RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-51 :: Tuesday, 15 March 2016

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#51
Tuesday, 15 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
The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University.
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RUSSIA

1. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu.
2. Sputnik: After Syria, Putin Turns to Russia’s Domestic Issues.
3. Interfax: Moscow expects Syrian armed forces to take over fight against IS from Russian Aerospace Forces – diplomat.
4. Wall Street Journal: With Campaign in Syria, Russia Tested Hardware, Prowess. Kremlin’s intervention in Syria reaped broader benefits than the rescue of a military ally.
5. Bloomberg: Syria Opposition Says Russian Military Pullout Helps Peace Talks.
6. National Public Radio: Russian President Vladimir Putin To Withdraw Majority Of Troops From Syria. (interview with Joshua Landis)
7. The National Interest: Nikolay Pakhomov, The Strategy Behind Russia’s Moves in Syria. Moscow is beginning to withdraw forces from the war-torn country.
8. Russia Direct: Nikolay Surkov, Why Putin’s surprise move to withdraw from Syria makes sense. Russia’s unexpected move to wind down military operations in Syria could have positive foreign policy and domestic policy benefits.
9. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Moscow is winding down its presence in Syria. Why? Why now? Observers are hotly debating the true reasons for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to downsize and refocus the military operation in Syria, with some describing it as a tactical withdrawal while others label it an acknowledgement of failure. What is really behind the unexpected decision, and what will happen now?
10. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia has changed course of civil war in Syria, say analysts. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the withdrawal of the main part of the military group in Syria. According to Russian observers, the pullout will affect land and aerospace forces, while the fleet and missile defense and intelligence systems will stay in the region.
11. The Unz Review: Anatoly Karlin, Generally Accomplished.
12. Vineyard of the Saker: The Saker, Analysis of the Russian military pullout from Syria.
13. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, Obama Now Admits It – US Intelligence Did NOT Say Assad was Definitely Responsible for Chemical Attack.In the course of interviews with The Atlantic Obama admits US intelligence told him Assad’s responsibility for August 2013 Ghouta attack was not a “slam dunk.”
14. New York Times editorial: Putin’s Syria Surprise.
15. RFE/RL: Putin’s Pullout: Behind Russia’s New Syria Surprise.
16. Wall Street Journal: Stephen Sestanovich, Vladimir Putin’s Surprise Withdrawal From Syria.
17. www.thedailybeast.com: Michael Weiss, Maybe Putin’s Telling the Truth About Winning Syria. Only suckers take the Russian president’s word at face value, but it’s hard to deny his intervention likely saved Bashar al-Assad-and that was always the goal.
18. Forbes.com: Kenneth Rapoza, Could Putin’s Syria Deal Spell Sanctions Relief For Russia?
19. Russia Insider: Despite Recession Russians’ Health Continues to Improve. A report to Putin by Russia’s Health Minister confirms further improvements in general health and life expectancy.
20. Moscow Times: Fewer Russians Think Political Opposition Exists in Russia – Poll.
21. Levada.ru: Fewer people say there is political opposition in Russia, poll finds.
22. Yabloko: Levada Centre: Yavlinsky is the most recognisable democratic politician.
23. Yabloko: Majority of Kommersant FM and Ekho Moskvi listeners called Yavlinsky their President.
24. Moon of Alabama: NYT Conceals U.S. Control Over Anti-Russian “Pro-Democracy Nonprofit”
25. Carnegie Moscow Center: Tatyana Stanovaya, Government by Proxy: Putin’s New Appointees.
26. Russia Direct: Uliana Malashenko, Unlocking the mysteries surrounding the death of ex-President aide Lesin. What actually happened to former Russian press minister and ex-President aid Mikhail Lesin in his Washington hotel room? Russia Direct talked to a professional privacy consultant to analyze several scenarios for what might have happened.
27. Valdai Discussion Club: Timofey Bordachev, SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND POINTS REGARDING RUSSIA’S EU STRATEGY. The practical task for Russia is to make Europe useful for Russia’s development and to shape a relatively safe environment.
28. Financial Times: Steve Johnson, Russia slides from technological superpower to also-ran.
29. Financial Times: Charles Clover, Lev Gumilev: passion, Putin and power. The ideas of the Soviet historian are influencing a new generation of hardliners.
30. Russia Inside: William Wedin, The Mysterious Mr. Putin And the Prospects for Nuclear War. In their ceaseless quest for ever more power and wealth, our leaders have so lost touch with any sense of integrity that they cannot grasp the fact that a man of integrity is saying to them: “Go no farther. Here I stand.”
31. New York Review of Books: Masha Gessen, Putin: The Rule of the Family.
32. Moscow Times: Russians’ Favorite Writer? The Winner is…

 

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