RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-67 :: Thursday, 7 April 2016

St. Basil's Domes

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#67
Thursday, 7 April 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 to the George Washington University and by voluntary contributions from readers.

Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.phpDonate Online: direct link

RUSSIA

1. The National Interest: Nikolas Gvosdev, Resetting the Reset. America’s next president will have to start all over with Russia.
2. Financial Times: A world order reshaped by Vladimir Putin’s ambition. The image of Russia as weak and withdrawn from the international arena is wrong, writes Eugene Rumer.
3. Rethinking Russia: Nikolay Pakhomov, Does America Need Russia?
4. Kremlin.ru: Direct Line with Vladimir Putin will take place on April 14 at midday.
5. Interfax: Putin calls free press enemy of frauds, bribers, not administration.
6. Moscow Times: Most Russians Think Government Corruption Is ‘Unacceptable’ – Poll.
7. Levada.ru: Russians largely resigned to rampant corruption, views on Putin mixed – poll.
8. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Panama Papers scandal: What was the reaction in Russia?
9. Russia Direct: Marina Obrazkova, The Panama Papers: A new headache for the Kremlin? Russian experts are mixed on how the Kremlin should respond to the allegations in the Panama Papers. Some believe that the Kremlin should launch an independent probe, while others say that Russia has no reason to start a new investigation.
10. Russia Direct: Ivan Tsvetkov, What are the implications of the Panama Papers for Russia? As in past instances involving allegations of corruption within the Russian political elite, the Kremlin had a stock response ready for its Western critics about the revelations contained within the Panama Papers.
11. Washington Post: Putin denounces Panama Papers leaks as attempt to weaken Russia.
12. Fort Russ: Putin to Declassify Documents That Bear Some “Very Interesting Names”
13. Reuters: Russian economy may contract less than forcecast in 2016 at current oil prices – c.bank governor.
14. Wall Street Journal: Russian Poverty to Grow at Fastest Rate Since 1998-99, World Bank Says. World Bank expects Russia’s oil-dependent economy to take longer to return to growth.
15. www.rt.com: World Bank expects Russian economy to grow in 2017.
16. www.opendemocracy.net: Svetlana Bolotnikova, The pitchforks are coming. Farm workers in the depths of southern Russia are hardly a protest constituency, but corruption and corporate raids have pushed them to the brink. They may even take their grievances to Moscow – by tractor.
17. AFP: Putin launches bid to rehabilitate Soviet legacy.
18. Paul Goble: Russia’s Inability to Deal with Its Past Imperils Its Future, Inozemtsev Says.
19. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Putin announces creation of National Guard for Russia. A series of important changes has taken place within Russian security organs, with the most significant being the establishment of a National Guard, to be formed from Interior Ministry troops.
20. Kremlin.ru: Russian National Guard established.
21. Sputnik: What’s Behind the Creation of Russia’s New National Guard.
22. http://patrickarmstrong.ca: Patrick Armstrong, How to Spin Russia.
23. Valdai Discussion Club: Timofei Bordachev, CHINA AND RUSSIA DISCUSS WAYS TO RESPOND TO SHARED CHALLENGES. Russian and Chinese experts agree on the limited appeal and erroneous nature of a political rapprochement between the two countries with the sole purpose of challenging the US. In fact, there are far greater strategic objectives Russia and China should be pursuing.
24. Carnegie Moscow Center: Dmitri Trenin, Russia in the Middle East: Moscow’s Objectives, Priorities, and Policy Drivers. With the start of the military intervention in Syria in 2015, and the U.S.-Russian diplomatic effort that accompanied it, the Middle East has become a key testing ground for Russia’s attempt to return to the global stage.
25. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Battlefield as showroom: Russian arms gain new luster after Syria campaign. Russia’s brief but successful campaign in Syria has attracted international arms buyers, and could boost sales by $6 billion in 2016.
26. www.rt.com: Putin intelligent strategist, Russia played constructive role in Syria, Iran – Kerry on Charlie Rose.
27. Russian International Affairs Council: Yuri Barmin, A Critical Look at Mainstream Analysis of the Russian Operation in Syria.
28. Moscow Times: How Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Could Spark Major International Crisis.
29. Russia Direct: Alexey Fenenko, Three ways for peaceful resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Now that current attempts at resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have proven ineffective, it’s time to consider other alternatives that can bring the conflicting sides to the nego tiating table in a meaningful way.
30. Huffingtonpost.com: Simon Saradzhyan, All-Out War Over Karabakh Is No One’s Interest.
31. Wall Street Journal: Svante Cornell, Vladimir Putin’s Next European Front. A conflict in the Caucasus is the Kremlin’s latest chance to stir trouble in its neighborhood as Washington stands by.

UKRAINE

32. Reuters: Dutch Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Ukraine-EU Treaty.
33. Wall Street Journal: Dutch Say EU Pact With Ukraine Can’t Go On as Planned After Vote. Voters in the Netherlands rejected agreement by wide margin in nonbinding referendum.
34. Intellinews.com: Ben Aris, Dutch vote disastrous for Ukraine but fudge seen in the offing.
35. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, PNEE, NEE, NEE. (with comments)
36. Russia Insider: Alexei Pankin, The Dutch No Vote Makes No Difference: The Fate of Ukraine Is Sealed.
37. Bloomberg: Leonid Bershidsky, Dutch Voters Snub Kiev, Not Brussels.
38. Intellinews.com: Mark Adomanis, Ukraine – the incredible shrinking country.
39. Reuters: Displaced Ukrainians Confused, Frustrated Over Suspension of Benefits: U.N.
40. Russia Insider/Die Zeit: EU President: Ukraine Will Not Be in the EU or NATO, Not Even in 25 Years.
41. Atlantic Council: Andreas Umland, Ukraine’s Understandable But Senseless Hope for NATO Membership.
42. Interfax: Over 80% of Russians against Crimea’s return to Ukraine – poll.
43. Wall Street Journal editorial: Panama and Poroshenko. You can debate the leader’s wealth in Kiev, but not in Moscow.
44. Kyiv Post: Poroshenko’s offshore story challenges Ukrainian media standards, independence.
45. Intellinews.com: Kateryna Kruk, Damage to Ukraine from Panama Papers extends well beyond its borders.
46. www.rt.com: Bryan MacDonald, Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko: The biggest loser from the Panama Papers?
47. www.thedailybeast.com: Anna Nemtsova, The Mystery of the Gay Jewish Defense Lawyer Murdered in Ukraine. Attorney Yuriy Grabovskiy took the hard cases, and it appears because of the last one, defending an alleged Russian intelligence officer, he paid with his life.
48. https://dninews.com: ‘Water blockade’ by Kiev threatens LPR with infections’ spreading.
49. Business Insider: GEORGE FRIEDMAN: Russia will be ready to invade Ukraine again by 2017.

 

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

Comment