RUSSIA – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#241 :: Friday AM 11 December 2015

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#241
Friday AM 11 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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1. TASS: Poll: Russians wanted to hear more on social policy, ways out of crisis in Putin’s address.
2. TASS: Russia to increase fundamental research financing to $2 bln in 2016 – PM.
3. Interfax: Number of troops in NATO contingent in Baltic republics, Poland, Romania grows 23-fold, number of planes up 8-fold over past year – Shoigu.
4. Moscow Times: Russian Women: Obey Thy Father, Husband, Son.
5. Moscow Times: Moscow School Teaches Russian Boys to Look Up to Cavemen.
6. Moscow Times: Number of Orphaned Russian Children Falls by Half.
7. Moscow Times: Majority of Muscovites Support Truck Driver Protests – Poll.
8. AFP: Russia keeps rates high in fight against inflation.
9. Interfax: Russia still interested in attracting foreign investors despite economic, political problems – PM.
10. TASS: Central Bank’s chief says no crisis in Russian banking system.
11. TASS: Finance Ministry expects Russia’s capital outflow to be $60 bln at 2015 year-end.
12. Russia Beyond the Headline/RBC Daily: Russia’s oil producers facing winter of discontent as prices fall again. Prices for Brent crude have fallen below $40 – for the first time in nearly seven years. With no room for maneuver and little prospect of a market recovery in the near future, Russian oil companies are being forced to postpone the development of fields.
13. www.project-syndicate.org: Anders Aslund, Putin’s New Prudence.
14. RFE/RL: Russian Businessman Lashes Out At Kremlin, Becomes Cause Celebre. (Dmitry Potapenko)
15. Paul Goble: Revolution in Russia ‘Inevitable and Necessary,’ Khodorkovsky Says.
16. TASS: Prosecutor General’s Office sees signs of extremism in Khodorkovsky’s statements.
17. Washington Post: Political scrutiny of education is ‘reasonable,’ Russia’s education chief says.
18. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Crime and punishment: 25 years in a Russian penal colony. The first inmates pardoned from the death penalty will be released in 2017. They have not seen the world outside of the colony for 25 years. Everything they know is based on what they’ve seen on TV and read in letters. What are they going to do, what do they feel? (photos)
19. Interfax: EU Council divided on procedure for prolonging sanctions against Russia.
20. Politico.eu: Renzi blocks smooth extension of Russia sanctions. Italian prime minister pushes to take talks to higher political level.
21. New York Times: Jeffrey Sommers, A New Approach to U.S.-Russia Relations Is Needed.
22. New York Times: Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, Sanctions Against Russia Are Working, Don’t Give Them Up.
23. TASS: OSCE systemic crisis caused by political bias, orientation towards US.
24. Russia Direct: Pavel Koshkin, What price will Moscow pay for its 2015 foreign policy moves in 2016? Russia has seen ups and downs in its foreign policy in 2015. It seems to have regained the status of one of the key global players, but at a very high price, which it will keep paying in 2016.
25. Reuters: Putin Says Russia Backs Free Syrian Army Alongside Assad Troops.
26. www.rt.com: Any targets threatening Russian forces in Syria must be immediately destroyed – Putin.
27. TASS: Islamic State militants seize 70% of Syria’s territory – Russian defense minister.
28. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Fyodor Lukyanov, Turbulence over Syria’s skies. The skies over Syria became more crowded last week after the UK voted to join air strikes against ISIS forces. But can countries with very different attitudes to the conflict agree on common aims?
29. Russia Direct: Alexey Khlebnikov, Why is Russia bombing Syria? Simplification of what’s at stake in Syria and an underestimation of facts such as the growing terrorist threat from the region hinders the West from understanding the real reasons why Russia launched its air campaign in Syria.
30. Counterpunch.org: Conn Hallinan, Why Did Turkey Shoot Down That Russian Plane?
31. The New York Observer: Micah Halpern, Out of Gas: Turkey Is Losing Its Battle With Russia.
32. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, RUSSIA FIRES MOON SHOT OVER THE BOSPHORUS – TURKS THREATEN WAR.
33. Foreign Affairs: Angela Stent, Putin’s Power Play in Syria. How to Respond to Russia’s Intervention.
34. TASS: Russian PM joins marathon reading of Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
35. Moscow Times: Youtube Unveils Russia’s Most Popular Music Videos of 2015.
36. Kremlin.ru: Russia Today’s 10th anniversary.
37. RFE/RL: Brian Whoitmore, The Year Of The Troll.