RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-215 :: Friday, 14 December 2018

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#215 :: Friday, 14 December 2018
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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1. Meduza: Half of Russians now say Vladimir Putin is responsible for the country’s problems, according to new poll.
2. www.rt.com: I did not want to be president, rejected offer made by Yeltsin – Putin.
3. TASS: Putin says presidency is open to anyone who is willing to dedicate his life to this duty.
4. Moscow Times: Putin’s Ratings in 2018, a Sign of Things to Come? An Interview With Alexei Levinson. Alexei Levinson, the Levada Center’s head of research, discusses the science behind Vladimir Putin’s ratings.
5. RFE/RL: Putin Hails Solzhenitsyn As ‘True Patriot’ On Centenary Of His Birth.
6. Kremlin.ru: Monument to Alexander Solzhenitsyn unveiled in Moscow.
7. Kremlin.ru: Meeting of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights.
8. www.rt.com: Putin attends funeral of legendary rights advocate Alekseeva (VIDEO)[rt.com/russia/446147-alekseeva-funeral-putin-video/]
9. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with Constitutional Court Chairman Valery Zorkin.
10. Kremlin.ru: Reception marking the 25th anniversary of the Constitution.
11. TASS: Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Litany of human rights issues awaits Putin.
12. Moscow Times: Viktor Sheinis, On Its 25th Birthday, Russia’s Constitution Is Still Worth Defending. But if we want to return to the democratic path declared during perestroika, our constitution will need an overhaul.
13. Paul Goble: 1993 Constitution Not to Blame for Putin’s Authoritarian System, Shelin Says.
14. Komsomolskaya Pravda: Dmitry Peskov: Russia does not have a special path, it is fighting for its sovereignty and will not be anyone’s vassal. President’s press secretary spoke to students about Trump, Brilyov, and Putin’s work schedule.
and will not be anyone’s vassal. President’s press secretary spoke to students about Trump, Brilyov, and Putin’s work schedule. 15. Russian and Eurasian Politics: Gordon Hahn, Putin’s 2024 Exit Path: Transition Through the Regions Mexico-Mode.
15. Russian and Eurasian Politics, Gordon M. Hahn: Putin’s 2024 Exit Path: Transition Through the Regions Mexico-Mode
16. Wall Street Journal: Czar Vladimir? Putin Acolytes Want to Bring Back the Monarchy. Pro-Kremlin activists want to restore Russian traditions-and hope for a longer reign for Mr. Putin.
17. Carnegie Moscow Center: Andrey Pertsev, Rule by KPI: The Kremlin’s New Approach to Governing Russia.
18. A Greater Eurasia: David Hayter, Putin Urges United Russia to Focus on Real Public Service. [https://agreatereurasia.blogspot.com/2018/12/putin-urges-united-russia-to-focus-on.html]
19. Bear Market Blog: United Russia Congress.
20. Defense News: Ruslan Pukhov, Director of Moscow-based think tank CAST: Putin is a leader made for the Russian Federation.
21. Russia Matters: Marlene Laruelle, Isolation and Reconquista: Russia’s Toolkit as a Constrained Great Power.
22. TASS: Violence against women alarms more than 70% of Russians, indicates poll.
23. Bloomberg: Leonid Bershidsky, France’s Yellow Vests Aren’t Imported from Russia. Such movements may be cheered by outsiders, but they’re homegrown.
24. The Unz Review: Some interesting pieces by Anatoly Karlin: Oleg Kashin in the Albats Archipelago, A Short History of Russian Homicides, The Fall of Czarism, and Agriculture in the USSR. [unz.com/akarlin/kashin-in-albats-archipelago/ … unz.com/akarlin/russia-homicides/ … unz.com/akarlin/czarism/ … unz.com/akarlin/agriculture-in-the-ussr/]
25. CNN.com: Trump brand now toxic in Putin’s Kremlin.
26. The National Interest: Jill Dougherty and Thomas Zamostny, U.S. Security and Russia: Choices and Consequences. America’s current strategy toward Russia, simply put, is not working; instead, it’s tying our hands.
27. Consortiumnews.com: Latest Odds of a Shooting War Between NATO and Russia. Hungarian scholar George Szamuely tells Ann Garrison that he sees a 70 percent chance of combat between NATO and Russia following the incident in the Kerch Strait and that it is being fueled by Russia-gate. [consortiumnews.com/2018/12/13/latest-odds-of-a-shooting-war-between-nato-and-russia/]
28. www.rt.com: Power projection or experimental flight? What Russian Tu-160 bombers actually did in Venezuela.
29. Moscow Times: U.S. State Department Upgrades Russia in Travel Advisory System.
30. Russia Beyond: Russians and Americans: Why we don’t understand each other.
31. New York Times: Russia Wants to Extend U.S. Space Partnership. Or It Could Turn to China.. The Cosmonautics Museum in Moscow celebrating Soviet achievements in space.
32. The Conversation: Danita Catherine Burke, Why the new Arctic ‘Cold War’ is a dangerous myth.
33. www.rt.com: Russia remains main supplier of coal to Ukraine as coming bitter frost forces Kiev to boost imports.
34. TASS: Poroshenko has no chances to win Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election, poll shows.
35. Intellinews.com: Ben Aris, Is Russia about to invade Ukraine?
36. Intellinews.com: Timothy Ash trip notes from Kyiv: elections headed for a Tymoshenko win and no war with Russia.
37. AP: Russian Orthodox church calls on UN for help in Ukraine.
38. Russia Insider: Paul Kindlon, Russia Could Destroy the Ukrainian Government with This Political Gambit.
39. Valdai Discussion Club: Dimitris Konstantakopoulos, Imperialism, Geopolitics and Religion: The Split Between Moscow and Constantinople. [valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/imperialism-geopolitics-and-religion/]
40. Moscow Times: Russia Is Ready to Publish Correspondence on Alleged U.S. Election ‘Interference,’ Official Says.
41. Sputnik: ‘Full Extent’ of Russian Meddling on Google in 2016? $4,700 Spent on Ads.
42. Washington Post: Joby Warrick and Anton Troianovski, Agents of doubt. How a powerful Russian propaganda machine chips away at Western notions of truth.
43. www.rt.com: Maria Butina pleads guilty to US charge of conspiring to act as foreign agent.
44. TASS: Nezavisimaya Gazeta: US mass media gripped with ‘spy’ hysteria over Butina case.
45. www.rt.com: Months of torture-like conditions made Butina plead guilty to get home sooner – Lavrov.
46. Washington Times: Anti-Trump dossier author was hired to help Hillary challenge 2016 election results.
47. Wall Street Journal editorial: The Flynn Entrapment. A court filing shows the ugly tactics employed by James Comey’s FBI.
48. Washington Times: Secretive State Dept. offensive targets propaganda, ‘deep fakes’

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