s Crimea region on March 3, with Russian forces entering Ukraine’s navy headquarters in Sevastopol with the apparent intention of disarming the base. Despite western demands to withdraw, Russian military forces have secured full control of
(opendemocracy.net – Anatol Lieven – March 3, 2014) Anatol Lieven is a professor in the War Studies Department of King’s College London and a senior fellow of the New America Foundation in Washington DC. A new, updated edition of America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism, was republished in September 2012 by Oxford
(RFE/RL – Claire Bigg – March 02, 2014) Competing rallies in Russia’s two biggest cities have laid bare divisions among Russians over a possible military intervention in Ukraine. The rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg each drew hundreds of participants on March 2, one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that his country had
(Facebook – Michael McFaul – March 2, 2014 – https://www.facebook.com/russialist/posts/10203369527624843) “To my Russian friends especially, if you argued in 2003 that it was a mistake and illegitimate for the U.S. to invade Iraq (as many Americans did as well), then why are you invoking the Iraq war to justify a Russian repetition of such an
(Interfax – Moscow, March 2, 2014) In connection with the situation around Ukraine the West cannot succeed in having Russia internationally isolated, the chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Committee on International Affairs, Aleksey Pushkov, has said. “As I see it, talk about Russia’s international isolation does not seem productive to me,” Pushkov told Interfax
(RIA Novosti – March 3, 2014) A Ukrainian nationalist leader who allegedly called for the help of a Chechen warlord via the social network VKontakte is now being sought in Russia on charges of extremism, Russian investigators said Monday. Dmitry Yarosh, who heads the right-wing group Pravy Sektor, purportedly wrote on Saturday that reputed Chechen
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