RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents & links :: JRL 2020-#132 :: Thursday, 23 July 2020

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

Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php
Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU

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

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2020-#132 :: Thursday, 23 July 2020
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 Home: 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.

1. Moscow Times: Melting Arctic Permafrost Threatens Russian Energy Firms’ Bottom Line – Morgan Stanley
2. rt.com: No indicators there will be a second wave of Covid-19 in Russia, PM says.
3. TASS: Russia unlikely to see serious growth in coronavirus cases this autumn, experts say.
4. Interfax: First Russian Covid-19 vaccine proves efficacious, safe – Health Minister Murashko
5. rt.com: Russia has enough reserves to cope with Covid-19 crisis – PM Mishustin.
6. Government.ru: Mikhail Mishustin’s interview with Rossiya 24 television channel – government.ru/en/news/40078/
7. RFE/RL: An Isolated Case? Observers Doubt Far East Unrest Will Spread Across Russia.
8. Riddle: Ivan Davydov, The tragedy of politics as normal: the meaning of the protests in Khabarovsk. In Russia’s Far East, a false state clashes with a doomed civil society – ridl.io/en/the-tragedy-of-politics-as-normal-the-meaning-of-the-protests-in-khabarovsk/
9. Vedomosti: Russian comment views causes of regional discontent with federal centre.
10. Moscow Times: A Wave of Sexual Harassment Claims Is Rocking Russia’s Independent Media.
11. russian.rt.com: “Usual change of a signboard”: what is behind the liquidation of FBK that Navalny has announced – russian.rt.com/russia/article/766155-navalnyi-fbk-likvidaciya-prichiny
12. Meduza: Nine photos. Russia put a historian on trial twice for supposedly abusing his foster daughter sexually. Here’s how Yuri Dmitriev became a ‘political prisoner.’
13. provokemedia.com: Russia Looks To State Agency To Help Boost Global Image. The Russian government has installed new leadership at state agency Rossotrudnichestvo, at it attempts to build ‘soft power’ amid worldwide criticism.
14. Russia Beyond: Benjamin Davis, What Russians don’t understand about American racism – rbth.com/lifestyle/332476-russia-american-racism
15. Nicolai Petro: A comment on Galeotti
16. Beyond the Kremlin: Mark Smith, The many rooms of Eldar Riazanov
17. Russia Matters: Artemy Kalinovsky, Russian Moves in Afghanistan Are About Regional Stability, Not Revenge on U.S.
18. Valdai Discussion Club: Maxim Suchkov, ‘Strategic Mavericks’: Russia and Iran in a Post-COVID Middle East. The two countries have come a long way in recent years to iron out many differences or at least use them for constructive discussions at the diplomatic and top level. It is important to make the right use of the accumulated experience in cooperation – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/strategic-mavericks-russia-and-iran-in-a-post-covid-me/
19. Indian Punchline: M.K. Bhadrakumar, Turkey, Russia take timeout in Libyan war
20. Washington Post: David Ignatius, The U.S. and Russia have a rare opportunity to work together on a peace deal
21. Carnegie Moscow Center: Sergei Markedonov, Can Russia Mediate New Clashes Between Armenia and Azerbaijan? It’s in neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan’s interests for Russia to pick a side in their conflict: Nagorno-Karabakh would go from being a unique place where Russia and the West cooperate to yet another theater for their rivalry, with all the ensuing risks and dangers.
22. Asia Times: Richard Giragosian, Armenia-Azerbaijan escalation shakes the Caucasus. Shock Azerbaijani incursion into Armenian territory driven as much by domestic factors as diplomatic frustration.
23. Intellinews: White House “paying little attention” to Armenia Azerbaijan fighting says Carnegie analyst
24. rt.com: Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska tells Moscow to brace itself for ‘sanctions from hell’ if Biden wins US presidency.
25. Twitter: Drew Holden: Remember the Steele dossier? Now that its been thoroughly discredited, anyone care for a trip down memory lane about how folks in the media hyped it up because it made Trump look bad?
26. [PDF] Christopher Steele’s statement to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
27. rt.com: Pangs of conscience or howl of an empty wallet? Steele claims he never meant for infamous Russiagate dossier to go public.
28. The Federalist: Mollie Hemingway, New FBI Notes Re-Debunk Major NYT Story, Highlight Media Collusion To Produce Russia Hoax. The New York Times in 2017 falsely reported that the Trump campaign had ‘repeated’ contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the 2016 campaign, and instead of being held accountable for publishing lies, the story’s authors received Pulitzer prizes.
29. Off-Guardian: Kit Knightly, The “Russia Report”: Deep State reinforcing delusion to spread fear and seize power. “Suppressed” report should be a lesson to those who begged for its release – be careful what you wish for.
30. Nicolai Petrov: A manifesto by some of Ukraine’s best known political analysts. “For the Sake of Our Common Future: On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine”
31. Consortium News: Moss Robeson. Influential DC-Based Ukrainian Think Tank Hosts Neo-Nazi Activist Convicted for Racist Violence. Diana Vynohradova’s webinar appearance shows the mainstreaming of neo-Nazism in Ukrainian politics and the tolerance for pro-NATO fascists in Washington – consortiumnews.com/2020/07/22/influential-dc-based-ukrainian-think-tank-hosts-neo-nazi-activist-convicted-for-racist-violence/
32. The Spectator (UK): Owen Matthews, Putin plans to make the West destroy itself. Chaos and division is the real goal for Russia.

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