RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents & links :: JRL 2020-#38 :: Wednesday, 4 March 2020
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-#38 :: Wednesday, 4 March 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. Gizmodo: Moscow Didn’t Get a Winter This Year.
2. The BlogMire: Rob Slane, The Salisbury Poisonings Two Years On: A Riddle, Wrapped in a Cover Up, Inside a Hoax – theblogmire.com/the-salisbury-poisonings-two-years-on-a-riddle-wrapped-in-a-cover-up-inside-a-hoax/
3. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, CYBER SOLDIERS PENETRATE THE SKRIPAL CASE – johnhelmer.net/cyber-soldiers-penetrate-the-skripal-case/print/
4. TASS: Putin stresses 2008 promise to prevent rerun of 1998 meltdown was full of risk.
5. Kremlin.ru: On stability and stagnation in economy (interview to TASS) – en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62931
6. www.rt.com: Russia slowly getting over its oil addiction, says Putin – rt.com/business/482270-russia-oil-addiction-putin/
7. www.rt.com: Protect Putin from Covid-19: Kremlin’s new mission as epidemic spreads worldwide – rt.com/russia/482289-protect-putin-from-covid/
8. www.rt.com: Putin: Foreign misinformation BOTS spreading fears about coronavirus on Russian social media – rt.com/russia/482299-russian-social-media-coronavirus-misinformation/
9. www.rt.com: ‘Do wear masks but don’t think you’re safe’: Top Soviet virologist & WHO expert explains Covid-2019 & debunks popular myths – rt.com/news/482120-coronavirus-masks-russian-virologist/
10. www.rt.com: Bryan MacDonald, Putin’s constitutional changes: Proposals include ban on same-sex marriage & special place for God – rt.com/russia/482223-putin-constitution-changes-proposal/
11. Russian and Eurasian Politics: Gordon Hahn, Unintended Consequences and Putin’s Constitutional Reforms
12. Facebook: Pietro Shakarian, Constitutional Discussions.
13. Meduza: ‘Which god did Putin have in mind, exactly?’ In unusually extensive back-and-forth with journalists, Kremlin spokesman engages on questions of God, history, and presidential responsibility for constitutional change.
14. Awful Avalanche: And Still On the Topic Of Religion – awfulavalanche.wordpress.com/2020/03/04/and-still-on-the-topic-of-religion/
15. Paul Goble: More than 10 Times as Many Russians are Focusing on the Coronavirus than on Putin’s Latest Moves, New Poll Reports.
16. Paul Goble: Fewer than Half of Russians Value Competitive Elections or Freedom of Religion or Speech, Pew Research Reports.
17. Foreign Policy: Robert Service, Selling Your Soul to the Kremlin A new book chronicles the Faustian bargain that Russians-from holy men to human rights activists-have made with Vladimir Putin’s government. (re Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin’s Russia by Joshua Yaffa)
18. Intellinews.com: Vladimir Tikhomirov, What will the impact of a global pandemic be on the world and Russian economy? The coronavirus threatens to cause a global recession, but thanks to sanctions Russia has been shock-proofed, but even it won’t escape unscathed.
19. Moscow Times: Putin’s Spending Boost Won’t Be Enough To Lift Russians Out of Poverty, Audit Chamber Warns. Russia’s plans to spend an extra $60 billion to raise living standards will fall short of the government’s ambitious poverty-reduction targets, the watchdog says.
20. Moscow Times: Daniel Kozin, Is Russia Finally Waking Up to Climate Change? Russia is the world’s fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases but has so far failed to adopt meaningful reduction targets.
21. RFE/RL: ‘Were The Builders Morons?’ Russia’s First Theme Park Leaves Few Amused.
22. TASS: Izvestia: Trump agrees to attend summit of five permanent UNSC members.
23. Valdai Discussion Club: Andrey Sushentsov, Strategic Conditions of Russia-China Entente – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/strategic-conditions-of-russia-china-entente/
24. Through Russia Eyes: Jonathan Haslam, Afghanistan: Russia’s New Ally? – throughrussianeyes.com/2020/03/03/afghanistan-russias-new-ally/
25. Consortiumnews.com: Patrick Lawrence, Moscow’s Difficult Decision on Idlib. Turkey’s leader, who nurses dreams of some kind of neo-Ottoman restoration across the Middle East, is now on a reckless tear. – consortiumnews.com/2020/03/03/patrick-lawrence-moscows-difficult-decision-on-idlib/
26. The National Interest: Connor Dilleen, It Could Be War: Turkey and Russia Are Playing a Dangerous Game in Syria. They can still pull back from the brink.
27. The National Interest: Ali Demirdas, Russia’s Power Struggle Over the Syrian War Has Prompted Turkey to Seek U.S. Assistance. It is now evident that the Ankara-Moscow cooperation has reached its limits in Syria.
28. Financial Times editorial: Erdogan’s pivot to Putin has left Turkey weaker. Turkish leader is doing Kremlin’s bidding with refugee threat to EU.
29. www.strategic-culture.org: Matthew Ehret, The Multipolar Alliance Induces Rumpelstiltskin’s Self-Destruction – strategic-culture.org/news/2020/03/04/the-multipolar-alliance-induces-rumpelstiltskins-self-destruction/
30. AP: Ukrainian Parliament Set to Accept PM’s Resignation.
31. theduran.com: To pay debts Ukraine will have to sell land. The Verkhovna Rada is currently considering a bill to lift a moratorium on the sale of agricultural land – theduran.com/to-pay-debts-ukraine-will-have-to-sell-land/
32. Foxnews.com: Trump campaign sues Washington Post for libel over ‘false, defamatory statements’ about Russia ‘conspiracy’
33. New American: Biden-Burisma Docs Sought as Former Veep Seeks Super Tuesday Win.
– thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/35022-biden-burisma-docs-sought-as-former-veep-seeks-super-tuesday-win
34. www.rt.com: Few are as elated at Biden’s ‘historic comeback’ as Putin’s self-proclaimed arch-enemy McFaul – rt.com/usa/482293-mcfaul-biden-historic-comeback/
35. New Books Network: Jennifer Eremeeva, Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore by Darra Goldstein. (Including podcast interview)
[Text with podcast interview: newbooksnetwork.com/darra-goldstein-beyond-the-north-wind-russia-in-recipes-and-lore-random-house-2020/]
[Amazon: amazon.com/Beyond-North-Wind-Recipes-Cookbook/dp/0399580395/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N8XTFKJWWACC&keywords=darra+goldstein&qid=1583330646&sprefix=Darra%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1]
