RUSSIA – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-10 :: Monday AM, 18 January 2016

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter]

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#10
Monday AM 18 January 2016
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: @JohnsonRussiaLi
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.
Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php – Donate Online: direct link

RUSSIA

1. DJ: Recent comment on Johnson’s Russia List by a former State Department official.
2. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, Poland and the ‘Empire of Brussels’: How the EU Bullies Its Member States. Threats to remove Poland’s voting rights because of minor internal changes demonstrates what little internal autonomy EU states really have.
3. Intersection: Andreas Upland, The Flaws of the Putinversteher’s Russian Hermeneutics. How the escapist axioms of Western apologies of Kremlin policies distort our understanding of the origins and motives of Russia’s current domestic and foreign behavior.
4. Washington Post: Vladislav Inozemtsev, Putin’s self-destructing economy.
5. Moscow Times: International Conflicts Are Russians’ Biggest Fear – Poll.
6. Russia Direct: The Kremlin’s political nightmare postponed, at least in 2016. Even though most experts agree that 2016 is hardly likely to see a political crisis or large-scale protests in Russia, the risks remain high if the economic situation continues to be volatile and unpredictable.
7. Carnegie Moscow Center/Gazeta.ru: Andrei Kolesnikov, By Bread Alone: Why Poor Russians Aren’t Protesting.
8. Russia Beyond the Headlines/RBC Daily: Davos experts warn Russia about threat of hyperinflation. In 2016 the main risks for Russia and its neighbors will be budget deficits, hyperinflation and unemployment.
9. TASS: Russia’s GDP declined 3.9% in 2015 according to preliminary estimates – minister.
10. TASS: Russian government plans to reach at least zero economic growth in 2016 – deputy PM.
11. Sputnik: OPEC Forecasts 0.3% GDP Growth for Russia in 2016.
12. Sputnik: Sanctions Slowed Russian Economic Growth by 0.5 PP in 2015.
13. Moscow Times: ‘Downshifter’ Russia Is Losing Global Competition, Warns State Bank Chief. (German Gref)
14. IntelliNews.com: Mark Galeotti, Russia needs its brains.
15. Facebook: Eric Kraus, Gref.
16. Awara: Jon Hellevig, German Gref is So Wrong on Russian Economy.
17. Facebook: Alexander Mercouris, JON HELLEVIG ON THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY.
18. Deutsche Welle: Russian economic crisis drives people to the soup kitchens.
19. Financial Times: Russia’s pensioners squeezed as recession bites.
20. RFE/RL: Dark Jokes Lighten Gloom Over Russia’s Ailing Economy.
21. www.rt.com: Duma committee rejects Communist bill targeting ‘public demonstration of homosexuality’
22. Moscow Times: Agents of Change: Promoting Tolerance and Acceptance in Russia.
23. Russia Direct: Sergey Markedonov, What’s next for Russia and the post-Soviet space in 2016? What should the world expect from Russia’s foreign policy in Ukraine, the South Caucasus and Central Asia? To answer that question, one needs to take into account the complicated situation in Syria, Russia’s strained relationship with Turkey and potential complexities around Afghanistan.
24. Russia Direct: Nikolay Kurkov, Russia won’t support Iran in its face-off with Saudi Arabia. Here’s why. While Russia has recently been improving its relationship with Iran, there are no signs that Russia will decisively side in the favor of Tehran if Iran’s confrontation with Saudi Arabia intensifies.
25. Los Angeles Times: Backed by Russian air power, Syria’s army builds on gains.
26. Vedomosti: Paper examines agreement on Russia’s indefinite military presence in Syria.
27. The Unz Review: The Saker, Week Fifteen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: When No News Is Good News.
28. Sputnik: My Way or the Highway: Washington Must Accept Russian Way of Doing Things.
29. Sputnik: Russian Scientist Predicts Outcome of 2016 US Election. (IMEMO)
30. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Kommersant: Clinton speaks of possible new ‘reset’ in relations with Russia. Final Democratic presidential debate before party selects candidate.
31. Asia Times: M.K.Bhadrakumar, Obama changes tack on Russia, calls up Putin.
32. http://gordonhahn.com: Gordon Hahn, Why Oppose NATO Expansion Without Russia? Just Look at Turkey, Poland, and Europe.
33. Counterpunch.org: Gerald Sussman, Reheating the Cold War.
34. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, BILL CLINTON AND TONY BLAIR – MOOSE LIPS SINK YELTSIN’S SHIPS, PUTIN’S TOO.
35. The Guardian: Alec Luhn, Russia’s craft beer revolution: ‘The last time people stood in line for beer was in the Soviet Union.’ From Moscow to St Petersburg to the regions, a new generation of beer geeks is brewing a challenge to vodka-loving Russia’s deadly drinking culture.
36. Washington Post: Kara Elder, How to turn mayo, garlic and cheese into a simple spread Russians love.
37. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Moscow’s 5 most interesting mobile apps for tourists. Foreign travelers can now get to know Moscow better thanks to some new mobile apps for those that love museums, architecture and even making random new friends in the metro.