RUSSIA – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#238 :: Wednesday AM 9 December 2015

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#238
Wednesday AM 9 December 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. Interfax: Arctic winter temperature rose 3 degrees since 1990.
2. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, OPINION POLLS. PEACE OR JUSTICE?
3. www.rt.com: Before Su-24 downing Putin personally apologized to Erdogan over previous airspace violation.
4. Government.ru: In Conversation with Dmitry Medvedev: Interview with five television channels. (DJ: Note to Russia experts: Of course, it should be read although its long.)
5. www.rt.com: Russian economy to return to growth – Medvedev.
6. Interfax: Tax system in Russia to remain unchanged for next few years – PM.
7. Government.ru: The implementation of roadmaps for the national entrepreneurial initiative.
8. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
9. Kremlin.ru: Meeting of the Mariinsky Theatre Board of Trustees.
10. Moskovskiy Komsomolets: Russian daily says Putin’s address long on “emotional rhetoric”, short on detail. (Mikhail Rostovskiy)
11. BBC Magazine: Steve Rosenberg, Putin’s winter fairy tale.
12. http://gordonhahn.com: Gordon Hahn, Putin: A Russian Neo-Traditionalist, Not a Western Conservative.
13. Russia Direct: Ivan Tsvetkov, Scandal with high-profile official reveals flaws in Russian ‘sistema.’ The scandal surrounding the family of Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika points to weaknesses in Russia’s current political system, which depends more on loyalty than on efficiency.
14. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia can now ignore rulings by European human rights court. The Russian State Duma has passed a law making it possible to recognize, upon a motion from the president or the government, some rulings by international courts as unenforceable in Russia. While critics say the law is aimed at limiting the powers of the European Court of Human Rights, an RBTH source says the state is merely defending its sovereignty and creating a “safeguard” against unwanted cases.
15. Interfax: Peskov: No restrictions for messengers planned.
16. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian economy moves out of recession. Economic crisis: After a year of unprecedented economic turmoil, the country is in calmer waters but there are still challenges ahead.
17. CNBC.com: Ex-Russia Fin Min: We need ‘painful’ structural reforms . (Kudrin)
18. Levada.ru: Russians split over authorities’ efforts to combat “foreign agents” – poll.
19. AP: Putin’s Foe Khodorkovsky: Revolution in Russia Is Inevitable.
20. TASS: Ex-Yukos chief ready to testify only to Swiss authorities in Siberian mayor murder case.
21. Paul Goble: Putin Majority Breaking Down But Elite Splits and Mass Protests Won’t Come Immediately, Solovey Says.
22. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Cable wars: Can Russia really cut the jugular? Both the U.S. and Russia have the means to clip undersea cables but don’t worry, unless there’s a full on war, your internet surfing won’t be interrupted.
23. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Dmitry Babich, Russia and the EU: United by the refugees’ tragedy. Similar approach to border controls is key to managing migration.
24. RIA Novosti: Russian envoy: Raised focus on relations with China predates Western sanctions.
25. www.rt.com: ‘Hopefully, no nukes will be needed’ against ISIS – Putin.
26. www.rt.com: Su-24 downing gave grounds for war, but Russia decided against symmetrical response – Medvedev.
27. The National Interest: Doug Bandow, Should the U.S. Leave NATO?
28. Meduza/Vedomosti: Who are you calling ‘propaganda’? Why the mechanics of Russian television aren’t what you think they are. (Andrei Babitsky)
29. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, Ten Years of RT – And Why We Need It. Because of RT and alternative media millions of Westerners know what they otherwise wouldn’t – that Turkey is colluding with the Islamic State to buy its oil.
30. Wall Street Daily: Martin Hutchinson, When Will Putin Run Out of Money…or Support?
31. Christian Science Monitor: Jeannie Ferber, From Russia, with love. What I learned from what ‘Mama Zoya’ lived.