JRL NEWSWATCH: “How to Get What We Want From Putin” – Politico.com
Talks on European security underway between the U.S. and Russia will be difficult because the two countries don’t trust one another, not even a little […]
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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kazakh leader: Russia-led security group to pull out troops” – AP
“The president of Kazakhstan announced Tuesday that [the] Russia-led security alliance [Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), including six former Soviet states,] will start pulling out its troops [from Kazakhstan] … in two days …. Protests over soaring fuel prices erupted in the oil and gas-rich Central Asian nation of 19 million on Jan. 2 and quickly spread across the country […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Why the Russians Aren’t Coming!” – iAffairs Canada/ Egor Evsikov
“… Imagery of Russian forces assembling near the [Ukrainian] border is just one of … several indicators to consider …. Russia is … a semi-authoritarian ‘managed democracy’ …. The Russian population does not live in a constant state of war readiness. A significant state-controlled media effort would be required to prepare the population and ensure public support for the invasion […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Putin Seizes on Crises to Assert Control Over Former Soviet Republics” – WSJ
“In tightening grip over neighbors, president seeks to signal that his country is a superpower to be both feared and respected.” “… The [Russian-led CSTO] venture into Kazakhstan, at the request of the country’s leader, follows nearly 15 years of Russian interventionism in Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine and elsewhere aimed at pulling [them] even closer to Russia … propping up [Kremlin-aligned] […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S., Russia Hold High-Stakes Talks on Ukraine” – AFP
“… [H]igh-stakes negotiations come amid fears of a Russian invasion of … pro-Western … Ukraine … with Moscow demanding wide-ranging concessions from Washington and … NATO …. Monday’s [Geneva] talks … launch[ed] a week of diplomacy … after Moscow amassed tens of thousands of troops at the Ukrainian border …. RIA Novosti on Monday quoted [Sergei] Ryabkov saying he feared […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S., Russia hold talks amid tensions linked to Ukraine” – AP
“… U.S. and Russian officials launched special talks Monday aimed at defusing tensions over a Russian military buildup on the border with Ukraine, part of a flurry of diplomatic activity in Europe …. No major breakthrough was immediately in sight. … Russia has said it wants the issue resolved this month, but NATO is wary that Putin might be looking […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia and NATO: How to talk to Mr. Putin; Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine has created a chance to enhance the security of Europe” – The Economist
“… Perhaps [Putin] wants Ukraine to fail because, were it to become a thriving democracy, it would … rebuke … his claim that Western values are unworkable in Orthodox, Slavic Russia. He may also intend to divide and weaken NATO … [and] to create an enemy abroad … to justify repression at home …. But … Ukraine is as populous […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Kazakhstan Unrest and Russia’s Intervention Transform Ties With Moscow” – WSJ
“As violence grows, the Russian military deployment injects a new element into the crisis in the former Soviet republic.” “… Nazarbayev steered the country along two tracks[,] [a]t home, … strengthen[ing] … Kazakh identity and weaken[ing] Russia’s historic influence[,] [while, in] foreign and defense policy … hew[ing] close to the Kremlin, assuring Russia … Kazakhstan would always remain a strategic […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO weighs Russia’s security offer to end Ukraine standoff” – AP
“… Much contained in … documents … Moscow has made public — a draft agreement with NATO countries and the offer of a treaty between Russia and the United States — appears to be a non-starter [for NATO] …. NATO would have to agree to halt all membership plans, not just with Ukraine, and end military exercises close to Russia’s […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Keep calm and carry on; Ukrainians are peculiarly relaxed about Russia’s troop build-up; Many have grown inured to a risk they can do nothing about” – The Economist
“… Ukraine is deeply wary of threats to its independence, so one might expect widespread alarm … [over] 100,000 or so Russian troops at the border, and … [Putin] muttering … about ‘military-technical’ action. … [But] Ukrainians have weathered eight years of war against troops backed by Russia in … Donetsk and Luhansk, which have claimed 13,000 lives. … [T]hey […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Kazakhstan protests mark end of Nazarbayev era” – Financial Times
“Former president’s handpicked successor takes control of security forces and turns to Russia for help.” “… protests that have shaken Kazakhstan may mark the end of [81-year-old] Nursultan Nazarbayev’s long grip on power — but do not suggest the oil-rich central Asian country will make a smooth transition from autocratic rule. Nazarbayev had ruled the country for most of Kazakhstan’s […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine Is Only One Small Part of Putin’s Plans” – New York Times
“… The immediate aim, to be sure, is to return Ukraine to Russia’s orbit. But …. Putin’s design is grand: to refashion the post-Cold War settlement, in the process guaranteeing … Russia’s personalized power system. … Today, Ukraine is the jewel to fight for. But it won’t end there: Belarus, whose embattled leader relies on Russia’s support, could be the […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: In Kazakhstan, Putin Again Seizes on Unrest to Try to Expand Influence” – New York Times
“But a series of revolts against a pro-Russian strongman could also plant the seeds of rebellion at home, analysts say.” “… The arrival in Kazakhstan of 2,500 troops from a Russian-led military alliance amid … violent protest was the fourth time in … two years … Moscow has flexed its muscle in neighboring states — Belarus, Armenia and Ukraine being […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “China and Russia team up to establish joint moon base” – Asia Times
China and Russia’s plans can be seen as a response to their exclusion from the U.S. Artemis Accords […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Kazakhstan’s Government Resigns Amid Unrest Over Fuel Prices” – WSJ
President declares two-week curfew in parts of former Soviet nation after some protests turn violent […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. pushes unity on Ukraine ahead of key Russia meetings” – AP
Yet the severity of the response hinges largely on Germany, Europe’s biggest economy and a diplomatic heavyweight within the 27-nation EU […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Catches Kremlin Insider Who May Have Secrets of 2016 Hack” – Bloomberg
“IT executive Vladislav Klyushin’s journey into U.S. custody is a blow to the Kremlin, say people familiar with a Russian intelligence assessment of what he may have to offer” Bloomberg reports on the extradition from Switzerland to the United States of Russian tech tycoon Vladislav Klyushin, the highest-level Kremlin insider falling into the hands of U.S. law enforcement in recent […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Military Buildup Near Ukraine Is an Open Secret” – WSJ
Satellite images, social media posts and flight-tracking data allow private analysts to track details governments once classified […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin wishes Russians happier new year, hails their strength” – AP/ Vladimir Isachenkov
“In a televised address broadcast just before midnight in each of Russia’s 11 time zones, Putin said the nation … has faced ‘colossal challenges … ‘ … Russia’s state coronavirus task force has registered … about 10.5 million confirmed infections and 308,860 deaths, but the state statistics agency … [using] broader criteria … has reported nearly 626,000 virus-linked deaths in […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “No time for war: Russians see no chance of conflict” – BBC
The build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border has led to fears of an invasion and all-out war. For most Russians there is little interest […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “More than 10,000 Russian troops returning to bases after drills near Ukraine – Interfax” – Reuters
Citing the Russian military, Russian news agency Interfax states that more than 10,000 Russian troops have been returning to permanent bases after month-long drills near Ukraine […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO open to dialogue with Russia on European security demands” – Financial Times
“Moscow’s ‘red lines’ viewed as not credible, but pressure mounts to find diplomatic solution.” “… Western officials have in private rejected almost all of the demands as implausible, not credible and in contradiction to post-cold war treaties guaranteeing sovereign states’ rights to choose their defence policies. But they admit that closing the door on Moscow’s initial diplomatic offer could make […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin penetrates deeper into online world of Russians” – Financial Times
“Pressure grows on foreign social media platforms after state-run group’s takeover of Russia’s Facebook.” “The takeover … of VKontakte … by companies tied to … Gazprom has the feel of a final act in a long saga of creeping state control over the company. … [T]he Facebook lookalike’s trajectory has mirrored … the Russian internet … from the freewheeling Ru-net […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Joe Biden threatens Vladimir Putin with gas embargo over Ukraine” – The Times (UK)
“Don’t dare try another Crimea, he warns Russian president.” “… Biden has warned … Putin that the West will target Russian gas exports and deploy more troops to eastern Europe if [Putin] orders an invasion of Ukraine. … [T]he U.S. national security adviser[] said … this … likely … include[d] stopping … gas … through … Nord Stream 2 …. […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “CIA Chief Says Intelligence Agencies Haven’t Concluded Russia Will Invade Ukraine” – WSJ
Russian President Putin is assembling a potent military force and may see a chance to act this winter, William Burns says […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. intelligence-sharing convinces allies of Russian threat to Ukraine” – Financial Times
Skeptical capitals including Berlin persuaded of the need to draw up threat of robust sanctions […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin heads to India with eye on military, energy ties” – AFP
To address a rising China, Washington has set up the QUAD security dialogue with India, Japan, and Australia, raising concerns in both Beijing and Moscow […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Hope for Iran Nuclear Talks Now Rests on China, Russia” – WSJ
“Beijing has greater economic clout and more aggressive foreign policy than during original talks for 2015 deal.” “… Even as U.S. tensions mount with Russia … and … China … Western officials acknowledge that the fastest route to increasing economic and political pressure on Tehran’s new hard-line government runs through Moscow and especially Beijing. China helped Iran stabilize its economy […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Blinken and Lavrov talks break up after 30 minutes” – bne Intellinews/ Ben Aris
“U.S. Secretary of State Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Stockholm as tensions continue to escalate, but spent only 30 minutes in discussions, suggesting little progress was made in walking back the crisis.” “… Blinken appealed to … Lavrov to choose diplomacy over coercion … Amongst the most painful sanctions that Washington has so far held in reserve […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s soldiers wait in the trenches for Moscow’s next move” – The Times (UK)
“… The Biden administration has said Russian troops are massing near the Ukrainian border and is reported to be considering the dispatch of new weaponry as well as advisers to Kiev. Ukraine is already using U.S. anti-tank missiles and Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. The supply of more such advanced weaponry would dramatically increase Russian losses in the event of a […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia clamps down on historical memory and justice” – Financial Times
“The threat to liquidate the research group Memorial is an assault on a brave outpost of post-Soviet civil society.” “… Putin’s crackdown on dissent is inextricable from a desire to control Russia’s past. … Memorial has [painstakingly] compiled a database of more than 3m victims of Soviet political repression, mostly … executed, imprisoned, sent to labour camps or exiled during […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin offers to start negotiations on a non-expansion of NATO to the east security deal” – bne Intellinews
“… Moscow has been calling for a new post-Cold War security deal with the West since 2008, when … Medvedev offer[ed] the EU a … deal during his first foreign trip. … [which was] was dismissed out of hand. Putin brought the issue up again during a … speech where he ordered Russian diplomats to get a new security deal […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Expels Some U.S. Diplomats in Latest Tit-for-Tat Action” – WSJ
“Russia indicates that the move was in retaliation for Washington’s expulsion of more than 50 Russian diplomats.” “Russia ordered U.S. Embassy staff … in Moscow for more than three years to leave the country by Jan. 31 … [even as] diplomats [will soon] hold talks to address the worsening [U.S.-Russian] relationship …. Foreign ministry officials … indicated that the decision […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Ukraine gambit seen as part of play for new Biden summit” – Reuters
“… U.S., NATO and Ukrainian officials have raised the alarm in recent weeks over what they say are unusual Russian troop movements closer to Ukraine, suggesting that Moscow may be poised to launch a new attack on its neighbour, accusations Russia has rejected as fear-mongering. … Putin already got the attention of Biden’s White House once this year by massing […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia and Ukraine both step up military alert with combat drills” – Reuters
“Russia staged military drills in the Black Sea, south of Ukraine, … and said it needed to sharpen the combat-readiness of its conventional and nuclear forces because of heightened NATO activity near its borders. Ukraine, which with its ally the United States has said it believes Russia may be preparing an invasion, staged exercises of its own near the border […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia, China sign roadmap for closer military cooperation” – AP
“Russia’s defense chief [Sergei Shoigu] … signed a roadmap for closer military ties with China …. Russia has sought to expand ties with China as … relations with the U.S. and its allies sank to post-Cold War lows over … [Russia’s] annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea[], accusations of Russian hacking attacks, interference in elections and other disputes. … Russia and China […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “For Putin, the Great Prize Has Always Been Ukraine” – WSJ
The Russian president takes pride in having restored his country’s power and prominence after the Cold War, but he won’t consider his legacy complete until Kyiv again becomes Moscow’s satellite […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: Alexei Navalny: “You wait all the time in prison”
“You wait all the time in prison. Any prisoner will tell you that the term breaks down into large and small waiting periods. In the endless groundhog day, there are certain regular events … It is clear that people here keep count of their total term too. Most prisoners can immediately answer “I have 583 days left.” But my prospects […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Glasgow Deals Prompt Russia Rethink on Coal Plans, Carbon Tax” – Bloomberg/ Evgenia Pismennaya, Yuliya Fedorinova
“Russia will look to cut its ambitious goals for boosting coal production … and consider imposing a carbon tax or other regulation in the wake of … the COP26 summit … according to two officials familiar with the plans. But Russia won’t join the global agreement to reduce methane emissions, [they] said, speaking on condition of anonymity …. [Russia] is […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia prepares new restrictions amid persistent virus surge” – AP
Russian authorities said they were preparing new restrictions aimed at curbing the unrelenting Covid-19 surge engulfing Russia in recent weeks […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “A critical situation might be in the making on the Northern Sea Route” – Barents Observer
An early freeze has taken shippers by surprise and a big number of vessels are in danger of getting stuck in thick sea-ice […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia increases gas flows to Europe, pushing down prices” – Reuters
“… On Tuesday, Russia[‘s] Gazprom … said it had started to refill its European gas storage. … push[ing] down spot prices in the region although analysts said Moscow would have to do more to ease concerns in Europe to lead to a more significant drop in prices. … Gas prices have risen this year because of factors including low gas […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Keeps Europe Guessing With Tight Gas Supplies” – Wall Street Journal
Despite Putin’s pledge of increased natural-gas supplies, Moscow is showing little sign of ramping up deliveries to Europe […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia comes in from cold on climate, launches forest plan” – AP
JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia ends workplace shutdown but COVID numbers stay high” – Reuters/ Tom Balmforth
A nationwide workplace shutdown was lifted across most Russian regions, even though the numbers of new COVID-19 cases and deaths are hovering near record daily highs […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Analyst who aided Trump-Russia dossier charged with lying” – AP
“… Russian analyst [Igor Danchenko,] who contributed to … Democratic-funded research into ties between Russia and Donald Trump[,] was arrested … on charges of lying to the FBI about his sources … among them a longtime supporter of Hillary Clinton. … [P]art of … [an] ongoing [special counsel] investigation[,] …. the indictment … endorse[s] a longstanding concern … that opposition […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “CIA director brings up Russian hackers at talks in Moscow – sources” – Reuters
Burns’ trip coincided with developments in both countries that highlighted their tensions over cybersecurity, where no progress has been reported […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Russian exports hold sway over European and British gas prices” – Reuters/ Susanna Twidale
“Benchmark European gas prices jumped 15% … after a major pipeline … from Russia began sending flows eastwards. … Europe relies on Russia for around 35% of its natural gas[,] [t]he bulk … through pipelines including Yamal … through Belarus and Poland to Germany, Nord Stream … to Germany, and pipelines … through Ukraine. … Last year [Russian] gas exports […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s excess mortality soars since start of pandemic” – Financial Times
“FT analysis shows an additional 753,000 people have died during the pandemic compared with historical trends.” “… The figure, used by demographers to measure the real impact of pandemics, covers … [the time frame up] to the end of September. … calculated … comparing total mortality figures collected by … Rosstat since the emergence of Covid 19, with historical trends. […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia warns of strain on doctors as virus spreads” – AFP
“Russian authorities said … that doctors were under ‘extraordinary’ strain due to surging coronavirus cases in Europe’s worst-hit country, with Moscow shuttered during a nationwide holiday to curb infections. … Russia is one of the worst-hit countries in the world and a devastating wave this autumn has seen infections and deaths reach new records, with more than 1,000 fatalities per […]
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