Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#128 :: Tuesday 30 June 2015

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#128
Tuesday 30 June 2015
A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs
The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University.
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RUSSIA

1. Moscow Times: Locusts, Spiders, Snakes Plague Russian Regions.
2. Kremlin.ru: Funeral ceremony for Yevgeny Primakov.
3. The National Interest: Nikolas Gvosdev, How Yevgeny Primakov’s Legacy Lives On. The Ufa 2015 summit is a testament to the late Yevgeny Primakov’s lasting geopolitical vision.
4. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian reaction to same-sex marriage ruling in the USA.
5. Moscow Times: Russians See Western Sanctions as Plot to Weaken Them, Poll Shows.
6. Gazeta.ru: New Russian blacklist to target more than 20 foreign NGOs – website.
7. Russia Direct: Turning Russia into an innovative country is still a challenge. RD Event: In New York, thought leaders on Russian technology and innovation discussed the challenges and prospects facing Russia’s innovation sector during a time of economic isolation from the West.
8. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Anti-Americanism provides big boost to Russia’s small IT businesses. Russia’s economic conditions seem like they couldn’t be less hospitable to starting a new company. But small software firms are starting to thrive, in part because of Western sanctions.
9. Business New Europe: Ben Aris, Russia’s state banks are rotten.
10. Interfax: Russia-China pipeline to be largest infrastructure project in world – premier.
11. Reuters: Historic Meeting of Pope and Russian Orthodox Head ‘Draws Nearer’
12. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Press digest: Greek default and its potential impact on Russia. RBTH presents a selection of views from leading Russian media on international events, featuring reports on the impact the unfolding situation in Greece could have on Russia, an update on the unrest in Armenia and the possibility of Montenegro joining NATO.
13. TASS: Only concerted efforts will overpower terrorist Islamic State – analysts.
14. Russia Direct: Sergey Markedonov, The Armenian protest is not another Maidan. Here are several reasons why the ongoing protests in Armenia should not be seen as another Maidan.
15. Business New Europe: Monica Elena, ‘Electric Yerevan’ protesters settle in for war of attrition with Armenia government.
16. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, Spontaneous protests?
17. Wall Street Journal editorial: Putin’s Armenia Shock. Protests break out against a Russian ally in the Caucasus.
18. Sputnik: Perceived Russian Threat to Baltics is ‘Raving Nonsense’ – Moscow. (Sergei Ivanov)
19. www.rt.com: Bryan MacDonald, Russophrenia – an illness in need of a cure.
20. Euromaidan Press: Putin regime can’t be reformed, only replaced, like its Soviet predecessor, Yakovenko says.
21. Vox.com: Max Fisher, How World War III became possible. A nuclear conflict with Russia is likelier than you think. (excerpt)
22. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Senior Russian diplomat gives wide-ranging interview. (Sergey Ryabkov) (excerpt)

UKRAINE

23. http://milakovsky.livejournal.com: Evgeny Shibalov: “They denounce those they cannot defend…just like 70 years ago”
24. Catholic Relief Services: Ukraine’s Unseen Crisis: Mass Civilian Displacement.
25. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Five things you need to know about the crisis in Ukraine.
26. Ukraine Today: UT Exclusive: Ukraine’s snipers – the deadliest men in the country’s hybrid war with Russia.
27. Interfax: Luhansk reports Ukrainian army’s use of forbidden weapons.
28. TASS: Ukraine will need seven years plus referendum to join NATO – Poroshenko.
29. TASS: LPR leader says Kiev has over 75,000 servicemen in conflict zone in Donbas.
30. Business New Europe: Ben Aris, Ukraine’s default ducks are all in a row.
31. Reuters: Russia softens Ukraine gas price stance ahead of talks.
32. Kyiv Post: Partisans’ arrest divides opinion on role of unofficial fighters.
33. The Daily Telegraph (UK): Tom Parfitt, Ukraine’s ‘history laws’ purge it of communist symbols but divide the population. Lionising nationalists and removing Soviet monuments helps protect Ukraine from Russian aggression, supporters say – but others see praise for Nazi collaborators and an assault on the past.
34. World Affairs: Alexander Motyl, Ukraine’s Bumpy Road to Normalcy.
35. US-Russia.org: William Dunkerley, Ukraine: Who Invaded Who?
36. The Vineyard of the Saker: Oleg Maslov, Solving the Ukrainian Crisis.
37. New Eastern Europe: Speaking Tough on Russia is not Enough. An interview with Ivan Krastev, Chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, in Sofia.
38. Paul Goble: Putin’s Peace Offensive on Ukraine Means Situation is ‘Really Dangerous,’ Piontkovsky Says.