Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#144 :: 8 August 2013

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#144 :: 8 August 2013
E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net
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POLITICS

1. RIA Novosti: 42% of Russians Say Government Cannot Improve Country – Poll.
2. Interfax: Medvedev-led government still fails to live up to Russians’ expectations – poll.
3. Russia Beyond the Headline: Putin’s medical secrets leaked to the media. The Kremlin’s chief physician spills the beans about the president’s health.
4. BBC Monitoring: Pundits see interview on Putin’s health as ‘vaccination’ against speculation.
5. Reuters: Local Russian TV channel broadcasts rare critical segment about Putin.
6. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say, Aug. 8, 2013.
7. Valdai Discussion Club: Yevgeny Minchenko, Do we need a municipal filter?
8. Vedomosti: Open Mid-Sized, Small Business Navalnyy Support Said New Political Development.
9. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Vedomosti.ru: Top 10: Which businesspeople does the Russian public like? An online poll shows that each generation has a business icon of its own.
10. Moscow Times: Boris Kagarlitsky, We Need Debates, Not a Cheap TV Show.
11. Moscow Times: Georgy Bovt, More Boring Elections.
12. ITAR-TASS: Russian legislators may throw protecting veil over journalists.
13. ITAR-TASS: Journalists inviolability initiative sparks controversy.
14. Moscow Times: Amendments to Protest Law Reduce Fines, Organizer Responsibility.
15. RIA Novosti: New Khodorkovsky Investigation Gathering Pace – Report.
16. BBC Monitoring: Russian fugitive economist slams ‘unlawful’ Yukos case after higher court ruling. (Sergey Guriyev)
17. RIA Novosti: Moscow Dismisses Western Criticism of Gay Propaganda Law.
18. Interfax: Russian deputy premier attempts to allay gay fears ahead of Sochi Olympics.
19. www.russianlife.com: Paul Richardson, Vodka, Snowden and Boycotts.
20. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: 30 Border Conflicts Simmering Among Russia’s Federal Subjects.
21. National Public Radio: Migrants Flock To Russia, But Receive A Cool Welcome.
22. Novaya Gazeta: Immigration, N. Caucasus, Chechnya Seen as Main Risk Factors for Russia To Become ‘Failed Nation.’ (Yuliya Latynina)

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

23. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Obama cancels summit with Putin. Was Snowden the last straw?
24. Bloomberg: Obama Snubs Putin in Sign of Tensions in U.S.-Russia Ties.
25. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Barack Obama cancels meeting with Vladimir Putin.
26. The White House: Interview of the President by Jay Leno, The Tonight Show. (excerpt re Russia)
27. ITAR-TASS: Snowden row no hindrance to Obama’s presence at G20 summit but upsets meeting with Putin – analysts.
28. Interfax: Russian analysts believe Obama gave in to pressure of ‘cold war’ lobby.
29. Russia Direct: The ‘reset’ button is broken. In both Russia and the U.S., the Cold War mentality might be harder to change than originally thought.
30. Moscow Times: Vladimir Berezansky, Snowden Affair Presents a Suez Canal Moment.
31. Russia Direct: Dmitry Polikanov, The real meaning of Obama’s symbolic gesture to the Kremlin. With expectations for the Moscow summit already low, Obama’s decision may not be as disappointing as it appears at first.
32. Carnegie Moscow Center: Dmitri Trenin, Undoing the Reset.
33. The Economist: America and Russia. No speaks.
34. Wall Street Journal editorial: A Welcome Rebuke to Putin. Obama acknowledges Russia’s hostility to U.S. interests.
35. Interfax: No progress in nuke arms reduction unless Russia, US agree on ABM – diplomat.
36. Huffington Post: William Courtney and Michael Haltzel, Preparing for a Less Stable Russia.
37. Reuters: Saudi offers Russia deal to scale back Assad support – sources.
38. The Nation: Bob Dreyfuss, Russia’s Stake in Syria’s War.
39. Interfax: Poll suggests positive shift in Russians’ attitude to Georgia.
40. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Kommersant-Vlast: South Ossetia, five years after war. The former breakaway republic remains in a state of flux and uncertain about it relations with both Russia and Georgia.
41. www.russiatoday.com: Nadezhda Kevorkova, Between Georgia and South Ossetia, war-torn families, villages and vineyards.
42. ITAR-TASS: Russia and Georgia will overcome consequences of August 2008 armed conflict.
43. Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russian Analyst Comments on Fifth Anniversary of 2008 Russia-Georgia Conflict. (Fedor Lukyanov)
44. Carnegie Moscow Center: Tedo Japaridze, Change Since 2008. Everything and Nothing.
45. RFE/RL: Georgia-Russia War Commemorated.
46. Civil Georgia: Saakashvili Speaks of August War.