RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#99 table of contents with links :: Johnson’s Russia List – Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#99 :: Tuesday 19 May 2015
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.
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RUSSIA

1. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Spurred by Western criticism, Russians experience something new: patriotism. In the past, Russia was an empire, then a communist colossus, then a ‘defeated’ power expected to adopt Western ways. But current tensions with the West are fostering what may be the birth of a distinct Russian nationalism.
2. Center TV (Moscow): Russian TV talk show discusses relations with West, Asia. (with Dmitri Trenin)
3. Pando.com: Mark Ames, Neocons 2.0: The problem with Peter Pomerantsev.
4. RussEurope: Jacques Sapir, Russian successes.
5. Sputnik: No More Strong Arm Tactics: US Wants to Mend Relations With Russia. (Stratfor)
6. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, Putin’s Chief of Staff Is a Man to Watch. Triumphant success organising Victory Day celebrations points to growing influence of Sergei Ivanov.
7. Izvestia: Russian expert: Victory Day parade helped Putin win back Moscow’s support. (Boris Mezhuyev)
8. Business New Europe: Chris Weafer, What next for Russia’s economy and the ruble?
9. Moscow Times: Russian Foreign Direct Investment Dropped 40% in 2014.
10. Financial Times: Ian Ivory, Russia: economy in tatters, or business as usual?
11. Business New Europe: Mark Adomanis, A wakeup call for Gazprom. Widely considered one of Russia’s most potent weapons, Gazprom’s financials show the slow erosion of its core business.
12. www.rt.com: Russian regulator acting ‘adequately’ as economy stabilizes – IMF.
13. Wall Street Journal editorial: The Putin Recession. Russia’s economy keeps shrinking, but the West won’t take advantage.
14. Bloomberg: Russia’s Richest Billionaire: Impact of Sanctions Is Waning. (Vladimir Potanin)
15. Interfax: Over 80% of Russians against same-sex marriages.
16. The International New York Times: Michael Khodarkovsky, Putin’s Disunited Nation.
17. Oilprice.com: Colin Chilcoast, Russian Gas: There Is No Alternative For Europe.
18. Russia in Global Affairs: Simon Saradzhyan, Russia and the U.S.: are national interests so different?
19. RIA Novosti/TASS: Russian diplomat downbeat after talks with USA’s Nuland in Moscow.
20. TASS: What’s behind latest voyages by US diplomats to Moscow?
21. Sputnik: Pepe Escobar, Why the US is Finally Talking to Russia.
22. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Press Digest: Victoria Nuland visits Moscow to discuss U.S.-Russia relations.
23. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Moscow ends Afghanistan military transit deal with NATO.
24. Russia Direct: Christopher Hartwell, Russia and China are frenemies both in Central Asia and globally. While there are greater outward signs of cooperation between Russia and China, especially in Central Asia, the reality is that Russia and China still view each other as rivals in their economic and geopolitical ambitions.
25. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Thomas de Waal and Richard Youngs, Reform as Resilience: An Agenda for the Eastern Partnership.
26. Russia Beyond the Headlines/Kommersant: Russian NPT delegation head: Probability of a nuclear war has not increased. New York is currently hosting the review conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the Russian delegation and Director of the Department of Non-Proliferation and Control of Armaments at the Russian Foreign Ministry, talked about what is impeding the process of nuclear disarmament.
27. Sputnik: Western Isolation of Moscow Helps Putin, Opens New Opportunities for Russia. (Boulevard Voltaire)
28. Stratfor.com: George Friedman, A Net Assessment of the World.

UKRAINE

29. TASS: Ukrainian crisis escalation will have adverse impacts on entire Europe – Russian FM.
30. www.rt.com: Civilian killed in intense Ukrainian army shelling of Donetsk despite ceasefire.
31. TASS: Kiev sets up field depots with 2,000 tons of munitions in Donbas – militia intelligence.
32. Fort Russ: Ukrainian conscripts revolt at the Lvov base with American instructors.
33. Interfax: LPR would like to secure direct dialogue with Kyiv through Contact Group.
34. www.rt.com: ‘Threat to free expression’: OSCE slams Kiev over ‘decommunization’ law.
35. AFP: Russia drops opposition to EU-Ukraine trade deal starting 2016: EU.
36. New York Times: In Ukraine, Corruption Concerns Linger a Year After a Revolution.
37. Interfax: Poroshenko loyalists in parliament doubt Ukraine will declare technical default.
38. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Ukraine Is Losing Its Economic War With Russia.
39. Wall Street Journal: In Ukraine, Economic Ties to Russia Are Hard to Break. Pivoting economy toward West proves difficult as companies struggle to compete in EU.
40. www.truth-out.org: Who Owns Agricultural Land in Ukraine?
41. One Plus One TV (Kiev): Ukraine military says local residents in Donbass collaborate with militants.
42. Vedomosti: Russian daily highlights spat between Ukraine leaders, rebels over peace deal.
43. Gazeta.ru: What happens if Ukraine’ southeast becomes Russian rouble zone, experts mull.
44. RFE/RL: Brian Whitmore, Lose The Territory, Win The War.
45. Consortiumnews.com: Robert Parry, Fake Evidence Blaming Russia for MH-17?
46. Interfax: Russian Defence Ministry denies serving troops captured in Ukraine.
47. Moscow Times: Moscow Admits Two Fighters Captured in Ukraine Are Ex-Russian Soldiers.
48. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, MOTHER GOOSE HAS COOKED HER GOOSE – HOW ANGELA MERKEL HAS BEEN ABANDONED BY JOHN KERRY, VICTORIA NULAND, AND VLADIMIR PUTIN.

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

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