RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-176 :: Friday, 23 September 2016

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#176
Friday, 23 September 2016
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1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Birth rate in Russia creeps up despite economic crisis. People in Russia do not view the current economic crisis as a disaster and are not giving up on their plans to have children, say analysts. One of the crucial factors keeping the birth rate stable is low unemployment.
2. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Moscow spends a week as the world’s science park capital. Representatives of science parks from 45 countries gathered in Moscow this week to discuss opportunities for startups and the challenges that innovators face.
3. Russia Beyond the Headlines: 10 features that define Russia’s economic crisis. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has published an article about the causes and results of the economic crisis in Russia in which he outlines the situation and the options facing Moscow. RBTH presents the 10 key points of Medvedev’s article.
4. BBC Monitoring: PM outlines challenges and solutions for Russian economy.
5. www.rt.com: Fact-checking at UN: Kerry blasts Moscow for statements it did not make.
6. TASS: Putin doubts Soviet Union’s fall was unavoidable.
7. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with leaders of parties that gained State Duma seats following elections.
8. TASS: Russian Election Commission confirms recent State Duma elections as legitimate and valid.
9. Russia Direct: Pavel Koshkin, The results of the Duma elections send the wrong signal to the Kremlin. What does the victory of the United Russia ruling party in the parliamentary elections mean for Russia’s political future and the nation’s upcoming presidential elections in 2018?
10. Interfax: Pamfilova to stay in charge of Central Election Commission until last election complaint processed.
11. Kennan Institute: Vladislav L. Inozemtsev, The Russian Opposition Should Do Its Homework.
12. Russia Insider: Israel Shamir, If Anyone Was Cheated by Kremlin Fraud in Russia Elections It Was the Communists Not the Pro-Western Liberals. Putin is the most moderate Russian politician acceptable to the public; every viable democratic alternative would be more radical, and more pro-Communist or Nationalist.
13. AP: Putin names Volodin as new speaker of Russian parliament.
14. BBC Monitoring: Russian press views latest reshuffle among top officials.
15. TASS: Russian finance minister says reserves may last 3 more years.
16. www.rt.com: Russian Central Bank criticizes monetary policy of others.
17. Wall Street Journal: Russia Hits Borrowing Target With Sale of 10-Year Eurobonds. Russia’s Finance Ministry raised $1.25 billion in 10-year Eurobonds, with U.S. investors leading the way.
18. TASS: Kudrin: State-owned companies thwart Russia’s economic growth.
19. Russia Direct: Alexey Khlebnikov, The Middle East’s time of troubles: The view from Russia. A new report from a group of leading Middle East experts in Russia lays out the primary challenges facing the troubled region.
20. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Gevorg Mirzayan, Was the Syria deal doomed from the start? Only a ground operation can defeat ISIS but Washington and Moscow cannot convince their allies to take part in one. As the stalemate continues, the death toll mounts.
21. Fort Russ: Joaquin Flores, RUSSIA’S COUNTER-BLOW: Info War victory and the destroyed Aid Convoy.
22. www.rt.com: Danielle Ryan, Russia: Let’s improve Baltic air safety! NATO: No thanks, we’ll pass.
23. Counterpunch.org: Abel Cohen, Russia’s Improbable Role in Everything.
24. Sputnik: Lithuanian Authorities Blame Russia for Demographic Collapse.
25. The Economist: Russian politics. The hollow election. The lowest-ever turnout for Duma elections suggests Vladimir Putin is losing touch with his political base.
26. AP: Top Democrats Say They’ve Concluded That Russia Behind Hacks.
27. RFE/RL: Brian Whitmore, The Ministry Of Putin Preservation. The era of Vladimir Putin appears to be entering a new and more sinister phase.
28. Paul Goble: Putinism like Communism in the Past an Even Graver Threat than Kremlin Leader Himself.
29. The American Interest: David Kramer, No Bailouts for Putin. Western governments should block private business from helping to finance Russian aggression in Ukraine and Syria.
30. www.foreignpolicy.com: Molly O’Toole, From Reset to Realpolitik, Clinton’s New Hard Line on Moscow. As president, Hillary Clinton is prepared to take a much tougher stance on Russia than Trump – or even Obama. Syria’s civil war will be the first test.