RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-215 :: Thursday, 17 November 2016

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#215
Thursday, 17 November 2016
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1. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, THE ENEMY WITHIN.
2. The National Interest: Matthew Dal Santo, The Washington Post Is in Full McCarthyist Attack Mode. This seems a case of slanted journalistic practices as much as routine diplomatic ones.
3. Russia Direct: Alexey Khlebnikov, The Russian economy: Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Despite a lack of structural reforms that will finally wean the Russian economy off its dependence on oil and gas, there are some encouraging signs for economic growth in 2017.
4. Bear Market Brief: Russians See Protracted Crisis.
5. www.rt.com: Minister’s arrest doesn’t mean U-turn in Russian economic policy – Kremlin.
6. www.rt.com: More Russian officials detained as nationwide anti-corruption drive gains momentum.
7. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Why did Russia’s economy minister ask Rosneft for a $2-million bribe? Alexei Ulyukayev, Russian Minister of Economic Development, has been arrested for having taken a $2-million bribe. Opinions differ on the arrest of a federal minister, unprecedented in Russia: Some mass media sources and experts talk about a large-scale corruption battle; others about a hidden power struggle within the government.
8. Moskovsky Komsomolets: Mikhail Rostovsky: Ulyukayev case’s hidden springs: ‘Any heavyweight who stands in Igor Sechin’s way very soon discovers he is entirely expendable’
9. Izvestia: Russian analyst views aftermath of minister’s arrest. (Alexei Mukhin)
10. Washington Post: David Filipov, Russian bribery probe widens amid reports of Kremlin power struggle.
11. Bloomberg: Cheapest Labor Since Tsars Ruled Russia a Draw for Samsung, Ikea.
12. www.rt.com: ‘Made in Russia’ could be coming to a store near you.
13. Levada.ru: Majority of Russians want Putin as leader after 2018 – poll.
14. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Opposition firebrand Alexei Navalny now free to run for president. The Russian Supreme Court has overturned Alexei Navalny’s conviction for embezzling funds from the Kirovles company, sending the case for review. This means that he can again engage in political activity, although there is a danger that the new court may now give him a mandatory sentence and not a suspended one.
15. Interfax: Following Supreme Court Presidium’s verdict Navalny regains right to be elected until new trial concludes.
16. BBC Monitoring: Russian press on opposition leader Navalny’s fraud conviction overturned.
17. Moskovsky Komsomolets: Pundit predicts forthcoming crisis in Russia. (Interview with political analyst Valery Solovey)
18. Sputnik: LinkedIn Blocked in Russia After Violation of Personal Data Law.
19. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia withdraws from International Criminal Court after report on Crimea. Russia has withdrawn its signature from the International Criminal Court in The Hague, meaning crimes committed by Russian citizens will no longer fall under the jurisdiction of the court. The decision comes shortly after the ICC published a report describing the Russian presence in Crimea as an “occupation.”
20. BBC Monitoring: Russian press ponders International Criminal Court pullout.
21. Interfax: Russian Foreign Ministry has concerns about worsening of relations with U.S. up until Obama Administration’s last day in office.
22. Russia Direct: Alexander Titov, Donald Trump and the cyclical nature of US-Russian relations. If history continues to repeat itself, a possible honeymoon period in U.S.-Russia relations at the start of Donald Trump’s presidency could turn into a new crisis by the end of it.
23. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Dmitri Trenin, RUSSIA: CAUTIOUS HOPE.
24. Valdai Discussion Club: WHY DONALD TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY CAN MEAN MORE SECURITY FOR EUROPE. (Richard Weitz)
25. Consortiumnews.com: Dreaming Up a Reason for NATO’s Relevance. European leaders still rattle their tiny sabers at Russia, but Donald Trump’s election has spread confusion across NATO nations that had dutifully climbed aboard the New Cold War express, says ex-British intelligence officer Annie Machon.
26. The Globe and Mail (Canada): Sergey Lavrov, In a polycentric world, Russia wants to collaborate.
27. Moskovsky Komsomolets: Mikhail Rostovsky, Dizzy with luck: It is premature to go into raptures over new presidents of Moldova and Bulgaria.
28. The Nation: James Carden, Now That They’ve Been Proven Wrong, Will Putin’s Demonizers Apologize for Their Slanders?. Probably not. Blaming the Russian president for everything is now a national hobby, the facts be damned. (re death of Mikhail Lesin)
29. Washington Post: Ben Cardin, The United States needs to hold Russia accountable for its aggression.
30. New York Times: White House Confirms Pre-Election Warning to Russia Over Hacking.
31. RFE/RL: Brian Whitmore, The Hacking Must Go On.