RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-80 :: Friday, 4 May 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-#80
Friday, 4 May 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. Newsweek.com: NATO PREPARES FOR WAR WITH RUSSIA WITH SIMULATED NAVAL AND CYBER ATTACKS. 
2. The Guardian (UK): Revealed: UK’s push to strengthen anti-Russia alliance. Exclusive: ministers will use series of summits to pursue containment strategy and urge rethink of diplomatic dialogue. 
3. TASS: More than 80% of Russians say they are happy – poll.
4. www.rt.com: Family, good health & rewarding jobs: Russians reveal what makes them so happy.
5. TASS: Russian waistlines going American: Health Ministry says obesity rates doubled in 5 years.
6. Russia Matters: Simon Saradzhyan and Nabi Abdullaev, Measuring National Power: Is Vladimir Putin’s Russia in Decline? [russiamatters.org/analysis/measuring-national-power-vladimir-putins-russia-decline]
Full report here [PDF]: russiamatters.org/sites/default/files/media/files/Measuring%20National%20Power%2005.03.18%2010pm%20take%202.pdf
7. TASS: Putin may submit prime minister’s candidacy to State Duma right after inauguration.
8. AP: As He Begins a New Term, Putin Pushes Lofty Goals for Russia.
9. Asia Times: Pepe Escobar, Popular Putin prepares for Cold War 2.0. As US-led Western hostility against Moscow mounts, Vladimir Putin’s new government is bound to be a war cabinet. [Text with links atimes.com/article/popular-putin-prepares-for-cold-war-2-0/]
10. Russia Observer: Patrick Armstrong, RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 3 MAY 2018. [Text with links patrickarmstrong.ca/2018/05/03/russian-federation-sitrep-3-may-2018/]
11. Intellinews.com: Russian government “on the brink” of increasing retirement ages.
12. Meduza: Don’t ‘overdo’ it online, if you fear the fuzz . A linguist explains the messy science that fuels Russia’s anti-extremism policing.
13. Intellinews.com: Julia Reed, The diary of an election observer: a day in prison.
14. Nicolai N. Petro, The Russian Orthodox Church. [Full text: academia.edu/36386289/Russian_Orthodox_Church_and_Russian_Foreign_Policy]
15. Moscow Times: Almost 90% of Tickets Sold for the World Cup in Russia.
16. TASS: Putin to attend 2018 FIFA World Cup opening match between Russia, Saudi Arabia.
17. Nasdaq.com: Martin Tillier, Forget the Politics, Russian Stocks Look Like Value.
18. Intellinews.com: Sanctioning Russian sovereign debt.
19. TASS: Moscow to benefit from evolving US-China trade war – Russian diplomat.
20. The Conversation: Gerhard Schnyder, Russia: how Western condemnation lets Putin off the hook. [Text with links theconversation.com/russia-how-western-condemnation-lets-putin-off-the-hook-94595]
21. International Politics: Kimberly Marten, Reckless ambition: Moscow’s policy toward the United States, 2016/17.
22. Russia International Affairs Council: Ivan Timofeev, Unbalanced Europe and the New Order in the OSCE Space. http://russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/analytics/unbalanced-europe-and-the-new-order-in-the-osce-space/
23. RFE/RL: NATO General Surprised By Lack Of ‘Visible Russian Interference’ In Armenia Crisis. (excerpt)
24. Moscow Times: Grigor Atanesian, New Armenia Will Stay With Russia, If Reluctantly . The Kremlin has nothing to fear in Armenia’s “Velvet Revolution,” analysts say.
25. Russia International Affairs Council: Sergey Markedonov, Azerbaijan after the Presidential Elections: Internal and Foreign Policy Dynamics. http://russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/analytics/azerbaijan-after-the-presidential-elections-internal-and-foreign-policy-dynamics/
26. Reuters: Israel to Russia – We sat out Western sanctions, so help us in Mideast.
27. www.rt.com: US ‘freezes funding’ for White Helmets as group’s Douma chem attack claim falls apart. [https://www.rt.com/news/425810-white-helmets-us-funding-freeze/]
28. Valdai Discussion Club: Georgy Toloraya, HOW RUSSIA SHOULD APPROACH THE DAWN OF DÉTENTE IN KOREA.
29. The Nation: Sophie Pinkham, Zombie History. Timothy Snyder’s bleak vision of the past and present.
30. TASS: Foreign Ministry: London blocks leakage to media that could clarify Skripal poisoning case.
31. TASS: Diplomat: OPCW’s ’50-100 grams’ claim ‘would have poisoned neighborhood’ not just Skripals.
32. The Blog Mire: Rob Slane, From the Skripals to Douma, the Globalist Pravda Network Reveals its True Face.
33. www.rt.com: Alexander Yakovenko, We get impression UK govt is deliberately destroying evidence in Skripal case – Russian Ambassador.
34. www.rt.com: Rick Sterling, Russian athletes exonerated but ignored in the West.
35. Valdai Discussion Club: David Lane, KARL MARX AFTER 200 YEARS. PART 2.
36. The Nation: Aaron Mate, Don’t Count on Russiagate to Bring Trump Down. Robert Mueller’s questions, Michael Cohen’s troubles, and the DNC’s lawsuit don’t inspire confidence.

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