Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#136 :: Friday 10 July 2015

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#136
Friday 10 July 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.
JRL homepage: russialist.org
JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist
JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi
Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php
Support for JRL is provided in part by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Open Society Foundations to the George Washington University and by voluntary contributions from readers.

RUSSIA

1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: 70 percent of Russians opposed to compromise on sanctions – report. According to a new Levada Center opinion poll, 70 percent of Russian citizens believe that Russia should not make any sanctions-related concessions, even though a third of the population has admitted that sanctions are a problem. However, despite these difficulties, Russians continue to back President Vladimir Putin, whose popularity rating has never been higher. Experts have several theories for
2. Business New Europe: Chris Weafer, Why Russians fear August.
3. Moscow Times: Mikhail Kopitayko, Russians Must Step Up and Pay for Health Care.
4. Washington Post: Russia’s economic crunch puts pain drugs out of reach, even for the sickest.
5. Interfax: Most Russians oppose same-sex marriage – poll.
6. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, Now Even Kudrin Says It – Russia’s Economy Will Resume Growth in Final Quarter. Emerging consensus of a return to growth in final quarter points to short and shallow recession and an economy that has adjusted well to falling oil prices.
7. Interfax: Putin says Eurasia’s not a chessboard, it’s our home.
8. Sputnik: President Putin Holds Final Press Conference in Ufa.
9. TASS: BRICS and SCO summits filled with important decisions – Putin.
10. The BRICS Post: Dmitry Babich, BRICS Summit in Ufa: Yoga for Putin, Finance for Crimea, Stability for the World?
11. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Islamist threat to Russia looms large at Central Asia security summit. The Kremlin is increasingly concerned about an Islamist uprising in one of the weak autocracies along its southern flank, all of which will be attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit today in Ufa, Russia.
12. New York Times: Putin Criticizes U.S. Role in Afghanistan, Saying Security Hasn’t Improved.
13. Business New Europe: Putin calls for BRICS to assert financial independence from West.
14. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, The Main Enemy.
15. Russia Direct: Alexey Fenenko, How the US military plans to neutralize Russia. The new military strategy of the United States, which now includes Russia in the list of top threats, indicates that Washington is trying to maintain its global influence that was established after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
16. Los Angeles Times: Future of nuclear arms control looks bleak, experts say.
17. Vice.com: Now Would Be a Pretty Good Time to Launch a Nuclear Attack on Russia.
18. Paul Goble: Unlike in Ukraine, a Russian Maidan Would Likely Be Violent and Destructive, Shevtsova Says.

UKRAINE

19. Interfax: Peaceful settlement in Ukraine stalling over Kiev’s unwillingness to hold dialogue with Donbass – Putin.
20. AFP: Ukraine offers huge state firms to foreign investors.
21. Sputnik: Fire Sale, Everything Must Go! Ukraine Puts 345 State Firms Up For Sale.
22. Sputnik: One-Third of Ukrainians to Live Under Poverty Line by Year End.
23. Interfax: UN: At least 5 million Ukrainian citizens in need of humanitarian aid.
24. www.rt.com: Thousands of Ukrainian citizens to sue Kiev regime over human rights violations – Russian activists.
25. TASS: DPR intelligence spots Ukrainian army’s heavy weapons at contact line.
26. Fort Russ: US Ambassador: DPR Militia killed Children in the Donbass, Independence was not a Coup d’Etat.
27. Ukraine Today: Russia’s Donbas army swells to 80,000 as Moscow warns NATO.
28. Sputnik: US Reviews All Kiev’s Assistance Requests, Lethal Aid Policy Unchanged.
29. Washington Times: L. Todd Wood, Is Russia backing down in East Ukraine?
30. New Statesman: Jana Bakunina, This is what it’s like to be a Russian in Kiev. The growing feud between the two nations is traumatising: nearly everyone in Russia has relatives in Ukraine.
31. Ivan Katchanovski: Interview with Jyllands-Posten (Denmark) Concerning the “Snipers’ Massacre” on the Maidan and its Investigation in Ukraine .

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

 

Comment