RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-31 :: Tuesday, 13 February 2018

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#31
Tuesday, 13 February 2018
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1. Sputnik: Russia’s ‘Angelina Jolie’ of Curling Sends Twitter Into Frenzy (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
2. TASS: Izvestia: Record number of foreign observers expected at Russian presidential election.
3. TASS: No sick leave: Putin on duty despite being under the weather – Kremlin.
4. Vesti.ru: Candidates Approach the People: What Do Russian Voters Have on Their Minds? [Video with English subtitles https://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=2987211&cid=4441]
5. Financial Times: Putin’s poll rivals gain a platform but cannot win. Kremlin calculates that a field of eight candidates gives the impression of a genuine contest.
6. Interfax: Sobchak’s lawyers, Yabloko party chair complain to CEC about Putin film aired by Channel One.
7. Novaya Gazeta: Russian pundits view Navalny’s attack on opposition candidates.
8. www.opendemocracy.net: Dmitry Kolezev, If Russians are ignoring their upcoming presidential election, what are they talking about? This year, local issues are the hidden focus of Russia’s presidential election.
9. Moscow Times: Natalia Zubarevich, Why 2018 Means Inertia for Russia’s Regions. Don’t expect any political upheavals from the periphery this year.
10. TASS: Russians grow less forgiving of marital infidelity – poll.
11. AFP: Olympic Village welcoming Russians despite abuse claim.
12. Law360: Ronald Katz, Latest CAS Olympics Ruling Contradicts 2011 Case.
13. www.rt.com: No proof of doping does not mean innocence – CAS Secretary General to RT.
14. Vesti.ru: MIND BOGGLING: Doping Informant Goes Into Hiding…By Appearing on American National Television.
15. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, In Russia, a grass-roots bid to expose Stalin’s ‘Great Terror.’ The nascent movement mirrors efforts in many countries – Japan, Germany, Rwanda, and the United States, to name a few – to confront elements of a dark past.
16. Paul Goble: Moscow Far More Worried about Trump than Many in the West Think, Shevtsova Says.
17. Interfax: Russia could have budget surplus of 1.2% of GDP, NWF could grow 3.5 trillion rubles in 2018 – Econ Ministry.
18. Bear Market Brief: Fearing sanctions, wealthy Russians moved money home.
19. Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russian pundit says ‘economic freedom’ best response to US sanctions. (Yakov Mirkin)
20. Intersection: Stepan Goncharov, Conflicting Views: How the Russian Public Perceives Relations with America. A new survey shows how Russians might be open to changing their views about America. There is a growing willingness for cooperation, but a persistent reluctance for their country to make concessions.
21. Defense News: Funding to deter Russia reaches $6.5B in FY19 defense budget request.
22. Bloomberg: Leonid Bershidsky, Estonian Spies Understand the Russian Threat. Finally, a comprehensive look at Putin’s ambitions backed by real expertise.
23. www.foreignpolicy.com: Benn Steil, Russia’s Clash With the West Is About Geography, Not Ideology. The Marshall Plan recognized the limits of U.S. power in Europe. To be successful, so must diplomacy with Moscow today.
24. Bloomberg: U.S. Strikes Killed Scores of Russia Fighters in Syria, Sources Say.
25. Washington Post editorial: Russia is betting it can push the U.S. out of Syria. That would be devastating.
26. The Arctic Institute: Pavel Devyatkin, Russia’s Arctic Strategy: Aimed at Conflict or Cooperation? (Part I)
27. The Arctic Institute: Pavel Devyatkin, Russia’s Arctic Strategy: Aimed at Conflict or Cooperation? (Part II)
28. Carnegie Moscow Center: Nicu Popescu, Why Georgia’s Lessons for Russia Don’t Apply in Ukraine.
29. Kennan Institute: Brian Milakovsky, Ukrainians Abroad: The Economics and Politics of Labor Migration.
30. AP: Intelligence Agencies Expect Russia to Target Midterms.
31. New York Times: ‘An Extraordinary Moment’: Explaining the Russia Inquiry.
32. The Intercept: Glenn Greenwald, Dutch Official Admits Lying About Meeting With Putin: Is Fake News Used by Russia or About Russia? (excerpt)
33. The National Interest: Robert Merry, The Deep State Is Very Real. How the Deep State stopped better relations with Russia.
34. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with finalists of the Leaders of Russia national management competition.

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