RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-94 :: Thursday, 24 May 2018

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#94 :: Thursday, 24 May 2018
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1. Russia Beyond: Why are more and more Russians consciously choosing solitude? [Text with links rbth.com/lifestyle/328348-why-russians-choosing-solitude]
2. Interfax: Increasing life expectancy by 1 year every 1 year is ambitious task – Golikova.
3. CNN.com: Despite sanctions, Putin is pulling the world back to Russia.
4. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, READING RUSSIA RIGHT. (with comments)
5. The National Interest: Dave Majumdar, Former CIA Officials Assess Russia. The Center for the National Interest brought former CIA officials together to examine the state of American analysis of Russia.
6. Russiafeed.com: Alexander Mercouris, Russia’s new government: here’s why Putin chose to stick with his team. Putin sticks with the government which successfully piloted Russia through the sanctions and the oil price fall. (excerpt) [Complete text with links: russiafeed.com/russias-new-government-heres-why-putin-chose-to-stick-with-his-team/]
7. Paul Goble: ‘New’ Medvedev Cabinet Shows Russia Becoming an Obscurantist Autocracy, Golts Says.
8. CNBC.com: Rumblings of ‘social discontent’ in Russia, but for now Putin is riding high.
9. www.rt.com: Bryan MacDonald, Michael McFaul’s memoir: Yesterday’s man rages against the dying of the light. [Text with links: rt.com/op-ed/427565-michael-mcfaul-book-russia/]
10. Interfax: Navalny foundation lawyer Zhdanov detained for organizing unpermitted rally on May 5.
11. Meduza: Russia’s finance minister promises no new taxes, but hints at ‘adjustments’
12. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, ALEXEI KUDRIN MAKES PROSTRATION SPEECH FOR PARLIAMENT VOTE — THE ARCH-CAPITULATIONIST CAPITULATES. [Text with links, photos, and footnotes: johnhelmer.net/alexei-kudrin-makes-prostration-speech-for-parliament-vote-the-arch-capitulationist-capitulates/#more-19237]
13. Intellinews.com: Russia’s output, demand and GDP inch up in April.
14. CNBC.com: Putin wants growth but we won’t sacrifice stability, Russia’s central bank governor says.
15. www.rt.com: Russia ready to ditch dollar in favor of euro in foreign trade – finance minister.
16. TASS: Izvestia: SPIEF-2018 to become platform for dialogue between Russian, foreign businesses.
17. Moscow Times: Ben Aris, What to Expect From the St. Petersburg Economic Forum . The dominant theme at SPIEF will be: “keep doing what you’re doing, just do it better.”
18. Moscow Times: American Businesses in Russia Are Struggling After U.S. Sanctions, Survey Says.
19. Financial Times: Timothy Ash, Investing in Russia: the good, the bad and the ESG. Environmental, social and governance concerns may weigh on investment decisions.
20. Russia Matters: Michael Kofman, The Collapsing Russian Defense Budget and Other Fairy Tales.
21. The Independent (UK): Anastasia Nesvetailova, We can’t root out Russian ‘dirty money’ – our economy depends on it. Any regulatory change to deal with flows of Russian capital would require a profound overhaul of norms that govern the UK’s financial system. Post-Brexit, as the UK’s options as a global financial centre narrow, it is difficult to imagine this happening.
22. Russian International Affairs Council: Pietro Shakarian, Russia-Armenia Relations and the April Revolution. [Text with links: russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/analytics/russia-armenia-relations-and-the-april-revolution/]
23. Wall Street Journal: Europe Seeks Russia’s Help on Saving Iran Deal, Despite Chill. Macron will meet with Putin on Thursday, at a time when EU relations with Moscow are at post-Cold War low.
24. Valdai Discussion Club: Yaroslav Lissovolik, THE RISING ROLE OF SOUTH-SOUTH INTEGRATION.
25. www.rt.com: No Russian missile system ever crossed into Ukraine: MoD rejects Dutch MH17 claims.
26. Intellinews.com: Ben Aris, IRI poll paints a pretty grim picture of life and politics in Ukraine.
27. TASS: Kommersant: Donbass conflict heating up ahead of World Cup in Russia.
28. The Unz Review: Anatoly Karlin, Poroshenko Is In a Spot of Bother.
29. Pravda.ru: Russians massively break traffic rules on Crimea Bridge.
30. Awful Avalanche: Crimean Bridge Gives Psychological Boost – Part II.
31. Awful Avalanche: Crimean Bridge Gives Psychological Boost – Part III.
32. AP: Kremlin Doubts Ex-Spy’s Daughter’s Statement on Poisoning.
33. Moon of Alabama: British Hostage Video Of Yulia Skripal Released.
34. www.craigmurray.org.uk: Craig Murray, Yulia Skripal and the Salisbury WUT.
35. Washington Post: Karen Tumulty, Russia will try again this fall. Congress doesn’t seem to care.
36. Washington Post: Greg Sargent, James Clapper’s bombshell: Russia swung the election. What if he’s right?
37. The Hill: Sharyl Attkisson, 8 signs pointing to a counterintelligence operation deployed against Trump’s campaign.
38. Sic Semper Tyrannis: Framing the Trump Campaign as Lackeys of Russia by Publius Tacitus.
39. The Nation: Stephen Cohen, Intel ‘Informants’ and ‘Suspicious Contacts’ Echo Dark Pasts. McCarthyism and firsthand recollections of Soviet surveillance practices.
40. National Review: Conrad Black, The Collapse of the Collusion Narrative. The early righteousness of the anti-Trump lynch-mob has been deflated.