RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#160 contents with links :: Wednesday 23 July 2014

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Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2014-#160 :: Wednesday 23 July 2014
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1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Mikhail Butov, Making sense of war: The perspective of five great Russian writers. The current conflict in Ukraine is raising sensitive ethical questions, forcing us to consider the justifications and meaning of using military force, and whether it should be allowed at all.
2. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Did Putin just bring Russia in from the cold?
3. Ron Paul Institute: Daniel McAdams, On Malaysian Crash, Obama’s Case Against Russia Disintegrates.
4. Reuters: Rebels likely downed Malaysian jet ‘by mistake’ -U.S. officials.
5. Interfax: Ukrainian Security Service keeps recordings of tower conversations with Malaysian Boeing – source.
6. New York Times: They Did This? In Rebel Country, Disbelief. (“The rebels are largely impoverished local people”)
7. Interfax-Ukraine: Russian special services planning to kill Girkin, Bezler, Bolotov.
8. Euromaidan Press: Evidence mounts for a Russian invasion into Ukraine under the guise of peacekeeping troops.
9. Interfax-Ukraine: Over 40,000 Russian troops deployed along Ukrainian border – security supremo.
10. Moscow Times: Ukraine Claims Rebels Wanted Phosphorus Bombs.
11. Interfax-Ukraine: Most Ukrainians see relations with Russia as war, favour border closing – poll.
12. www.rt.com: Bogus photos of ‘Russian’ air-defense systems in Ukraine debunked by bloggers.
13. www.rt.com: Perverted truth: How rebel mourning MH17 victims was turned into looter with trophy.
14. ITAR-TASS: A total of 1.96 million Ukrainians now in Russia.
15. www.thedailybeast.com: Anna Nemtsova, Ukraine Denies Deadly Grad Rocket Attacks on Donetsk. Grad rockets pounded Donetsk and Luhansk this week, and human rights monitors say Kiev is behind the carnage. But Ukraine’s new defense minister tells The Daily Beast his forces are not to blame.
16. Bloomberg: Rebel Stronghold Donetsk Holds Breath as Shellfire Mounts.
17. Business New Europe: Graham Stack, Last train from Luhansk.
18. Sean’s Russia Blog: Sean Guillory, Civilians Caught in the Crossfire in Eastern Ukraine.
19. Business New Europe: Mark Adomanis, Toxic mix of demography, geography, politics blights Ukraine’s future.
20. Washington Post: Ukraine will need billions of dollars in new aid this year, economists say.
21. Kyiv Post: Ukrainians distance themselves from Russians in daily life.
22. Reuters: Ukraine Conflict Divides Families, Neighbors.
23. Interfax: Ukrainian Communist Party leader attacked in Rada.
24. RIA Novosti: Ukrainian Communist Party to Be Dissolved Thursday.
25. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Press Digest: Russia was ‘politically unprepared’ for Donetsk tragedy.
26. Russia Direct: In the aftermath of MH17, Putin tells Russian Security Council not to worry. Russia Direct discussed the implications of Putin’s address to the Russian Security Council with Fyodor Lukyanov, the Head of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.
27. Interfax: Russians believe situation in Ukraine threatens Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine – poll.
28. Interfax: Putin says Ukrainian “scenario” won’t happen in Russia.
29. Interfax: Putin vows to avoid clampdown in fight against radicalism.
30. Moscow Times: Georgy Bovt, Russians Will Back Putin, No Matter the Cost.
31. The National Interest: David C. Hendrickson, The MH17 Disaster: Part of a Much Bigger Problem. How things could go from bad to worse in Ukraine.
32. The National Interest: Robert Legvold, Putin’s Choice.
33. Dances With Bears : John Helmer, IF PRESIDENTS PUTIN, POROSHENKO AND OBAMA ARE ALL TELLING THE TRUTH, THEN THIS IS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
34. RIA Novosti: Dmitry Babich, The Disaster, Lies and Video. And Obama’s Fueling it All.
35. Salon.com: Patrick Smithj, Propaganda ministers, all of them: Our pathetic, spoon-fed media pushes half-truths, again. You can’t separate MH-17 debate from Ukraine debate. Washington wants to, and a compliant media helps – as always.
36. Foreign Policy Journal: Paul Craig Roberts, Guilt by Insinuation: How American Propaganda Works.
37. RIA Novosti: Medvedev Says US, EU Companies Clearly Show Intention to Continue Work in Russia.
38. ITAR-TASS: Ukraine’s conflict escalation may cost Russians 1/5 of incomes – ex-finance. (Kudrin)
39. Reuters: Putin ally warns Russia risks isolation over Ukraine rhetoric. (Kudrin)
40. The National Interest: Nikolas Gvosdev, Can Russia Avoid Being Hit with More Sanctions? Four indicators to consider.
41. Business New Europe: Clifford G. Gaddy and Barry W. Ickes, Can Sanctions Stop Putin?
42. RIA Novosti: Kiev Receives Russia’s Risk Assessment of Ukraine’s EU Association.
43. RIA Novosti: Russia to Protect Economy From Risks Posed by Ukraine’s EU Association.
44. Carnegie Moscow Center: Sergei Aleksashenko, Is There a Solution? (re price of gas)
45. Moscow Times: Fredrik Erixon, EU Wants Ukraine’s Money, Not Its War.
46. Valdai Discussion Club/Forbes.ru: Marsel Salikhov, Why Russia Should Avoid a Symmetrical Response to US Sanctions.
47. The Guardian: Larry Elliot, Economic meltdown scenario piles pressure on Russia and the west. Policymakers dread slump in Russia – from further sanctions by the west – would trigger another global economic meltdown.
48. www.rt.com: $200 per barrel oil if Russia sanctions escalate- Oxford Economics.
49. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Loss of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex will cost Russia $938 million.
50. Bloomberg: Obama’s Reluctance to Arming Rebels Stiffened by Airliner Strike.