A Post-Putin Russia Might Be Bad News for Everyone, Including Ukraine, in the Short Term

Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, March 14, 2015) If Vladimir Putin is ousted or when he dies, the Russian government likely to emerge at least in the near term would not be the liberal, democratic and peaceful one in which so many are placing their hopes. And in the short term, such a regime almost certainly would […]

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Why Ukraine Is a Mess and How It Got There

Maidan Square in Kiev, Ukraine

(The Daily Signal (The Heritage Foundation) – dailysignal.com – Ben Smith – March 14, 2015) In Ukraine, the crisis is messy, the solutions elusive and the outlook bleak. That is the view of Eugene Rumer, a senior associate and director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Rumer spoke at The Heritage Foundation recently about his new […]

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Moscow Times: Ukraine Must Make Compromises and Radically Reform for IMF Funding to Continue

International Monetary Fund Logo Over Ukraine Flag

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 14, 2015) With the first billions of dollars foreign aid in its pocket, Ukraine’s government can now stay afloat long enough to embark on its radical reform drive, but the hard part is only just beginning. Ukraine received the first $5 billion on Friday of $17.5 billion in aid promised by the International Monetary […]

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[Russian Population:] Re: #27 JRL 2015-#51, Russia’s Demography Just Took A Significant Turn For The Worse

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

Subject: Re: #27 JRL 2015-#51, Russia’s Demography Just Took A Significant Turn For The Worse Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2015 From: Sergey Slobodyan <Sergey.Slobodyan@cerge-ei.cz> As Mark Adomanis correctly notes, one month doesn’t a trend make. Births in Nov-14 and Jan-15 did drop year-on-year, by 5.3 and 3.6%, respectively. But births in Dec-14, in contrast, have been the best in December […]

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Vying for influence in Ukraine: Oligarchs and Western experts are lining up to shape the future of Ukraine. But they’re not all on the same side

Maidan Square in Kiev, Ukraine

(opendemocracy.net – Fabian Burkhardt – March 13, 2015) Fabian Burkhardt holds an MA in Russian Studies from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, and is currently a PhD researcher at the Graduate School for East and Southeast European Studies at LMU Munich. He tweets on Russian and post-Soviet politics @sanwaldinjo Berlin, Geneva, Paris, and Minsk. […]

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Moscow Times: Mission Impossible: Ukraine’s 3-Step Plan to Join NATO and Upset Russia

NATO Meeting file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 14, 2015) Russian officials have said repeatedly following the overthrow of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych last year that the ouster was a prelude to a NATO takeover of Ukraine. These fears likely helped propel Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and support of separatist rebels in Ukraine’s eastern regions – moves which by turning Ukraine into […]

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Interfax: Foreigners account for less than a third of east Ukraine militia – top commander

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Interfax – March 13, 2015) The defence ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) says that it is local residents who account for the majority of the members of the Donbass militia, privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported on 13 March. “I shall tell you the following: 70 per cent of the volunteers are residents of the Donetsk People’s […]

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NEWSLINK Fox News: Jews in Baltics fear creep of anti-Semitism

Torah Scrolls

Jews in the Baltics fear a series of disturbing events in the three-nation region of Eastern Europe may be signaling a revival of the Holocaust-era hatred that once nearly wiped out their numbers. Across the countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, Jewish leaders say their communities are feeling increasingly uncomfortable as anti-Semitism once again appears to be on the rise. […]

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Russian State TV Shows Footage of Putin Working in Good Health

Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 14, 2015) Russian state television aired what it said was footage of President Vladimir Putin working at his residence outside Moscow on Friday, a first appearance since he dropped out of sight days ago, triggering rumours he was ill or sidelined by internal conflict. In the footage, Putin was shown in his office at […]

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Six steps to return Russia to economic growth. The Russian economy is under pressure: it’s time for an alternative.

Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(opendemocracy.net – Kirill Rodionov – March 9, 2015) Kirill Rodionov is an independent journalist. From 2008 to 2013, he was a Research Fellow at the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, Moscow. Follow him on Twitter: @k_rodionov In late January 2015, the Russian government adopted an anti-crisis programme. The plan includes a number of measures intended to provide sustainable development of […]

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Russian investigative paper Novaya Gazeta set to shutter print edition

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – bne IntelliNews – March 13, 2015) Novaya Gazeta, Russia’s best known and most highly regarded investigative newspaper, may end its print issue this summer or even close down entirely, the newspaper’s editor said according to local reports. “It is perfectly possible that after celebrating Victory Day in May with a special edition we will […]

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NEWSWATCH: Ukraine Finance Minister Seeks More Bailout Financing; Natalie Jaresko says security, political risks could push up debt-restructuring needs

Maidan Square in Kiev, Ukraine

[“Ukraine Finance Minister Seeks More Bailout Financing; Natalie Jaresko says security, political risks could push up debt-restructuring needs” – Wall Street Journal – Ian Talley – March 16, 2015] The Wall Street Journal covers Ukraine’s efforts to gain more financing to spur growth and development. Ukraine needs more bailout financing than currently promised to help jump-start the embattled nation’s economy, Finance Minister […]

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IMF cash to do little to change grim reality for ordinary Ukrainians

International Monetary Fund Logo Over Ukraine Flag

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Kateryna Killyashenko in Kyiv and Nick Allen in Berlin – March 13, 2015) After the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval on March 11 of its $17.5bn loan package to Ukraine, with $5bn due to flow immediately to bolster Kyiv’s dwindling coffers, the population could be forgiven for thinking the material hardships of recent months […]

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Experts: Russia’s withdrawal from the CFE Treaty is a signal to the West

Russian Soldiers Marching

Russian experts say the decision to abandon cooperation with NATO on conventional forces must be considered in the broader geopolitical and historical context. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexei Timofeichev, RBTH – March 13, 2015) Moscow has announced its withdrawal from the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, as of March 11, stating that the agreement had became […]

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NEWSLINK Kyiv Post: Riots in Kostyantynivka after Ukrainian armored vehicle hits and kills a child

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

A freak road accident involving a Ukrainian armored personnel vehicle that killed an 8-year-old girl escalated into a series of riots in Kostantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, on March 16. The accident took place at around 3 p.m. in the center of the city of 95,000 residents. The armored vehicle lost control on the road and hit the little girl, her aunt […]

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NEWSLINK Wall Street Journal: Bringing Ukraine Back From the Brink; An economically successful Ukraine is vital to the security of Europe and the sustainability of democratic values everywhere

Europe Map

A little more than a year ago, the Ukrainian people chose a path of fundamental change. Citizens took a stand in Kyiv’s Maidan Square for the right to live in a free, independent and prosperous European country and to put an end to endemic corruption and mismanagement. More than 100 people gave their lives during the Revolution of Dignity. Since […]

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NEWSLINK Moscow Times: Vladimir Frolov, Kadyrov, FSB at War After Nemtsov Death

Caucasus Map of Chechnya and Caucasus Environs

The Chechen connection to the assassination of Russia’s opposition leader Boris Nemtsov is pushing Russia’s spooks into political battles they would rather avoid. The FSB appears to have uncovered signs of a conspiracy that implicates Chechen leaders very close to Ramzan Kadyrov. According to Novaya Gazeta, investigators have found a sustained effort by elements in the Chechen security forces to track and target not only Nemtsov, but several prominent opposition figures and public personalities critical […]

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NEWSLINK Moscow Times: Oil Crash Is Crushing Russia

Oil Wells File Photo

The impact of oil prices on the Russian economy is well known. After crude fell 50 percent last fall, the Ministry of Economic Development forecast a 3 percent GDP contraction this year, along with 12 percent inflation. The crash in oil prices will not only test President Vladimir Putin’s domestic support. It will upend Russian foreign policy, challenging the modernization of the country’s armed forces while diminishing its influence in Asia […]

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NEWSLINK PR Week: Ketchum calls it quits on Russia work. Ketchum has ended its high-profile and controversial media relations work for the Kremlin

Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

March 11, 2015 … Ketchum has ended the bulk of its work for the Russian Federation in the US and Europe amid continuing tensions between the country and Western governments. The Omnicom Group firm represented the Kremlin through its hosting of the Winter Olympics in Sochi last year but also as its relationship with the West strained over the country’s […]

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IMF Loan Package For Ukraine Promises Pain, Questionable Gain

International Monetary Fund Logo Over Ukraine Flag

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Mark Baker – March 13, 2015) From higher home heating costs to lower pensions, Ukrainians are about to feel the pinch from austerity measures attached to a newly approved International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan package. The long-awaited $17.5 billion credit announced this week holds out hope of an eventual economic recovery for the country. But that […]

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NEWSLINK Carnegie Moscow: Left Behind? Russia in the New Industrial Revolution.

Artist's Conception of Nanotechnology Components

… Russia will not be able to keep pace with the outside world. If Russia does not possess sufficient economic strength (I do not mean simply hard currency—I mean the capacity to create wealth by real production), surrounding countries will not willingly ally with it. …     http://carnegie.ru/eurasiaoutlook/?fa=59335

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NEWSLINK Foreign Policy: Ukraine’s Rotten Front Forget Russia — if the new government wants to save the country, it needs to drum corruption out of its ranks.

Maidan Square in Kiev, Ukraine

Ukrainian leaders, it has been said, never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Though it’s still unclear whether the new government can break this pattern, the opportunity before it now is nothing less than to undo the system of institutionalized corruption that has held Ukraine down since independence, and made it vulnerable to aggression and dismemberment. Despite the enormous […]

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NEWSLINK Politico: Obama pressed on many fronts to arm Ukraine

File Photo of White House with South Lawn and Fountain

The Obama administration is at war with itself over the question of arming Ukraine, with Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and key military leaders suggesting they would support a change of course. … Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/obama-pressed-on-many-fronts-to-arm-ukraine-115999.html#ixzz3UnP4YI7p

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NEWSLNK Economist: Ukraine’s media war. Battle of the memes. Russia has shown its mastery of the propaganda war. Ukraine is struggling to catch up

Satellite Dishes

IN LATE 2013, early in the Maidan demonstrations, Savik Shuster, one of Ukraine’s most influential television hosts, made the mistake of inviting opposition leaders onto his talk show. Mr Shuster’s network, whose owners were aligned with Viktor Yanukovych, then the president, promptly dropped Mr Shuster’s programme “Savik Live”. It was picked up by Channel 5, a station owned by a […]

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Charges dropped against Russian woman accused of treason

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Interfax – March 13, 2015) Russian prosecutors have dropped their charges against Svetlana Davydova, a mother of seven from the town of Vyazma accused of treason after calling the Ukrainian embassy about Russian troop movements in April 2014, due to the absence of any crime, the woman’s lawyer Ivan Pavlov told Interfax on Friday. “Davydova was cleared of all high […]

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Nemtsov murder suspect was not tortured – lawyer

Boris Nemtsov file photo

(Interfax – March 12, 2015) A lawyer for one of the men charged with the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov has dismissed suggestions that his client was tortured in order to force him to confess to the crime, the privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported on 12 March. Ivan Gerasimov said that his client, Zaur Dadayev, had told […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: New evidence sheds doubt on ‘Islamic’ motive in Nemtsov killing

Nemtsov March of Mourning

Experts say that conflict between Russia’s security services and the president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, likely played a role in the murder. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Yekaterina Sinelschikova, RBTH – March 12, 2015) New details in the Feb. 27 murder of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov have cast doubt on the claim of the investigators that Nemtsov was […]

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NEWSLINK Kyiv Post: In Russian-held Debaltseve, shelling continues amid desperation and destruction

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

The only good thing about Debaltseve, with a pre-war population of 25,000 people, is the spring weather. The road to Debaltseve is severely damaged, but not empty, as a convoy of green Ural trucks head to the city. Kuzorev said the trucks are loaded with humanitarian aid for the civilians left behind after the intense battle. …

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Where is Putin?

Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – MOSCOW BLOG: Ben Aris in Moscow – March 13, 2015) Moscow is gripped by the disappearance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hasn’t been seen in public for a week. Is he dead? Is there a palace coup underway? Perhaps he has sneaked off to marry his girlfriend, or he is just undergoing another […]

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Interfax: Contact Group to review compliance with Minsk deal – Luhansk People’s Republic negotiator

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(Interfax – Luhansk, Ukraine, March 13, 2015) The Contact Group on Ukraine will chiefly focus on the first tree points of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements in reviewing compliance with the agreements during a planned videoconference, the chief negotiator of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic said. However, the group may also get down to […]

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In E. Ukraine, Civilian Deaths Push Men to Join Rebels

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(Voice of America – voanews.com – Patrick Wells – March 12, 2015) After months of fighting in eastern Ukraine, the presence of the Ukrainian military and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the rebellion. New recruits for Ukraine’s rebel army, part of a battalion of Don Cossacks, are on their way out of […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: Middle Eastern oil players lose out to Russia in Asia

Oil Wells File Photo

As Russian oil supplies increase, Gulf states are forced to drop prices to remain competitive (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Anna Kuchma, RBTH – March 12, 2015) Russia boosted oil supplies to China, Japan and South Korea by 10 million tons in 2014, increasing the proportion of oil exports to Asia from 7.2 percent to 8.7 percent. The […]

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Russian court says Nemtsov murder suspect’s guilt not established

Boris Nemtsov file photo

(Interfax – March 11, 2015) The Basmannyy Court has given Zaur Dadayev, accused in the case of murder of politician Boris Nemtsov, an opportunity to state his position regarding the investigators’ request for his arrest, the press-service of the court has said. “Dadayev was given the right to speak. But he thought that the criminal case was being heard, while […]

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Ukraine is Russia – or at least the Russia that Western critics imagine

Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Mark Adomanis in Philadelphia) Writing and thinking about Russia can often have a rather surreal quality to it. Something about the place seems to short-circuit peoples’ critical thinking skills. Serious pundits write things (“Russia life expectancy is collapsing!”) that are flatly contradicted by recent academic research and that don’t withstand even the most cursory […]

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Ukraine separatists strip Donetsk elite of power and property

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Donetsk – March 12, 2015) A line of fresh flower-heaped graves marks the northern edge of Donetsk’s Scheglovskoe cemetery, where 33 coal miners killed in a pit blast on March 4 lie. Only 50 metres away stands a pithead of the massive Zasyadko mine, where the men met their deaths. The […]

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NEWSLINK: Federal Judge Orders Browder to Comply with Subpoena in Money-Laundering Case

U.S. Courthouse for Southern District of New York in Manhattan

Wall Street Journal: A Manhattan federal judge has ordered London-based hedge fund manager William Browder to comply with a subpoena that could force him to reveal the sources of information he gave to federal prosecutors in a high-profile money-laundering case. …

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Interfax: Ukrainian units reinforced in Pisky, Mariupol area – Basurin

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

DONETSK. March 12 (Interfax) – The militia has again accused the Ukrainian army of breaching the truce. “Fifty-one violations of the ceasefire regime have been reported over the past day. The Ukrainian authorities claimed to have withdrawn artillery guns but we are still being informed about artillery systems staying on their positions. The Ukrainian group is being reinforced in the […]

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Interfax: Putin has very busy schedule – press secretary

Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has a very busy schedule at this time, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has said. “He is holding meetings all the time, but not all of them are public. His schedule is very busy these days. He is discussing crisis-linked issues and other matters. He is keeping in touch with the […]

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Kazakh president ends speculation by announcing will stand for re-election

File Photo of Nursultan Nazarbayev and Barack Obama with Flags

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Naubet Bisenov in Almaty – March 11, 2015) Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled the Central Asian nation with an iron fist for more than a quarter of a century, has agreed to his Nur Otan party’s nomination to stand for another term. The 2007 amendment to the Kazakh constitution abolished term limits […]

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Interfax: Russia ready for new agreement on conventional weapons in Europe

Europe Map

(Interfax – March 11, 2015) Russia is ready for negotiations concerning a new treaty regarding the control of conventional weapons in Europe, Mikhail Ulyanov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department on non-proliferation and arms control issues, said. “We are ready to consider the possibility and hold appropriate negotiations regarding a new agreement that is in line with the new […]

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Interfax: Former NATO Sec Gen opposed to supplying arms to Kiev, favors diplomatic solution

NATO Meeting file photo

(Interfax – March 10, 2015) Former NATO Secretary General and EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana is sticking to his desire for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis. The Ukraine conflict is being resolved in a diplomatic manner, Solana told Interfax, adding he did not want to give an impression that he preferred other methods. He said they should […]

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Religious Offense Charges Against Russian Opera Director Dropped

File Photo of Russian Orthodox Church at Kremlin, adapted from defense.gov Image

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Peter Spinella – March 11, 2015) A Russian opera director who found himself mired in legal controversy after he provoked the ire of a local church leader was cleared of a charge of offending the sentiments of religious believers, the theater announced Tuesday via Twitter. Director Timofei Kulyabin had faced administrative charges for offending religious […]

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Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2015-#53 :: Monday 16 March 2015

St. Basil's Domes

Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2015-#53 :: Monday 16 March 2015 A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php  1. www.belgraviadispatch.com: Gregory Djerejian, REALISTIC APPRAISAL OF RUSSIA’S POLICY ISN’T TANTAMOUNT TO A PUTIN APOLOGIA. 2. http://readrussia.com: Mark Adomanis, Is It All […]

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EVENT: ASN 2015 World Convention Preliminary Program (New York, April 23-25)

Mercator Projection Satellite Image of Earth

Subject: To Post: ASN 2015 World Convention Preliminary Program Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2015 1 From: Dominique Arel <darel@uottawa.ca> ASN 2015 WORLD CONVENTION PROGRAM 160+ PANELS ON THE BALKANS, CENTRAL EUROPE, RUSSIA, UKRAINE/BELARUS, THE CAUCASUS, EURASIA (incl. CHINA), TURKEY/GREECE, MIGRATION, and NATIONALISM STUDIES The preliminary program of the ASN 2015 World Convention can be downloaded at nationalities.org/uploads/documents/ ASN15_Preliminary_Program-6mar.pdf. The Convention, […]

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Interfax: Wikileaks prompted Russia to suspend Joint Consultative Group on CFE participation – Russian Foreign Ministry

Europe Map

(Interfax – March 11, 2015) Russia decided to suspend its work in the Joint Consultative Group on the CFE Treaty because it could not use this format to discuss issues relating to conventional weapons control in Europe, Mikhail Ulyanov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department on non-proliferation and arms control issues, said. “When Wikileaks published secret documents, Department of State […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Victoria Nuland Testimony on Ukraine Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

File Photo of Victoria Nuland Testifying

US Department of State TESTIMONY ON UKRAINE BEFORE THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE Testimony Victoria Nuland Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Statement Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Washington, DC March 10, 2015 As prepared Chairman Corker, Ranking Member Menendez and members of this committee-thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today on the situation […]

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Botched Law Could Close Hundreds of Foreign Firms’ Rep Offices in Russia

Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Peter Hobson – March 11, 2015) Representative and branch offices of foreign companies working in Russia are in a race against time to re-register with the authorities or lose their license to operate in the country. The re-registration was intended to streamline bureaucracy for foreign firms, but organizational failures and lack of proper warning have […]

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The empire that is Shakhtar Donetsk FC

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine’s richest man, has financed the success of Shakhtar Donetsk FC. But war in the Donbas means that the club is now playing in Lviv, 1200 kilometres away from its home in Donetsk. Can it survive? (opendemocracy.net – Manuel Veth – March 11, 2015) Manuel Veth is a history PhD candidate at King’s College London, researching the economics […]

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