The association of Johnson’s Russia List with George Washington University will shortly be coming to an end. That will officially occur as of May 1 when funding runs out. I am grateful to GW’s Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies for acceptance of JRL over the years. The long-time support of the Carnegie Corporation has been vital. The work […]
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“Ukraine’s top commander said his outgunned troops were facing a dire situation as Russia tried to push its advantage before the first batch of an American military package arrives.” “Russian troops have captured or entered around a half-dozen villages on Ukraine’s eastern front over the past week, highlighting the deteriorating situation in the region for outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian forces […]
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(Moscow Times – April 29, 2024) Major European banks that continue to do business in Russia paid the government four times more in taxes in 2023 than in the year before Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Times reported. [ft.com/content/cd6c28e2-d327-4c2a-a023-098ca43eacfb] The seven lenders — Austria’s Raiffeisen, Italy’s UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo, the Netherlands’ ING, Germany’s Commerzbank and […]
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“Our columnist visits a future Russian outpost in China’s most advanced spaceport” “… Here, in this showcase for Chinese technology, … Moscow Power Engineering Institute … has been invited to open a branch in Wenchang with room for 10,000 students of aerospace engineering and science. … Chinese media have already announced that, unusually, the Hainan institute will be a Russian-led […]
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“The pipeline bringing Russian gas to Europe was once seen as a triumph for borderless business—but Putin’s invasion of Ukraine put an end to that fantasy.” “… [O]n Sept. 5, [2022,] the company announced that the pipeline would remain closed indefinitely. Three weeks later … catastrophe had arrived. Someone had caused the gas-filled Nord Stream 1 and 2 to explode […]
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“As the war drags on, communities that were steadfast in their commitment to the effort have been shaken by the unending violence on the front line.” “… [E]ven as the town meets and buries the fallen with modest ceremony, some neighbors are quietly weighing the price they are willing to pay for a war with no end in sight. Divisions […]
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“… Biden and his national security team are facing a moment of truth in Ukraine. Simply funding the war in Ukraine without changing the dynamics will likely result in Putin winning over time. … [Biden] must determine whether he has the will and conviction to … see … Zelensky and his generals through to victory. … Biden has extended a […]
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“Few Biden administration officials or lawmakers say the $60 billion package means Ukraine walks away from the battlefield with its country fully restored.” “… [S]ome Biden administration officials are skeptical [that the latest $60 billion in U.S aid approved will be] enough for Ukraine to win its two-year war …. Battlefield dynamics [reportedly] have shifted … partly because Ukraine ran […]
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“… The [Russo-Ukrainian] war has left millions struggling economically, but … some are suffering much more than others. The hardest hit are the elderly, the disabled and the displaced. In 2023 Ukraine’s GDP was 72% of what it was in 2021. Millions have either lost their jobs, or had their pay cut by struggling employers. … [T]he war has tipped […]
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“… [T]he Kremlin makes decisions in a personalized and arbitrary way … lack[ing] … basic quality controls. …. The costs of these structural deficiencies are mounting. … Putin’s regime, a highly personalized system run by an aging autocrat, is more brittle than it seems. Driven by Putin’s whims and delusions, Moscow is liable to commit self-defeating blunders. The Russian state […]
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“… Putin has reminded prosecutors that seizing assets and turning them over to state ownership is only justified in cases where failing to act might jeopardise Russia’s national security. Many assets in Russia have changed hands in the last two years. Hundreds of foreign companies left Russia after Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine in February 2022, in some cases […]
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“Ukraine’s tired and weary armed forces … had their best week in months, not on the muddy battlefields of the Donbas but in the corridors of power in Washington. After many rounds of argument and hesitation, the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote to provide $US61 billion ($94 billion) in new military aid for Ukraine … may be a turning point […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 7 Things to Know The U.S. confirmed this week that it secretly sent long-range missile systems known as ATACMS to Ukraine, with the weapons arriving in the country this month. U.S. President Joe Biden reversed course on a decision to withhold the weapons that some feared could lead to an escalation in the war with Russia […]
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“I spent half of my childhood in Ukraine … half in Russia before moving to the United States [as] a teenager. … [M]y one, obsessive goal — as a mother raising a child in America with a man who spoke only English — was to teach my son Russian …. such a deep-rooted part of my immigrant identity …. One […]
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“Russia’s president has signaled an increase in income and corporate taxes that will help finance the war. The move reflects his firm control over Russian policy” “… Putin … appears on track to institute a rare tax increase on corporations and high earners … reflect[ing] … the burgeoning costs of his war in Ukraine and the firm control he has […]
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“… Nearly 1,400 companies, including many of the most internationally recognisable brands, have since February 2022 announced … they would cease or dial back …. operations in Russia [over] Moscow’s military aggression against Ukraine. … [M]any of these companies’ products are still widely sold in Russia, [often] in violation of Western-led sanctions …. Aided by the Russian government’s legalisation of […]
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“Europe’s leaders aren’t just discussing the risk of a new war on the continent. They’re preparing for it. Hardly a day goes by without a fresh warning about the need to reinforce defenses in response to … Putin’s military ambitions. … [The Russo-Ukrainian] war has transformed the security landscape facing the [EU] and NATO, making what seemed unimaginable a few […]
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“A secret-service overlord’s delusional outlook becomes the party line in Russia—with global implications.” “… Nikolai Patrushev … second-most powerful man in Moscow … [c]urrently … head of Russia’s Security Council … has been a colleague of … Putin’s since … the Leningrad KGB in the 1970s and is now the president’s confidant and top adviser. A general of the army […]
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“Novelists and filmmakers have long developed alternative histories of major conflicts that should serve as warnings for complacent Americans.” “… Under certain circumstances, imagining defeat can sap your morale. But it can also focus the mind on the burning imperative not to lose. Ukrainians have no difficulty imagining what defeat would mean today. They have seen the bodies strewn in […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – April 25, 2024) The full video of this event from the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s 2024 Forum on Leadership can be found here. Introduction and transcription by RM Staff. [note from web editor: embedded video added below] CIA Director William Burns predicts that with supplemental U.S. aid, which is now beginning to flow to […]
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“Without a strategy the new aid could be the worst thing to happen to the war beleaguered country right now. Here’s why.” “… The [Ukraine aid] package [recently passed by Congress] includes enough military and economic support to sustain Kyiv’s hopes for a few more months, but nowhere near enough to defeat Russian forces. Of the roughly $61 billion … […]
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“The two-year-old war in Ukraine — which is far from deadlocked — could pivot dramatically in the coming months. U.S. decisions will play a decisive role.” “… Russia and Ukraine could soon be looking at a transformed conflict … in which both have real reasons for hope as well as fear. … Russia’s newly amped-up military strategy heightens the danger […]
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“The Kremlin is looking to reshape global commerce in an effort to dodge Western sanctions” “Russia announced this week that its bilateral trade with China has almost completely moved away from using the U.S. dollar, highlighting the two countries’ commitment to reducing their reliance on the U.S.-led economic system. … [T]hese ‘de-dollarization’ efforts allow Russia and China to avoid … […]
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(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Boris Grozovski – April 25, 2024) Boris Grozovski is a prominent Russian journalist writing about the country’s economy and development. His work has appeared in Forbes Russia, InLiberty, the Moscow Times, the New Times, Vedomosti Daily, penRussia and others. In 2002-2008 and 2014-2015 held various editorial positions at Vedomosti Daily (correspondent, economics editor, opinion page […]
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“Ukraine [reportedly] has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now … in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack …. The U.S. agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after an aggressive monthslong campaign by Kyiv arguing that the tanks … cost[ing] about […]
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“Iran creates a unique link between the war in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, where it supplies Russia with arms. That puts the Kremlin in a difficult position in the Middle East.” “… [A]mid tensions in the Middle East – somewhat eased since an Israeli strike in Iran over the weekend – Moscow’s long-standing outreach to Tel Aviv may […]
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“New guidance carries a clear message to men abroad who may be avoiding the draft: You don’t get the benefit of state services if you don’t join the fight.” “Ukrainian officials have taken several steps in recent weeks to swell the ranks of an army depleted by more than two years of grueling combat … [including] a new mobilization bill […]
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“Vladimir Putin says the West is trying to ‘finish’ Russia. The Biden administration denies the accusation. But leaked documents reveal the extent of U.S. involvement in the Ukraine fight.” “… [L]eaked documents confirm … that the United States is using its vast array of espionage and surveillance tools — including cutting-edge satellites and signals intelligence — to keep Kyiv ahead […]
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“Intelligence sources are concerned about the country, which is surrounded by Italy” “… San Marino has long had close ties to Russia … explained by … its traditional neutrality. It did not … impos[e] sanctions after [Russia’s 2014] annexation of Crimea … [F]ive years later … the microstate’s then foreign minister invited … Sergei Lavrov, to … an official visit. […]
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“… Putin [ally Valentina Matviyenko] warned Europe on Tuesday [without specifics] that Russia has already drafted legislation to retaliate if nearly $300 billion of Russian assets were seized by the West … to help Ukraine. … ‘We also have a prepared answer,’ … Matviyenko, the speaker of the Russian upper house of parliament [and a member of Russia’s powerful Security […]
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“The United States in recent weeks secretly shipped long-range [ATACMS] missiles to Ukraine for use in its battle to fight off Russian invaders, and Ukraine has now used them twice, a U.S. official said …. The missiles [reportedly] were contained in a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine … approved … March 12 …. White House national security adviser […]
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“… FBI Director Christopher Way[] … warn[s] … ‘Like China, Russia continues to target critical infrastructure … like underwater cables and industrial control systems … in the United States and [globally] …. [S]ince its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we’ve seen Russia conducting reconnaissance on the U.S. energy sector. … [A]dding to that concern is that the Russians, like our other […]
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“If true, the hack would be the first-ever disruption of a U.S. water system by Russia Others like Iran and China have already been accused, and feds are investigating A hacking group allied with the Russian government took credit for the scandal” “Russian hackers claiming to be backed by the Kremlin are believed to have remotely accessed a … water […]
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(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Maxim Trudolyubov – April 23, 2024) Maxim Trudolyubov is a Senior Fellow at the Kennan Institute and the Editor-at-Large of Meduza. It was Russia’s president Boris Yeltsin and members of his circle who made the crucial mistakes and engaged in intentional acts of corruption that put Russia on its present aggressive trajectory. This, in a […]
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(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Apr. 9, 2024) The Congress of the League of Free Nations which took place in Estonia April 6-7 provided not only many insights about the direction such groups are now moving (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/04/conference-in-estonia-brings-together.html) but also an occasion to reflect about some larger issues as well. A commentary by the IdelReal portal about the […]
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“Two dancers from the Russian company were set to perform at a benefit for a prestigious competition for young dancers, but they were sidelined after protests by pro-Ukrainian activists.” “Two dancers from the Mariinsky Theater in Russia were barred from performing at a youth ballet gala in New York … [after previously being] set to take part in two performances, […]
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“… [T]he Kremlin’s goals … have not changed. Dmitriy Medvedev, … former Russian president and current deputy head of the Russian Security Council, described them clearly … [to] include the ‘complete capitulation’ of Ukraine with the subsequent absorption of [Ukrainian] territories and resources by Russia. … Everything … Putin’s regime has already done and will continue to do is a […]
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(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Mykhailo Minakov – April 22, 2024) Mikhail (Mykhailo) Minakov is the Kennan Institute’s Senior Advisor on Ukraine and Editor-in-Chief of Focus Ukraine, Kennan Institute’s Ukraine-focused blog. The mood in Ukraine before the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act on April 20 had become increasingly somber. President Zelensky pinpointed the underlying problem […]
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“Ammunition and arms will be rushed to Kyiv’s forces on funding bill’s approval, ‘literally in the nick of time’” “The House vote to approve $60 billion … for Ukraine comes at a desperate moment … and holds the prospect of helping them stave off a Russian onslaught at the last possible moment. If approved by the Senate … and … […]
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“… Zelensky … [on] Sunday … emphasiz[ed] that the U.S. is helping protect democracy throughout the region. … ‘The Americans are not funding the war in Ukraine. They foremost protect freedom and democracy all over Europe. And Ukraine is fighting … sending their best sons and daughters to the front …reduc[ing] the price for all Europe, for all NATO,’ Zelensky […]
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“To Halt Russia’s Advance, Kyiv Needs More Boots on the Ground” “… The debate in the U.S. Congress over … military aid to Ukraine has been a debacle. … [M]onths of dithering in Washington have dismayed Europeans and given Moscow hope that Western resolve … is cracking. Russian forces — bolstered by equipment from China, Iran, and North Korea — […]
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“The troops would be serving in a non-combat role, officials said.” “The U.S. is considering sending additional military advisers to the [U.S.] embassy in Kyiv … as Russia appears to be gaining momentum …. The advisers would not be in a combat role, but rather … advise and support the Ukrainian government and military …. ‘Throughout this conflict … DOD […]
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“… [With] restored U.S. support and ongoing help from Europe, Ukraine might be able to turn the tide. …. Ukrainian conscription … [now] allow[s] the government to draft men ages 25 and 26, [so that] some 400,000 more men are now eligible. … [T]hat likely won’t be enough to find 200,000 more, so [Ukraine] will also need … to increase […]
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“Comments from European Central Bank chief point to transatlantic rift over use of seized funds” “… Lagarde … [said] … ‘I have seen four different … proposals to circumvent what many other jurists or lawyers — including in some [U.S.] administrations … — regard as a very serious legal obstacle ….’ She added that [the] work was ‘ongoing’ …. ‘Moving […]
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“On 17 April 2024, Russia announced the withdrawal of its peacekeeping forces from Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. This surprise announcement means … the troops will leave one and half years before the formal end of their mandate … amid crucial developments in the [South Caucasus] power balance …. [F]ollowing Azerbaijan’s recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh and the subsequent exodus of Karabakh Armenians … […]
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(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – William E. Pomeranz – April 18, 2024) William Pomeranz, the Director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, is an expert guide to the complexities of political and economic developments in Russia, particularly through the lens of law. Vladimir Putin is putting a brave face on Russia’s downward economic spiral. To survive, he has gone back […]
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“The stark warning from a top administration official comes as Kyiv worries about Russia’s looming summer offensive.” “CIA Director William Burns offered a stark warning to lawmakers on Capitol Hill … Thursday …. ‘With the boost that would come from [proposed] military assistance, both practically and psychologically, Ukrainians are entirely capable of holding their own through 2024 and puncturing Putin’s […]
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“… The cause is primarily the rapid onset of warm spring weather meeting lots of winter snow, causing a sudden melt and quick filling of rivers. [The University of Reading’s Maria] Shahgedanova said about half of all floods in this region have started this way, with another third attributed to rainfall and about 15% due to ice blockages in rivers. […]
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“… If the tide doesn’t turn soon in this third year of Russia’s invasion, it will be the nation of Ukraine as it currently exists that is consigned to the past. For a war of such era-defining importance, the scale of Western leaders’ actions to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invaders has fallen far short of their soaring rhetoric. … Without […]
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“… [Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov] fought behind Russian lines between 2014 and 2016 in [the] Donbas … injured three times … taking shrapnel in his heart, neck and back. In 2016, he led a raid that killed [a Russian FSB] lieutenant general …. Budanov [has] predicted … a big [Russian summer] offensive … to try to capture all of […]
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