RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-62 :: Thursday, 5 April 2018

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#62
Thursday, 5 April 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
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1. Brookings event: Putin’s next act.
2. The Independent (UK) editorial: Whether we can prove Moscow’s involvement in the Skripal case or not is irrelevant.
3. The Independent (UK): Mary Dejevsky, Jeremy Corbyn was right to be cautious about blaming Moscow for the Skripal poisoning.
4. The Blogmire: Rob Slane, The Three Most Important Aspects of the Skripal Case so Far…and Where They Might be Pointing.
5. The Guardian (UK): Yulia Skripal says she is recovering but disoriented. Victim of nerve agent issues first statement as relative claims she said father was getting better.
5a. www.rt.com: Russia wants results of OPCW probe on Skripal poisoning made public – envoy to UK.
6. Reuters: Up to UK to Prove Russia Was Behind Attack on Spy, German Official Says.
7. Moon of Alabama: “It’s The Cover-Up” – UK Foreign Office Deletes Tweet, Posts False Transcript, Issues New Lies. Full text: http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/04/its-the-cover-up-uk-foreign-office-deletes-tweet-posts-false-transcript-issues-new-lies.html#more
8. Vedomosti: Russian experts on future of ‘diplomatic war’ over Skripal case.
9. Moskovsky Komsomolets: Poisoned Russian spy’s niece suggests financial motive.
10. TASS: Putin stresses importance of competition for solving Russia’s current tasks.
11. Bloomberg: World War Still Haunts Putin as Population Decline Taxes Economy.
12. TASS: Russia sees US foreign policy as controversial – Lavrov.
13. The National Interest: Paul Saunders, An Interview with Retired Russian General Evgeny Buzhinsky. A retired Russian general says that relations between the United States and Russia are more dangerous than during the Cold War.
15. Bear Market Brief: Whose stability is it, anyway?
16. Bear Market Brief: Experts see blurring of line between social and political protest.
17. www.opendemocracy.net: Dmitry Kolezev, Why Ekaterinburg needs a directly elected mayor. One of Russia’s biggest cities is losing the right to elect its mayor. The position may be symbolic, but so is its loss.
18. New Eastern Europe: Vitali Shkliarov, How to clean up Russian politics. The reality of a one-person autocracy – like in Russia – is that there is no alternative political activity, besides an armed attempt at overthrow, in which the citizens can engage. But to participate in any public political act, in the eyes of those who do not understand, is to cooperate with the regime. But what other choice Russians have? (excerpt) [Full text http://neweasterneurope.eu/2018/04/04/clean-russian-politics/]
19. Moscow Times: Oksana Pushkina, Harassment of Women in Russia Has to End. A State Duma deputy’s lone call for action.
20. Bear Market Brief: Military spending cutbacks proving drag on economy.
21. Russiafeed.com: Paul Goncharoff, Russian food production BOOMING thanks to import substitutions, Western sanctions. Cheddar, Brie, Prosciutto, Blue Cheese, Bagels and Ciabatta are now all made in Russia.
22. Intellinews.com: Russia defies the west with two bond issues.
23. Chronicles: Srdja Trifkovic, Moscow notes: the curse of liberalism.
24. Interfax: Int’l rules of conduct needed to prevent situations like blocking of Russian media outlets’ Facebook accounts – Nikiforov.
25. RFE/RL: U.S. Reported Poised To Impose New Sanctions On Russian Billionaires.
26. TASS: Kremlin says ‘no oligarchs in Russia’, just ‘big business representatives’
27. Russia Beyond: 6 desperate things Russia has done to mount the 2018 World Cup.
28. PONARS Eurasia: Mariya Omelicheva, How Russia’s Economic Recession Benefits Moscow Politically in its “Near Abroad.” (excerpt)
29. Valdai Discussion Club: Mary Dejevsky, RUSSIA AND ABROAD OVER FIVE YEARS.
30. Valdai Discussion Club: Ivan Timofeev, UNWANTED ALLY? RUSSIA AND THE FUTURE OF THE ANTI-TERRORIST COALITION.
31. Washington Post: Nicholas Trickett, Why Putin’s oil maneuvers will keep Russia in the Middle East.
32. Wall Street Journal: Turkey and Russia Forge Bond as Trump Weighs Syria Exit. Erdogan and Putin met this week with Iran’s Rouhani; all three could benefit from a U.S. withdrawal.
33. TASS: Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Washington might delegate its role in Syria to other players.
34. Reuters: Russia short of foreign policy options if bet on Trump fails.
35. TASS: Moscow troubled by US attempts to lower nuclear threshold.
36. Russia International Affairs Council: Dmitry Stefanovich, Strategic Stabilization: A Window of Opportunities for Russia and the U.S.. (excerpt)
37. The Nation: Stephen Cohen, Russophobia in the New Cold War. Several factors make this US-Russian Cold War more dangerous than its predecessor-is “Russo-madness” one of them?
38. Center for Economic and Policy Research: Dean Baker, Economics Lessons for Thomas Friedman: Putin Brought Russia Out of Poverty.
39. Washington Post editorial: On his way out, McMaster tells the truth. Trump should listen. America is failing to stop Putin’s interference.
40. Transitions Online: Kremlin’s Hybrid Warfare Strategies Revealed. An unpublished report based on an analysis of leaked Kremlin emails reveals the Russian government’s hybrid warfare tactics in Ukraine, some of which are applied in the West as well.

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