RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#35 table of contents with links :: Monday 23 February 2015

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Johnson’s Russia List
JRL 2015-#35 :: Monday 23 February 2015
E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net
A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairswww.ieres.org
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1. The Daily Express (UK): Danger to UK safety: Vladimir Putin’s Russian bombers ‘put British passenger jets at risk’
2. BBC: How to spot a Russian bomber.
3. Euromaidan Press: Where to attack next? Europe is facilitating Russia’s choice.
4. The Irish Times: People reappear in ruined Debaltseve, hungry and cursing Kiev.
5. The Independent (UK): Ukraine crisis: A young mother from Debaltseve gives a first-hand account of surviving in a basement with 25 other people during shelling.
6. www.thedailybeast.com: Anna Nemtsova, The Underground Refugees of East Ukraine. Fighting on East Ukraine’s front lines has forced desperate residents into an underground existence.
7. www.aljazeera.com: John Wendle, Ukraine’s front-line fighters balk at peace. With repeated ceasefire violations, it remains to be seen if the two sides will lay down their arms and end the war.
8. Reuters: Russia’s military budget may shrink 10 pct in 2015 – Rostec.
9. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Swapping a rifle for a mailbag: One Russian’s alternative to army service. As in many countries, military service is compulsory in Russia for young men between 18 and 27, yet remains unpopular with many, who find various ways of avoiding the draft. Odd as it may seem, few take up the option of legal alternative civilian service (ACS). RBTH asked one of the young Russians who chose alternative service to share his experiences.
10. Russia Insider: Colonel Cassad, With Debaltsevo out of the Way Ukraine Truce Can Take Hold for Now.
11. TASS: Half Kiev’s forces in east Ukraine killed by poor kit, friendly fire – media.
12. Reuters: Timothy Heritage, Putin surveys the map as he ponders next move on Ukraine.
13. Fort Russ: Kiev displays “proof’ of Russian military involvement.
14. Vice.com: Heroes of the Euromaidan Revolution are Leaving Ukraine.
15. Russia Insider: Bombing in Kharkov Is an Obvious False Flag. After Debaltsevo, the cease-fire seemed like it was within reach. Why would the rebels want to provoke more violence?
16. Fort Russ: “False Flag” Terrorist Attack in Kharkov? Two Dead, 15 Wounded.
17. Sputnik: Kiev Continues Shelling Donetsk Despite Ceasefire,Residential Areas Damaged.
18. Reuters: Kiev says cannot withdraw heavy weapons as attacks persist.
19. Russia Direct: Russia media debate the prospects for a lasting peace in Ukraine.
20. Russia Direct: Should the West reassess its policies towards Russia? Andrey Baykov, associate professor of International Affairs at MGIMO-University, talks about the issues and challenges to international security created by the crisis in Ukraine and the old Cold War syndromes.
21. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, VICTOR PINCHUK FACES RUIN – DNIEPROPETROVSK WORKERS IN MASSIVE LAYOFFS, AS PINCHUK GIVES $40,000 AWAY MONTHLY IN WASHINGTON; US AND EU REFUSE LIFEBUOY.
22. Counterpunch.org: Oliver Tickle, NATO Contrives Russian Threats in the Baltic. Is Putin’s Next Big Play for Greece?
23. Kyiv Post: Brad Bird, Ukraine’s best path to peace is non-alignment.
24. The Independent (UK): Mary Dejevsky, Ukraine crisis: Can the UK any longer aspire to a global role? Would we not be better concentrating on the defence and well-being of our own backyard?
25. The Daily Telegraph (UK): Three EU dreams that have turned into nightmares. Europe’s greatest acts of make-believe in recent years are coming back to haunt it, says Christopher Booker.
26. Center on Global Interests: Sergey Aleksashenko, “Putin’s Russia” vs. “Russia’s Putin:” Why Authoritarianism Is Not Inevitable In Russia.
27. Fort Russ: A year since the coup: Yanukovich interviewed by Russia 1 (Video).
28. http://gordonhahn.com: Gordon Hahn, Another Rusology Fail: U.S. Experts Continue to Lie About Russia and Ukraine.
29. National Journal: James Elephant, PARALYZED BY UKRAINE, DUMBFOUNDED BY RUSSIA. As the cease-fire collapses, Obama cannot commit to the next course of action to counter Moscow. And he’s running out of time.
30. The National Interest: Andrei Movchan, A Dangerous Game: Russian Debt Roulette. Russia’s economic situation is dire. Can Moscow pull through?
31. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Yevgeny Yevtushenko: ‘You shouldn’t rush to call people lost.’ One of Russia’s greatest living poets, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, discussed racism, hatred, and the pressing need to be nonjudgmental at a book reading in Moscow.
32. Theweek.com: Loren Graham, Russia is great at invention, but stinks at innovation.
33. New York Times Magazine: Gary Shteyngart, ‘Out of My Mouth Comes Unimpeachable Manly Truth.’ What I learned from watching a week of Russian TV. (DJ: The Times will surely be following up with an equally engaging piece on learning from watching Kyiv TV. That would be an exclusive.)

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

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