Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#226 :: 16 December 2013

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#226 :: 16 December 2013
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POLITICS

1. Moscow Times: Alexander Panin, Survey Underscores the Death of the New Russian.
2. RIA Novosti: Russian Language Losing Popularity Abroad ­- Official.
3. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Bolshoi Gorod: Russian police choir gets lucky with YouTube.
4. Moscow Times: Andy Frecka, The Chilling Draft of Russia Or How to Avoid Catching a Cold .
5. Kremlin.ru: Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly (transcript concluded)
6. Moscow Times: What the Papers Say, Dec. 16, 2013.
7. Xinhua ‘News Analysis’: Putin’s Annual Address Confident in Foreign Policy, Firm on Domestic Issues.
8. Politkom.ru: Website Sees ‘Conservative Trend’ in Putin Federal Assembly Message. (Tatyana Stanovaya)
9. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Experts View Mooted Punishments for Putin Orders’ Nonfulfillment.
10. Carnegie Moscow Center: Dmitri Trenin, The State of Russia.
11. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Is Putin to Blame for Pre-Sochi Crackdown — or Not?
12. Moscow Times: Gudkovs Aim to Consolidate Opposition Parties.
13. Interfax: Navalny “oligarchic project” – Yabloko leader.
14. RAPSI: State Duma proposes banning NGOs and media funded from abroad.
15. RAPSI: Pussy Riot’s Tolokonnikova to finish out prison term in hospital.
16. Moscow Times: Eradzh Nidoev, Undercover at a Russian Hospital.
17. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Times of turmoil at the Bolshoi Theater.In the past year, the Bolshoi Theater has gone through a series of controversies and management changes. What is behind all of the chaos?

ECONOMY

18. Interfax: Foreign business more concerned about psychological, political aspects in Russia – official. (Shuvalov)
19. Interfax: Kremlin aide sees no major breakthrough in improving Russia’s business climate. (Andrei Belousov)
20. Wall Street Journal: World Bank Cuts Russia Growth Forecast Again.
21. Moscow Times: Russian CEOs Cautiously Optimistic About Future Growth, Study Says.
22. Moscow Times: Charles Hecker and Kent Kedl, Why Russia Is Just as Good as China.
23. Moscow Times: Housing Still the ‘Dream’ and Frequently Out of Reach.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

24. Russia Beyond the Headlines: 2013: Russia’s year of diplomacy. Russian diplomacy in 2013 won several important victories and met a few disappointments.
25. Interfax: Russians stand for collecting intelligence worldwide – poll.
26. RIA Novosti: Russia Confirms Tactical Missile Deployment on NATO Borders.
27. Interfax: Ukraine chooses European integration – Prime Minister Azarov.
28. Reuters: EU says door remains open to Ukraine as unity cracks.
29. Reuters: Russia eyes loan, gas deal to keep Ukraine in its orbit.
30. Business New Europe: KYIV BLOG: Yanukovych backed into corner as EU suspends talks.
31. Interfax: Ukraine needs to overcome “tectonic fault” threatening state’s existence – Medvedev.
32. Interfax: Medvedev: it may be simplistic to see Ukraine protests as attack on Soviet-style policies.
33. Moscow Rossiya 24 TV: Russian minister says West ‘lost touch with reality’ over Ukraine’s EU decision. (Lavrov)
34. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Russia cries foul over Western embrace of Ukraine’s demonstrators.
35. Xinhua: Commentary: Western Powers Should Respect Ukraine Over Domestic Affairs.
36. Russia Direct: Russia: Keep calm and carry on without Ukraine. RD Exclusive: Dmitri Trenin, Director of the Moscow Carnegie Center, discusses the implications of the Ukrainian unrest for Russia, the EU and the U.S.
37. Russia Direct: Igor Gretskiy, Ukraine at the crossroads. Public unrest in Ukraine resulting from the country’s decision to postpone EU integration will not be fading away anytime soon.
38. Business New Europe: Graham Stack, Ukraine a land of two halves as Euromaidan moves into third week.
39. Voice of America: James Brooke, Can Ukraine’s Two Nations Stay Under One Roof?
40. New York Times: Bill Keller, Russia vs. Europe.
41. The Economist: The Economist explains. Why does Ukraine have so many revolutions?
42. Russia Direct: Dominic Basulto, Five ways the Sochi Olympics can reset the reset. If Russia presents a new image to the world in Sochi, it would go a long way towards revitalizing the troubled U.S.-Russian relationship.
43. Interfax: Russia will pay U.S. “in its own coin” for expanding Magnitsky List – Russian diplomat.
44. Interfax: Russian diplomats accused of Medicaid fraud in U.S. to be subjected to disciplinary action at home – Lavrov.