RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-76 :: Monday, 30 April 2018

St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter]

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#76
Monday, 30 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
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

1. Russia Beyond: Top 7 Russian movies that won people’s hearts (and wallets) [Text with trailers rbth.com/arts/328106-top-7-russian-movies]
2. Forbes: Understanding Russia: Why Punishments Might Backfire [Text with links forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2018/04/29/understanding-russia-why-punishments-might-backfire/#12287d05277f]
3. NYU Jordan Center: Event Summary. Putin’s Last Term?
4. TASS: Vedomosti: Russia’s middle class returns to cautious pre-crisis optimism.
5. Paul Goble: A Military Coup Against Putin Although Unlikely Cannot Now be Excluded, Felgengauer Says.
6. Moskovsky Komsomolets: Russian premier said discussing reforms with liberals.
7. Moscow Times: Generation Putin: Smug, Patriotic and Rebellious. The young Russians who grew up under Vladimir Putin might yet surprise. [Text with charts themoscowtimes.com/articles/generation-putin-smug-patriotic-and-rebellious-61301]
8. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, BOOK REVIEW: THE ROAD TO UNFREEDOM. (re Timothy Snyder) [irrussianality.wordpress.com/2018/04/26/book-review-the-road-to-unfreedom/#more-4261]
9. Paul Goble: Notion of a Special Russian Path ‘Irresponsible and Dangerous,’ Liberal Authors Warn in New Book.
10. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with Council of Legislators. On the Day of Russian Parliamentarism, Vladimir Putin met with the Federal Assembly’s Council of Legislators. By tradition, the meeting took place at the Tavrichesky (Tauride) Palace. (excerpt) [Complete text en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/57376]
11. www.rt.com: Economy ‘in tatters?’ Russian PM invites Obama to do fact check for himself.
12. Government.ru: Excerpts from Dmitry Medvedev’s interview with the Vesti v Subbotu (News on Saturday) programme.
13. Reuters: Sanctions to limit room for Russia’s rate cuts, economic growth.
14. Reuters: Russia Close to Drawing Up Draft Law to Raise Pension Age: PM Medvedev.
15. www.rt.com: Over $400bn illegally withdrawn from Russia in 17yrs.
16. www.rt.com: Media meltdown as Russia’s first floating nuclear power goes on fueling trip (PHOTOS) [rt.com/news/425491-floating-chernobyl-lomonosov-nuclear/]
17. Intellinews.com: Ben Aris, MOSCOW BLOG: Russio delenda est.
18. Russian International Affairs Council: Alexander Panov, Russia – West Crisis: Small Steps Are Not Enough. [russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/interview/russia-west-crisis-small-steps-are-not-enough/]
19. Asia Times: Konstantin Sonin, World Cup opportunity for Russia to shine on global stage. Some may sneer that the upcoming soccer extravaganza is just an occasion for corrupt Russian officials to feather their nests, but they miss the point. [Text with links atimes.com/article/world-cup-opportunity-for-russia-to-shine-on-global-stage/]
20. Sputnik: WADA Whistleblower Rodchenkov Retracts Part of Doping Accusations Against Russia.
21. Global Times; Dmitri Trenin, US hybrid war arrives to replace Cold War.
22. Washington Times: Edward Lozansky, The reality of Cold War 2.0. US-Russia should dialogue on arms, elections, cyber security.
23. Sputnik: Over 40% of Russians Believe Western Sanctions Likely to Remain for Years – Poll.
24. TASS: Russian PM stands for individual sanctions against US legal entities and individuals.
25. TASS: Head of Russian human rights council against ban on imports of medicines from US.
26. www.rt.com: ‘Not our way:’ Moscow won’t break into US diplomatic compounds in case of closure.
27. PONARS Eurasia: Ivan Kurilla, The Anti-Russia Surge in U.S. Politics: Finding Context.
28. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, THE SAMSON HAIRCUT OPTION – ONE STEP BEFORE RUSSIA OPENS FIRE ON AMERICAN, ISRAELI FORCES. [Coomplete text with links, footnotes, and photos johnhelmer.net/the-samson-haircut-option-one-step-before-russia-opens-fire-on-american-israeli-forces/]
29. RFE/RL: West, Russia ‘Share Interest’ In Afghan Stability, Top U.S. Commander Says.
30. Intellinews.com: Poroshenko’s popularity in free fall.
31. The Unz Review: The Saker, Why Orthodox Churches Are Still Used as Pawns in Political Games. unz.com/tsaker/why-orthodox-churches-are-still-used-as-pawns-in-political-games/
32. Valdai Discussion Club: INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT: NOT REALLY A BREAKTHROUGH.
33. The Unz Review: Anatoly Karlin, If Worst Comes to Worst in Armenia… [Text with links unz.com/akarlin/if-worst-comes-to-worst-in-armenia/]
34. The Blog Mire: Rob Slane, The UK Government’s Skripal Conspiracy Theory – or The Art of Holding a Mass of Contradictory Thoughts in Your Head. [Text with links and graphics theblogmire.com/the-uk-governments-skripal-conspiracy-theory/]
35. Moon of Alabama: The Silence Of The Skripals – Government Blocks Press Reports – Media Change The Record. moonofalabama.org/2018/04/the-silence-of-the-skripals-government-blocks-press-reports-media-change-the-record.html
36. Consortiumnews.com: Turning on Russia. In this first of a two-part series, Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould trace the origins of the neoconservative targeting of Russia. [Text with links consortiumnews.com/2018/04/29/turning-on-russia/]
37. The New Kremlin Stooge: Mark Chapman, Wicked is as Wicked Does, My Mama Says. [Text with links thenewkremlinstooge.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/wicked-is-as-wicked-does-my-mama-says/]
38. Twitter: Leonid Bershidsky {Bloomberg: “I will say once again: 1) There is not a shred of evidence for the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. 2) There are few Americans who know anything about how Moscow works, who’s important and who’s connected to whom, and these few have largely kept out of the toxic discussion.”

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

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

Map of CIS Central Asia and Environs

Eurasia Map

Comment