Category: Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

JRL NEWSWATCH: “A century after Lenin’s death, the USSR’s founder seems to be an afterthought in modern Russia” – AP

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Lenin at Desk adapted from nps.gov image

“Take a look at Vladimir Lenin’s legacy, 100 years after the first Soviet Union leader’s death shocked Russia.” “… A century later, the once-omnipresent image of Vladimir Lenin is largely an afterthought in modern Russia …. The Red Square mausoleum where his embalmed corpse lies in an open sarcophagus is no longer a near-mandatory pilgrimage but a site of macabre […]

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Cursed land: About a radically pessimistic scenario for Russia and the whole world

Geography, Headlines, History, Soviet Union, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Jan. 22, 2024) Egor Mostovshchikov is a reporter, editor, publisher, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is the founder of the self-published media outlet Batenka, da vy transformer. Machine translation: wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/proklyataya-zemlya Peter Zeichan is exceptionally selfless: in his works, he meticulously destroys everything that a person who grew up in Russia knows about his country. A […]

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Russia in Review, Jan. 12-19, 2024

China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Environment, Europe, EU, Headlines, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 1. In the past month, Russian forces have gained 57 square miles of Ukrainian territory, while Ukrainian forces have re-gained 1 square mile, according to the Jan. 16, 2024, issue of the Russia-Ukraine War Report Card. In an article on the war entitled “Russia Regains Upper Hand in Ukraine’s East as Kyiv’s Troops Flag,” NYT noted […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Protests in Russia Put Spotlight on Wartime Ethnic Grievances” – New York Times

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Race, Ethnic, Extremism, Xenophobia, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Russia Regions Map

“The trial and conviction of an activist in the Ural Mountains region sparked one of the biggest outbreaks of social unrest since the start of the war.” “The trial of a minority rights activist in Russia … sparked one of [Russia’s]  biggest outbreaks of social unrest … since the start of the [Russo-Ukrainian] war … highlighting the strain … on […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Domestic Woes Continue as Russian Military Struggles in Ukraine” – Newsweek

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“… Putin … fac[es] a deluge of domestic difficulties as Moscow’s military struggles nearly two years after invading Ukraine. Putin … has been the focus of … increasing … criticism … over issues that include inflation, winter blackouts and the treatment of soldiers in Ukraine. Despite … recent … relentless Russian air and ground attacks against Ukraine, Moscow has seen […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What To Read To Understand Russia” – The Atlantic/ Anastasia Edel

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Bookcase file photo, adapted from image at nlm.nih.gov

” …[A]uthors such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky still rule the canon of Russian literature. But … Anastasia Edel, … author of Russia: Putin’s Playground: Empire, Revolution, and the New Tsar, … suggests … readers who want to comprehend Putin’s Russia look to Chevengur, an epic account of the Russian Revolution, written in 1929 by … Soviet writer Andrey Platonov. His […]

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Russia in Review, Jan. 5-12, 2024

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Belarus, China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Environment, Europe, EU, Headlines, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Palestine, Military, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Kremlin and Red Square file photo, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 6 Things to Know The Pentagon has failed to properly track at least $1 billion in weapons that the U.S. has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, according to a report by the Defense Department’s inspector general, FT  reports. The high rate of weapons that were missing or otherwise immediately unaccounted for in government […]

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Russians who Want Peace Say They Support Putin because Only He is Strong Enough to Achieve It, Zhuravlyev Says

Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Jan. 3, 2024) Polls show Russians increasingly would like to see peace in Ukraine but continue to support Vladimir Putin as their preferred candidate in the presidential elections even though he is the man who decided to invade Ukraine in the first place and has continued to expand the Russian invasion. Oleg […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “As 2023 draws to a close, Putin wants the world to think he is winning” – CNN

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“… [I]f Putin is running as a wartime president, he has to massage the facts. Russia does not fully control the Ukrainian regions it claimed in September 2022; the war on the ground has been extremely costly in terms of Russian lives and equipment; and Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has taken a serious beating. … [T]he war has … come […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia’s Civil Society in 2023: Beleaguered But Not Beaten” – Moscow Times

Headlines, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Moscow Times – Dec. 28, 2023) As the year draws to a close, Russia’s motley landscape of civil rights defenders, election monitors, environmental campaigners, anti-war activists and others is more beleaguered than ever before. Confronted with the increasingly oppressive machinery of the Russian state, scores of activists and the organizations to which they belong have gone into survival mode, with […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Peril of Abandoning Ukraine; If Congress forces Kyiv to accept a Russian victory, the result won’t be peace but a new war. – WSJ

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“… If [U.S.] aid is cut off and Ukraine is forced to accept a Russian victory, the result won’t be peace but Russian preparation for a new war. The war in Ukraine activated the Soviet totalitarian psychological inheritance in Russia … [that] never disappeared. … Russia is more dangerous than … since the height of the Cold War [with] [m]ilitarization […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Bureaucracy as the Pillar of Stability: Are There Any Real Institutions Inside the Russian Political Regime?” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

“Russia’s ruling mechanism — bureaucratic institutions — may outlast the current personalism. This vast network of civil servants, technocrats, and administrators forms a modestly resilient framework that endures beyond individual political decisions, providing continuity and ensuring the steady day-to-day functioning of the government.” “A persistent question … has been whether Russia has transitioned from … authoritarian … to … totalitarian […]

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Russia Analytical Report, Nov. 27-Dec. 4, 2023

Central Asia, China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Environment, Europe, EU, Headlines, History, Soviet Union, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Palestine, Middle East, North Africa, Military, NATO, North Korea, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Miscalculations and divisions marked the efforts of Kyiv and its allies to plan the Ukrainian military’s summer offensive, according to the results of extensive research by Washington Post staff into the lead-up to the largely unsuccessful operation. “The year began with Western resolve at its peak, Ukrainian forces highly confident and … Zelensky predicting a decisive […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Favorite ‘Project Managers’ Could Become a Risk to the Regime” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace/ Andrey Pertsev

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

“New favorites have appeared in … Putin’s inner circle in recent years. Using their access … they come up with new projects to manage, promote themselves in the media, and try to impress everyone with their professionalism … distinguish[ing] them[selves] from veteran members of Putin’s entourage … [and] help[ing] shore up the system. … [T]hey are … starting to overshadow […]

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Russia Analytical Report, Nov. 20-27, 2023

Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Germany, Headlines, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Palestine, Military, NATO, North Korea, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Turkey, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United Nations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations, Women
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) There is no “durable stalemate on the ground” in the Russian-Ukrainian war as there is “no clear-cut parity,” CEIP’s Michael Kofman said in a War on the Rocks podcast shortly after returning from Ukraine. Looking back, Kofman advised that “the sooner we can say” Ukraine’s counteroffensive has not been successful, “the sooner we can learn from it.” Looking […]

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Emerging Leadership Crisis in Moscow Could be a More Violent Version of August 1991, Gallyamov Says

Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Nov. 27, 2023) Even now, “Russian elites are unhappy with Putin, but they aren’t trying to overthrow him” because “they have something to lose and don’t want to take risks,” Abbas Gallyamov says. But “at some point, it will be this conflict within the elites that will destroy the regime.” According to […]

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“The Russia Program at the George Washington University is a data-driven analytical center that combines knowledge, technologies, and networks into a research ecosystem.”

Academia, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
The Russia Program - A New Way to Study Russia with logo

(The George Washington University – Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies – ieres.elliott.gwu.edu/  – The Russia Program – therussiaprogram.org) The Russia Program The Russia Program at GW is a university-based, data-driven analytical center that combines knowledge, technologies, and networks into a research ecosystem. We condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and call for the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Read Our […]

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Russia in Review, Nov. 17-21, 2023

Abortion, Agriculture, Argentina, Armenia, Arms Trade, Military Aid, Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, Belarus, BRICS, Bulgaria, Chechnya, Dagestan, North Caucasus, China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, Human Rights, India, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Palestine, Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, Military, NATO, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Religion, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 3 Things to Know In the past month, Russian forces have gained 16 square miles of Ukrainian territory, while Ukraine gained 7 square miles, according to calculations by Katherine Davidson, associate of the Belfer Russia-Ukraine War Task Force.1Yet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has this week denied his top general Valery Zaluzhny’s recent claim that the war has reached […]

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Russia in Review, Nov. 9-17, 2023

China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Environment, Europe, EU, Germany, Headlines, Human Rights, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Syria, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) The U.S. Congress’ interest in financing Ukraine’s fight against invading Russian forces has “dipped lower than ever,” according to WP. Moreover, rising competition from other national security priorities could “sound the death knell for continued American aid” for Kyiv, this newspaper predicted shortly before Biden signed a bill that is designed to avoid a government shutdown, […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia Labels Moscow Times a ‘Foreign Agent’” – Moscow Times

Headlines, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

(Moscow Times – Nov. 18, 2023) Russia has added The Moscow Times to its list of “foreign agents” alongside several other journalists and activists, the Justice Ministry announced Friday. Russia’s “foreign agents” registry, launched in 2012 in response to similar legislation in the United States, has been disproportionately used to target independent journalists, activists and NGOs in recent years. The […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “It’s Time to End Magical Thinking About Russia’s Defeat” – WSJ

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Putin has withstood the West’s best efforts to reverse his invasion of Ukraine, and his hold on power is firm. The U.S. and its allies need a new strategy: containment.” “… Washington and its allies have been remarkably effective at tackling the most urgent aspects of this problem: staving off Ukraine’s collapse, keeping it well-supplied with advanced weapons and real-time […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Putin’s Daughter Joins Moscow Genetics Society, Criticizes Russian Laws – Mozhem Obyasnit” – Moscow Times

Headlines, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

(Moscow Times – Nov. 13, 2023) President Vladimir Putin’s oldest daughter has been appointed to the board of the Moscow Society of Medical Genetics, the independent news outlet Mozhem Obyasnit reported Monday, citing her public profile on the organization’s website and a video in which she criticizes laws adopted during her father’s time in office. Maria Vorontsova is a candidate […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ordinary Russians Feel Wrath of Putin’s Repression” – WSJ

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Prison Cell and Bars with Shaft of Light, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“Authorities seek to crush everyday opposition to the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine” “… [C]ases … documented by OVD-Info, a human-rights group that monitors police detentions and helps protesters find lawyers, speak to new levels of repression in Russia, as … Putin seeks to crush even the most innocuous opposition to his war on Ukraine. Prominent opposition politicians, human-rights activists and […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Putin Re-Election Campaign Begins Enlisting Surrogates – Kommersant” – Moscow Times

Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

(Moscow Times – Nov. 11, 2023) The Kremlin has begun compiling a list of influential figures that would campaign on behalf of President Vladimir Putin as he seeks re-election next year, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday, citing several anonymous sources familiar with the matter. According to the newspaper, work on organizing a so-called “initiative group” of campaign surrogates suggests […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Putin to stay in power past 2024, sources say” – Reuters

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“… Putin [reportedly] has decided to run in the March presidential election, a move that will keep him in power until least 2030 …. After defusing an armed mutiny by the leader of the Wagner mercenary group … Putin has moved to shore up support among his core base in the security forces, the armed forces and with regional voters […]

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Russia in Review, Oct. 27-Nov. 3, 2023

Central Asia, Chechnya, Dagestan, North Caucasus, China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Human Rights, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

6 Things to Know Commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces Valery Zaluzhny has admitted that his forces’ offensive has reached a stalemate, while the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces and architect of last year’s successful counteroffensive Oleksandr Syrskyi has described the current conditions along the 600-mile frontline as “difficult” and “challenging.” “There will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin is expected to seek reelection in Russia, but who would run if he doesn’t?” – AP

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“… Putin is … expected to seek another term when Russia holds presidential elections next March. … But 71 is an age when death or serious illness are hardly distant concerns …. If Putin was not on the ballot … it’s not clear who might take his place. … There are no primary elections … [P]olitical parties … present [candidates] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Reports of Putin’s death might not be greatly exaggerated” – The Hill/ Alexander J. Motyl

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“Is … Putin dead? … [M]ysterious Russian Telegram channel … ‘General SVR’ and [prominent Russian political analyst] Valery Solovey … [say] yes. … [Putin] supposedly breathed his last … Thursday, Oct. 26. The Putin we see now [allegedly would] … actually his double … [already] filling in for the sickly real Putin for several months. Few Russian or Western analysts […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Alexey Navalny Never Wanted to Be a Dissident” – Politico

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Books, New Books, Book Releases, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Alexei Navalny Marching on Street with Others in Background; adapted from image at commons.wikimedia.org with credit to Evgeny Feldman, subject to Creative Commons license; original image at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FEV_1795_(cropped1).jpg, with license information at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en and creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

“Once upon a time, Alexey Navalny wanted to be a normal politician in a normal country. Now that’s just a fantasy.” [original article was adapted from “The Dissident: Alexey Navalny, Profile of a Political Prisoner,” released by Twelve, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.] “… Navalny, despite decades crusading against Russian corruption and against … Putin’s increasingly dictatorial rule, never […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “It’s no joke: how Russian comedians try to stay relevant in wartime” – Reuters

Georgia, Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… Comigration [is] … a small collective of comedians … [who] have left Russia since Putin’s [2022] invasion of Ukraine … and now ply their trade in Georgia. The contrast in their material is striking [compared with comedians still back in Russia]. According to one …, Ilya Ovechkin, any reference to Putin in a joke boosts laughs by 70%. In […]

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Russia in Review, Oct. 6-13, 2023

China, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, Human Rights, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Palestine, Middle East, North Africa, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) As violence escalated between Israel and Hamas after the latter’s indiscriminate attacks against the former, top Russian officials seized the opportunity to blame the crisis on what they described as America’s repeated failure to use its “monopoly” on mediation between the two sides to reach a fair peace deal. Vladimir Putin has also called for a cessation […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin: Russia must hold 2024 presidential vote on schedule despite Putin ally comment” – Reuters

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Dmitry Peskov file photo adapted from image at kremlin.ru/wikimedia commons

“The Kremlin believes Russia’s [2024] presidential and [2026] parliamentary elections should be held on schedule irrespective of … Ukraine, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov [said] Monday …. Chechen leader … Kadyrov … was quoted … Saturday … saying that Russia should either postpone the presidential election due to the war … or allow only one candidate – Putin. …” Click here […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “When will Putin finally go?” – The Hill/ Alexander J. Motyl

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“… We don’t have to agree with Solovey’s diagnosis of Putin and Kremlin politics to know that all is not well, politically and physically, with Russia’s erstwhile strongman[] [including] [t]he hesitation and confusion he evinced … during the coup attempt by … Prigozhin …. Elite dissatisfaction with [Putin’s] handling of the disastrous war with Ukraine has been confirmed … [R]egardless […]

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Russia in Review, Sept. 29-Oct. 6, 2023

China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Cybersecurity, Environment, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, Military, NATO, North Korea, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 7 Things to Know Putin has shot down proposals to lower the threshold for nuclear weapons use in Russia’s doctrinal documents, but called for Russia to de-ratify the CTBT. When asked by Sergei Karaganov at the Valdai Club meeting on Oct. 5 whether Russia should “modify the doctrine on using nuclear weapons, lowering the nuclear threshold,” Putin said: “[T]here […]

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Yeltsin’s Use of Force against Parliament in October 1993 Set Stage for Rise of Putin, Gromov Says

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin

(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Oct. 4, 2023) With each passing year, it becomes more obvious that the events of the end of September and beginning of October 1993 when Boris Yeltsin used force against the Russian parliament and essentially solidified presidentialist rule in Russia were “one of the key turning points in present-day Russia,” Andrey Gromov […]

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Thomas Graham: “Book release of ‘Getting Russia Right'”

Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United Nations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Bookcase file photo, adapted from image at nlm.nih.gov

Subject: Book release of “Getting Russia Right” Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2023 From: Thomas Graham <tgraham@cfr.org> Dear colleagues, I am pleased to announce the release of my new book, Getting Russia Right, with Polity Books. Drawing on my experience in the Foreign Service and on the National Security Council staff, I argue that the effort to integrate Russia into the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “With one video, Russia’s Chechnya problem seizes the spotlight again” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Chechnya, Dagestan, North Caucasus, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Caucasus Map of Chechnya and Caucasus Environs

“In theory, Russian law applies everywhere within Russia’s borders. But over and over, the Chechen republic proves exempt from those rules, no matter how blatant a violation might be.” “… Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov posted a video … show[ing] his teenage son brutally beating up a Russian prisoner … sa[ying] he was ‘proud” of his son’s actions. … [M]any Russians […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Ideology of Putinism: Is It Sustainable?” – CSIS

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

“… Borrowing heavily from czarist and Soviet themes, as well as other intellectual sources like the twentieth-century radical right, Putinism elevates an idea of imperial-nationalist statism amplified by Russian greatness, exceptionalism, and historical struggle against the West. Statism, a key pillar of Putin’s ideology, includes deference to a strong, stable state, allowing Russians to be Russians; such statism is based […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Black Box of Moscow; The West Struggles to Understand Russia — but Can Still Help Ukraine Win” – Foreign Affairs/ Sam Greene

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“… Westerners’ inability to travel to Russia and conduct new research means that they are unlikely to arrive at a better understanding of the cost-benefit analysis guiding Kremlin decision-making. … Western countries’ attempts to achieve their policy aims by modulating — or even responding to — events in Russia and the decisions of the Russian leadership are doomed to be […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Regime Change in Russia Won’t Lead to Chaos or Collapse” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Russia Regions Map

“History shows that a change of leader in Russia has almost always been accompanied not by civil strife, but by liberalization.” “… [R]ecent years have seen regional leaders transformed into technocrats whose every move is closely controlled by the federal center. They depend on Moscow for everything, and are accountable to the Kremlin — not the local people. All such […]

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Russia in Review, Sept. 15-22, 2023

Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, China, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, Human Rights, Iran, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Turkey, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Sept. 22, 2023) 7 Things to Know Ukraine intends to continue its counteroffensive through the autumn and into the winter, according to remarks made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley this week. “The fight right now still has plenty of fighting weather left,” according to Gen. Milley. At the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Moscow, the War Is Background Noise, but Ever-Present” – New York Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“Muscovites go about their daily lives with little major disruption. But the war’s effects are evident — in the stores, at the movies and in the increasingly repressive environment.” “… Muscovites are experiencing dual realities: The war has faded into background noise … yet … remains ever-present in … daily lives. … Advertisements to join the military are … on […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Kremlin Eyes Liberal Venediktov as Putin’s 2024 Rival – Vedomosti” – Moscow Times

Headlines, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Venediktov file photo, adapted from image at usembassy.gov

(Moscow Times – Sept. 19, 2023) The Kremlin is considering running media personality Alexei Venediktov as Vladimir Putin’s “liberal” rival in the 2024 presidential elections, the Vedomosti business daily reported Tuesday, citing four anonymous sources close to the presidential administration. Venediktov is the former editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, a liberal-leaning radio station that was blocked by authorities days after Russia […]

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Russia in Review, Sept. 8-15, 2023

Arms Trade, Military Aid, China, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Russia has managed to overcome sanctions and export controls imposed by the West to expand its missile production beyond prewar levels, according to U.S., European and Ukrainian officials cited by NYT. “With revenue from high energy prices, Russia’s security services and ministry of defense have been able to smuggle in the microelectronics and other Western materials […]

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PONARS EVENT: “Political Reforms and Transitional Justice for Postwar Russia: Evidence from In-depth Interviews with Russian Wartime Migrants”

Academia, Education, Academia, Events, Headlines, Migrants, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

with Dr. Mikhail Turchenko (Indiana University) Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, 4pm to 5pm Elliott School of International Affairs, Lindner Family Commons Room 602, 1957 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20052 REGISTER HERE: docs.google.com/forms … [Online – Join the Zoom here: gwu-edu.zoom.us/j/93979679063] In case of a regime change, Russia will not be able to move forward with the current institutional framework […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “For nearly a quarter century, an AP correspondent watched the Putin era unfold in Russia” – AP/ Jim Heintz

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“… Russia initially cultivated lively debate and flamboyantly welcomed the world, then gradually choked off freedoms and closed itself off while its citizens fled and uneasy foreigners felt compelled to leave. In 2022, it launched a war against Ukraine that sharply intensified the growing isolation. I spent 24 years … as a Moscow-based [AP] correspondent … cheered by Russia’s steps […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Putin Touts ‘Futuristic’ Weapons, Chides Exiled Elites in Far East Forum Address” – Moscow Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

(Moscow Times – Sept 12, 2023) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a wide-ranging address on Tuesday at the annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, touching upon Moscow’s protracted war against Ukraine and anti-war elites in exile, while also playing up Russia’s development of “weapons based on new physical principles.” Putin’s remarks come ahead of a rare and closely watched summit […]

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Russia in Review, Sept. 1-8, 2023

Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, Baltics, Belarus, Central Asia, China, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Estonia, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Germany, Headlines, Human Rights, Kyrgyzstan, Military, Moldova, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear Energy, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Romania, Sanctions, Space, Spies, Spy Allegations, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations, Uzbekistan
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

7 Things to Know G-20 leaders began arriving in New Delhi on Sept. 8 for their annual gathering as negotiators struggled to bridge differences over the war in Ukraine in the group’s joint statement. While it remains unclear whether a final consensus can be reached, China appears to have dropped its initial opposition to language on Ukraine and Russia, according […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Longtime Moscow Mayor, Putin Ally Expected to Soundly Win Re-Election” – Moscow Times

Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

(Moscow Times – Pyotr Kozlov – Sept. 9, 2023) Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin is expected to win re-election by an overwhelming margin in this weekend’s mayoral elections following the elimination of virtually all other opposition and independent candidates. Sobyanin has led Russia’s capital, a city of 12 million people, through waves of mass protests, the Covid-19 pandemic and, today, regular […]

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Russians Don’t Oppose Putin on Ukraine Because He has Ensured that Large Swaths of Them View Themselves as Winners over Last Two Decades, Busygina Says

Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Aug. 29, 2023) Many observers blame the failure of Russians to oppose Putin on the war as the result either of the historical subservience of the people there to their rulers and to the related sense they have that nothing depends on them and therefore there is no need for them to […]

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