RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-42 :: Tuesday, 1 March 2016

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#42
Tuesday, 1 March 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
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RUSSIA

1. TASS: Shrinking Baikal dries wells 300 kilometers away from unique lake.
2. Reuters: Russia’s athletes keep sights on Rio despite doping ban.
3. TASS: Last leader of USSR calls for fair elections.
4. New Statesman: Gorbachev could end the USSR – but not vodka. Attempts to ban the liquour in Russia failed, and Britain drank 9.9 million litres of it last year. But not all vodka is created equal.
5. Russia Direct: In memory of Boris Nemtsov, new elections in Iran and the Syria ceasefire deal. Russian media roundup: Opposition protests related to the murder of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov one year ago, signs of moderate reform emerging in Iran and speculation over the Syrian ceasefire made headlines this week.
6. TASS: Kremlin against linking ‘nanny murder’ case with nationalities question.
7. www.rt.com: Moscow ‘child beheading’: What we know about the ‘woman in black’
8. Interfax: Muscovites bring flowers to commemorate slaughtered girl, nationalists demand visas for Central Asia.
9. TASS: Will Grigory Yavlinsky’s Yabloko be able to make a comeback into active politics?
10. Carnegie Moscow Center: Denis Volkov, Are Russians Feeling the Economic Crisis?
11. TASS: Russian PM: no restrictions on freedom of speech possible in internet era. (Medvedev)
12. TASS: Suzie Dawson, The oppression of the Internet is global.
13. Bloomberg: Russia’s Economy Is Tanking, So Why Is Putin Smiling?
14. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller.
15. CNN.com: Oil crisis hitting Russians hard.
16. Bloomberg: Fitch Says Russia Forces Choice Between Sanctions and Ratings.
17. Moscow Times: Mail.ru Overtakes Yandex as Most Valuable Russian Internet Company.
18. TASS: Russian tour companies asking Foreign Ministry to ease entry regulations for foreigners.
19. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, With ‘resignation’ announcement, Chechnya’s strongman woos Putin.
20. Russia Direct: Sergey Markedonov, Will Chechnya’s Kadyrov really step down? With the current term of Ramzan Kadyrov as head of Chechnya scheduled to come to a close in April 2016, the status of Chechnya is once again being called into question.
21. Russia Direct: Ivan Tsvetkov, Russian liberals warn Putin that Kadyrov could be dangerous. A recent report from the liberal opposition released on the anniversary of the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov raises some serious questions about the political influence and future intentions of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
22. http://gordonhahn.com: Gordon Hahn, Yashin Report Reveals What DC Consensus Hid for Years about Why Putin ‘Invaded’ Chechnya?
23. BBC: US and Russia in partnership over Syria.
24. TASS: Inter-Syrian talks as follow-up of Syria truce meet Russian, US interests.
25. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Airstrikes on ISIS continue as Syria ceasefire holds. The truce in Syria brokered by Russia and the U.S. appears to be holding, despite reports from some parties of violations. However, the ceasefire does not extend to groups that are recognized by the UN as terrorist.
26. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, Victory in Security Council Shows Genius of Russian Diplomacy. Russia obtains a further UN Security Council Resolution conforming with the ‘cessation of hostilities’ agreement Russia negotiated with the US – this time with American support.
27. Moscow Times: Russians Not Ready to Forgive Turkey for Downed Plane – Poll.
28. Sputnik: Russian Military Experts to Develop ‘Soft Power’ Concept – Reports.
29. Interfax: Russia ready to resume cooperation with USA but has little trust – top diplomat.
30. Intellinews.com: Chris Weafer, BOOK REVIEW: Steven Lee Myers examines Putin’s rise and reign in “The New Tsar”.
31. Wall Street Journal: John Vinocur, Putin’s New Normal Begins to Take Hold. The West is making its peace with Moscow’s incursions into Ukraine and Georgia.
32. SOVIET AND POST-SOVIET VISIONS: The Untapped Significance of Russian Documentary Film.

UKRAINE

33. Sputnik: Half of Russians Positive About Ukraine Despite Kiev’s Russophobic Rhetoric.
34. TASS: Time to put end to crisis in Ukraine – Russia’s ambassador to UN.
35. Russia Insider: Irina Burya, On the Second Anniversary of Maidan, the Truth Starts to Come Out. The truth is eventually pushing its way through the lies, obfuscation and propaganda that was fed to the dupes on Maidan and the rest of the world.
36. UNIAN (Kyiv): Third of Ukrainians say Ukraine offensive solution to situation in Donbas – poll.
37. Moscow Times: Ousted Ukrainian President Yanukovych Planning a Comeback.
38. Bloomberg: Ukraine President Urges Coalition to Decide on Cabinet, Premier.
39. Euromaidan Press: Snap elections, the worst scenario for Ukraine – Parubiy.
40. Atlantic Council: Anders Aslund, Early Elections in Ukraine Aren’t So Scary. Here’s Why.
41. TASS: Ukrainian politician admits US cool-off towards Ukraine on background of political crisis. (Parubiy)
42. Paul Goble: Continuation of Western Sanctions on Russia Increasingly Depends on Ukraine, Ogryzko Says.
43. Fort Russ: Yushchenko Calls for Support of the Upcoming Third Maidan.
44. Russia Insider: Ukraine’s Tymoshenko Makes Her Play: Calls for New Elections, Americans Be Damned. Soon Tymoshenko may be causing Victoria Nuland sleepless nights.
45. RFE/RL Brian Whitmore, The Daily Vertical: The Gun To Ukraine’s Head.
46. www.rt.com: Kiev mayor at loss when confronted about Ukrainian human rights abuses in interview.
47. Interfax-Ukraine: Over 2,600 Ukrainian servicemen killed, around 9,000 wounded since Feb 2014.
48. Taras Kuzio’s Blog: Who Committed Treason in Ukraine?
49. Zerkalo Nedeli (Kyiv): Crimea minutes released to strengthen Ukraine’s security supremo.
50. The Jewish Press (New York): Ukrainian Jews Flee To Israel Amid Anti-Semitic Attacks in War-Torn Ukraine.