Category: Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Experts react: What the Prigozhin plane crash reveals about Putin, the Wagner Group’s future, and the war in Ukraine” – Atlantic Council

Africa, Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“… Prigozhin … was reportedly killed in a plane crash … with nine other passengers … traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg, according to Russian authorities and Wagner-affiliated Telegram groups. Some reports have indicated that the plane was downed by Russian air defenses. Just hours earlier, General … Surovikin, who allegedly had advance knowledge of the Wagner mutiny and had […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin conquers Russia’s history textbooks” – Washington Post

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, Education, Academia, Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Bookcase file photo, adapted from image at nlm.nih.gov

“What will Russia look like after … Putin’s ruinous war against Ukraine? [] Putin has used the war to drive the Russian state and society deeper into dictatorship. This legacy will be long-lasting, and now [] Putin is rewriting high school history textbooks to convey his many lies and fabrications to a new generation. Schoolbooks have long been a battleground […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Run for Years” – WSJ

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“From Moscow to Washington, a lack of clear and achievable strategic goals points to a long conflict.” “Russia’s war on Ukraine is in danger of becoming a protracted struggle … last[ing] several more years. … [F]ront-line combat is a slow-moving slog… [and] none of the main actors have political goals … both clear and attainable. Ukraine’s central war aim — […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Defeating the August 1991 Coup, Russians Won — and Then Lost — Democracy; Will young people continue fighting for freedom?” – The Nation

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

“… Of course, none of us really understood what democracy was at that time, since generations of Soviet people did not have the experience. I didn’t understand that we have to fight for freedom every day — excellent laws and even parliamentary decisions are not enough. I did not suspect that under capitalism, which then seemed to many an ideal […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russians Will Accept Nuclear Doomsday” – CEPA

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“Opinion research indicates that there are no red lines in Russian society, just passive conformity on national security issues.” “… The hard truth is that[,] at the moment, the Kremlin does not intend to use nuclear weapons and so the only hydrogen bomb rhetoric comes from the occasional pro-Kremlin commentator in the media. And yet, if the government did decide […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Drastic Economic Moves Highlight Russia’s Wartime Bind” – New York Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“With the third-largest interest rate increase in a decade to shore up the ruble, Moscow’s policymakers are pursuing the conflicting goals of paying for the war against Ukraine and taming inflation.” “For years, Russia’s central bank … shielded the country’s economy when crisis … loomed, drastically raising interest rates, restricting money movements or taking over ailing banks. … convey[ing] a […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Putin Opts Against Stricter Capital Controls Amid Ruble’s Slide – Vedomosti” – Moscow Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File photo of Russian paper currency, adapted from image at csce.house.gov

(Moscow Times – Aug. 17, 2023) Russia will not tighten capital controls in response to a weakening ruble, the Vedomosti business daily reported Thursday, citing two anonymous sources close to the Russian government. President Vladimir Putin met with cabinet members and Central Bank governor Elvira Nabiullina on Wednesday to hear proposals on converting foreign currency earnings held by exporters into […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Ukraine War might really break up the Russian Federation” – The Hill/ Alexander J. Motyl

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russia Regions Map

“It’s time to start taking the potential disintegration of Russia seriously. A number of analysts see the shattering of the Russian Federation as a possible aftermath of … Putin’s catastrophic war in Ukraine. Although the world would be better off with a much weakened Russia, its fall may not go smoothly. … Is unpredictability likely to increase if Russia experiences […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia will struggle to cope with a sinking rouble” – The Economist

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions
File photo of Russian paper currency, adapted from image at csce.house.gov

“What does the currency’s collapse mean for Vladimir Putin’s ability to wage war?” On Aug. 14, 2023, the value of the ruble fell below 1 cent in U.S. currency, more than 100 rubles per U.S. dollar.  That was the ruble’s worst exchange value against the U.S. dollar since the immediate aftermath of the early 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. “… […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Forever War” – New York Times

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“… Putin wants to lead Russians into a civilizational conflict with the West far larger than Ukraine. Will they follow him?” “I spent a month in Russia … searching for clues that might explain its nationalist lurch into an unprovoked war and its [current] mood …. The war … [reportedly] has … taken 200,000 lives since Feb. 24, 2022, roughly […]

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Putin’s Power Equilibrium Finds Itself in Troubled Waters

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

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Maxim Trudolyubov – July 28, 2023) Maxim Trudolyubov is a Senior Fellow at the Kennan Institute and the Editor-at-Large of Meduza. Mr. Trudolyubov was the editorial page editor of Vedomosti between 2003 and 2015. Historically, as a politician interested in holding on to power, Putin was good at doing two things. First, he could run […]

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Russia in Review, July 21-28, 2023

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, 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) 5 Things to Know Ukrainian armed forces (ZSU) appeared to have escalated their counteroffensive this week, but there were conflicting reports on whether or not ZSU finally committed the bulk of Western-trained reserves. Five days after Volodymyr Zelensky vowed that the counteroffensive was about to “gain pace,” two Pentagon officials told NYT that Ukraine has launched the […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russian Military Convinced Putin to Expand Draft Age Range — Reports” – Moscow Times

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

The Kremlin was purportedly against amendments recently passed in the Russian parliament that, once signed into law, would expand the pool of eligible army recruits by raising the upper age limit for military conscription, the independent news website Vyorstka reported Thursday, citing multiple anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Under current Russian law, all men aged 18-27 must complete a […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “CIA chief: The uprising in Russia shows ‘signs of weakness’ in Putin’s rule” – NPR

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
William Burns file photo, adapted from image at cia.gov

“CIA Director William Burns said that a recent uprising by a mercenary group in Russia exposed ‘signs of weakness’ in … Putin’s regime and contributed to growing discontent among Russians. … The spy chief said this turbulence in Russia, and growing disaffection with the war in Ukraine was creating fertile ground for the CIA to recruit Russians to spy on […]

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Russia in Review, July 14-21, 2023

China, CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, Human Rights, Military, NATO, 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) 5 Things to Know It is “way too early” to judge the Ukrainian offensive a failure, said U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, adding that the war “is going to be long, it’s going be hard, it’s going be bloody.” Milley said the biggest challenge for Ukraine’s counteroffensive is getting through […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “C.I.A. Chief Says Wagner Mutiny Revived Questions About Putin’s Rule” – New York Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
William Burns file photo, adapted from image at cia.gov

“William J. Burns gave the most detailed public account yet by a U.S. official of the damage done to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia by last month’s uprising by the mercenary group” “… [C.I.A. Director] Burns … said that for much of the 36 hours of the [Wagner] rebellion last month, Russian security services, the military and decision makers […]

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Russia Analytical Report, July 10-17, 2023 – 4 Ideas to Explore

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, Human Rights, Iran, Military, NATO, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Having seen one-fifth of the weaponry and armor they’ve sent to the battlefield damaged or destroyed in the first two weeks of their counteroffensive, Ukrainian commanders took a pause to rethink their strategy, NYT reported on July 15, citing Western officials. So far, the Ukrainians “taken just five of the 60 miles they hope to cover to reach […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Tell Russians Putin Has to Go” – Foreign Affairs/ Max Bergmann

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, 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

“Biden Should Call on Russians to Oust Putin and End Their Isolation.” “The Biden administration has a rare opportunity to put added … pressure on Putin … offering the Russian people a path out of … economic and diplomatic isolation …. Putin’s invasion has been … a disaster for Russia, with more than 50,000 killed and 150,000 wounded, roughly one […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Post-mutiny Moscow descends into factional murk” – The Economist

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

“Vladimir Putin’s authority has suffered a grave blow.” “… Prigozhin[‘s] … mutiny has revealed the erosion of the state and the flimsiness of [] Putin’s support base. His dictatorship has so far relied less on mass purges than a consensus between power groups. His political opponents have ended up in jail (like [] Navalny) or exile. … [H]e has sowed […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Wonder Confronts Certainty’ Review: Lessons From Russian Literature” – WSJ

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

“The writings of Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky and others are littered with clues for understanding the 21st-century world.” “Books of cultural criticism seldom shed a piercing light on headline events. However, readers of ‘Wonder Confronts Certainty,’ Gary Saul Morson’s masterly panorama of classic Russian literature and its hinterland of ideas, will find their understanding of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s recent botched rebellion against […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky’s Fight After the War: What Peace Will Mean for Ukraine’s Democracy” – Foreign Affairs/ Henry E. Hale, Olga Onuch

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“… In the war’s first days, many Western observers assumed that Zelensky would buckle, flee, surrender, or die. Instead, he stayed in Kyiv and led Ukraine with resolve. His popularity skyrocketed. …. But when the war finally ends, Zelensky will face major challenges. Wartime leadership requires very different skills and capacities …. Ukrainians are less confident in Zelensky’s leadership when […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “After Armed Rebellion, Putin Tries to Reinforce His Defenses” – New York Times

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

“Long focused on security, the Russian resident is rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite and showering his most important constituency — the men with guns — with cash.” “… Putin appears to be scrambling to coup-proof his system once more. … rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite and showering his most important constituency — the men with guns — with […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia ‘On the Edge of Civil War’ — Ukraine Spymaster” – Newsweek

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“The head of Ukraine’s main intelligence directorate (GUR)[, Major-General Kyrylo Budanov,] has said … Russia is on the brink of civil war …. [He said that] [h]is spy agency examined a secret internal study by Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD)… [that] focused on levels of public support for the [Wagner Group] mutiny … a direct challenge to … Putin’s […]

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Post-Mutiny: Trust in Prigozhin Below Margin of Error, Support for Peace Talk Grows

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

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – RM Staff – July 7, 2023) What made Yevgeny Prigozhin rebel? We have seen multiple explanations offered, including his outspoken hatred for Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov; his evident reluctance to give up control of his PMC Wagner to the Defense Ministry; unspecified personal financial pressures; and his […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Prigozhin Affair Is Much Less than Meets the Eye” – Politico

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“The short-lived mutiny by the Wagner Group rebounded to help solidify Putin’s control.” “… There is no doubt that Prigozhin’s rebellion was unpleasant news for Putin. But is the Russian leader weakened? We know very little about what happened between Putin and Prigozhin … ‘Putin’s chef.’ And what we do know supports very few, if any, of the claims that […]

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Russia Analytical Report, June 26-July 5, 2023 – 5 Ideas to Explore

China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Human Rights, Military, NATO, 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) Even though the pace of Ukraine’s counteroffensive has “progressed more slowly than many had hoped,” the West’s interests “lie in continuing to arm, train and help defend Ukraine in the face of an ongoing threat from Russia ,” according to WP’s editors. One reason for “the slower rate” of Ukraine’s territorial gains is that Ukrainian forces […]

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PONARS Eurasia: Your Monday Take – In the News [re: Prigozhin Apparent Mutiny]

Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

(PONARS Eurasia – ponarseurasia.org – July 3, 2023) Ponarsians have weighed in en masse to interperet Yevgeny Prigozhin’s apparent mutiny. Kimberly Marten, who has long studied his Wagner Group, cautions that calling it a private military company belies the fact that it works on behalf of the Russian State and that, contrary to popular belief, Prigozhin is more its fixer […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Wagner ‘Coup’ Was Staged by Putin — and the West Fell for It” – Newsweek/ Rebekah Koffler

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“… An army invades Russia, race[s] right up to Moscow, and no one gets hurt? With just a few thousand men, it achieved what Hitler with almost a million men wasn’t able to? And Putin holds his military back? And then, with Moscow supposedly within his grasp, Prigozhin decides, ‘Oh well, never mind’ and heads to Belarus? … It is […]

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Russia in Review, June 23-30, 2023 – One Thing to Know

Headlines, Human Rights, Iran, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, 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) Russian intelligence services may have known in advance of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plan to stage a mutiny, but it nonetheless materialized to pose the greatest military and security threat to Vladimir Putin’s rule since the end of the second Chechen war. The mutiny itself lasted only 36 hours, never spread to Moscow and ended with its chief […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The humbling of Vladimir Putin: The Wagner mutiny exposes the Russian tyrant’s growing weakness. But don’t count him out yet” – The Economist

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

“The last pretence of … Putin to be … one of his nation’s historic rulers was stripped away …. [A]rmed mercenaries swept through his country almost unopposed, covering some 750km (470 miles) in a single day, seizing control of two big cities and getting to within 200km of Moscow before withdrawing unharmed. [] Putin long ago failed as a reformer […]

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Mutiny in Russia: What Happened, What’s Next and What To Be Thankful For

Belarus, Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Simon Saradzhyan – June 29, 2023) Simon Saradzhyan is the founding director of Russia Matters. What drove Yevgeny Prigozhin to lead his PMC Wagner troops on a “march for justice” across southern Russia, toward Moscow? Was it a mutiny meant to overthrow Vladimir Putin and install the ex-convict in the Kremlin? Or was the owner […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Yesterday’s Putin Is Gone” – New York Times/ Andrei Kolesnikov

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

“… Prigozhin’s mutiny … poke[d] a hole in the Kremlin’s campaign to assure Russians that everything is fine …. [] Prigozhin … gave more Russians reason to doubt their leadership. Is [] Putin really the all-powerful, czarlike figure they thought he was? …. Even if they are not ready to give up their relative safety and stability in favor of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Prigozhin went free. What about these Russians?” – Washington Post

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, 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

“For 18 months, Russia has been sliding deeper into totalitarian rule, including draconian laws pushed by … Putin that make it criminal to question the war against Ukraine — or even call it a ‘war’ …. [T]housands of Russians who object to the war and oppose [] Putin have not had the benefit of [the kind of] lenienc[y] [shown Prigozhin, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “After the rebellion, how well will Putin carry on his rule?”  – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“Yevgeny Prigozhin’s attempted rebellion didn’t topple President Vladimir Putin. But in its aftermath, it has launched debate over just how stable Mr. Putin’s hold on the country really is.” “When oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin led his 25,000-strong Wagner private military forces into open insurrection against Russia’s Defense Ministry and Moscow elites … it looked like the kind of turning point that […]

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Émigré Politicians, Russian and Non-Russian, Mired in Wishful Thinking, Vintsevskaya Says

Far East, Siberia, APEC, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Russia Regions Map

(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, June 14, 2023) Many émigré politicians, Russian and non-Russian, talk about the looming collapse of Russia, a position that is understandable but fundamentally defective because it is a classic example of wishful thinking, of believing that what one wants to happen is what will, Tatyana Vintsevskaya says. The Siberian activist, who herself […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin, Prigozhin, and Russia’s Future; Caution should be our guiding principle” – The Nation/ Katrina vanden Heuvel

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

“… Prigozhin lambasted the elite’s children as ‘shaking their tails on beaches’ while the children of ordinary Russian families are dying. … His fury both stokes and is fueled by widespread anger … [Russian] towns have been emptied by conscription[] and …  cemeteries seek more gravediggers. … It would be reckless to dismiss the possibility that the regime’s internal troubles […]

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Prigozhin has captivated the West – but pundits have no idea what is going on

Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“Many Western pundits were quick to offer their hysterical takes on the weekend’s events in Russia” (opendemocracy.net – Jeremy Morris – June 26, 2023) Jeremy Morris is a researcher at Aarhus University, Denmark. His work covers labour relations, political economy, and the lived experience of people in Russia, Ukraine and other places since the collapse of the Soviet Union. He […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Just How Much Trouble Is Vladimir Putin In?” – Politico

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

“Fourteen Russia experts on what we learned about Putin over the past few days, and what the attempted mutiny could mean for Russia and the West.” “… Some think this is the beginning of the end of Putin’s rule while others think he could use the episode to consolidate his power. Some see a future of bitter infighting among elites […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Beginning of the End for Putin? Prigozhin’s Rebellion Ended Quickly, but It Spells Trouble for the Kremlin” – Foreign Affairs/ Liana Fix, Michael Kimmage

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

“… [Recent] events … portend a dark future for Russia. In a few short hours, Prigozhin’s armed rebellion generated enormous chaos. The war has stretched Russian state capacity thin … [T]he revolt has stretched it still further, presenting … a new domestic challenge. For years, the Kremlin has devised ways to head off a [cosmopolitan,] liberal, urban revolution. … [T]he […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Gripped by Uncertainty After Mutiny, Russians Note Absence of Kremlin Leaders” – New York Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

“Neither Vladimir V. Putin nor the leader of the Wagner mercenary group made public appearances on Sunday, a day after an armed rebellion shook the nation.” “Confusion and uncertainty pervaded Russia on Sunday … [N]either … Putin nor … Prigozhin, … head of a mutinous mercenary group, appear[ed] anywhere in public a day after the most profound government crisis in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin looked into the abyss Saturday — and blinked” – Washington Post

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

“… Putin looked into the abyss … and blinked. After vowing revenge for what he called an ‘armed mutiny,’ he settled for a compromise. The speed with which Putin backed down suggests … his sense of vulnerability might be higher even than analysts believed. Putin might have saved his regime Saturday, but this day will be remembered as part of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “…. Prigozhin’s ‘revolt,’ of course, can go down as a clear illustration of the perils of permitting private armies to exist. …” – Fred Weir

Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

(Fred Weir – facebook.com/fred.weir – June 24, 2023) “It’s not the first time something bizarre has happened when I am away from Moscow. Prigozhin’s ‘revolt,’ of course, can go down as a clear illustration of the perils of permitting private armies to exist. …” [original post should load below, and also appears at facebook.com/fred.weir/posts/793729415591872/] 

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Prigozhin’s armed insurrection/mutiny/rebellion” – Michael Kofman

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

(Michael Kofman – twitter.com/KofmanMichael – June 25, 2023) “A few thoughts on Prigozhin’s armed insurrection/mutiny/rebellion. For now it appears over. … Prigozhin launched a mutiny that ultimately challenged Putin’s power, and the system. This was not a traditional coup, but with Putin’s video and FSB statements it became a challenge that would reveal the extent of brittleness in the regime. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Wagner’s Aborted Mutiny Leaves No Winners in Russia; The authority of the Russian state has sustained lasting damage, inviting future challenges” – WSJ

Belarus, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“Shaken by the Wagner mutiny, Russia began addressing the damage of Saturday’s bout of violence as its citizens tried to understand how these events will affect … Putin’s regime, … shown … [to be] so unexpectedly vulnerable. … One widely shared conclusion in Russia …  was that none of the key players in the power struggle that began when Prigozhin […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Short-Lived Mutiny in Russia Sheds Light on Putin’s Hold on Power” – New York Times

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

“The armed standoff on the road to Moscow, brief as it was, represented the most dramatic struggle for power in Russia in decades.” “… Could Russia’s botched invasion … eventually lead to the downfall of … Putin? For a few chaotic, head-snapping hours this weekend, the notion did not seem so far-fetched. … [E]ven with the apparent end to the […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Prigozhin’s Insurrection Creates Headaches for Russia-China Alliance, Experts Say” – Moscow Times

China, Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Beijing Temple, adapted from image at lbl.gov

(Moscow Times – Jake Cordell) Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion against Moscow will have stoked alarm in China and could throw sand in the wheels of the “no-limits” strategic partnership between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, experts said on Sunday. After a 24-hour armed insurrection in which Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenaries seized control of parts of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and […]

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Russia Analytical Report, June 12-20, 2023 – 4 Ideas to Explore

China, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, NATO, 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) “Ukrainians’ early setbacks are a sign that their offensive will be a long, deadly grind, and not a repeat of their rout of Russian troops in … Kharkiv region late last summer,” according to a new analysis by WSJ reporters Daniel Michaels and Isabel Cole. “It was always going to be difficult,” said Rob Lee, a […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Treacherous Path to a Better Russia; Ukraine’s Future and Putin’s Fate” – Foreign Affairs/ Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Erica Frantz

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, 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

“… Authoritarian leaders rarely lose power while still waging a war they initiated. … [and] authoritarian regimes most often survive in the wake of the departure of longtime leaders … [W]ere Putin to die … or be removed by insiders, the regime would … likely endure …. One development … could spark more substantive change in Russia: a Ukrainian victory. […]

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Russia in Review, June 9-16, 2023 – 7 Things to Know

China, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Germany, Headlines, Human Rights, Iran, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, 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) Ukraine’s military command claimed, as of June 15, to have retaken approximately 40 square miles of territory in the course of its counteroffensive, even as its soldiers encountered what U.S. military officials described as fierce resistance by Russian troops. The latter have reportedly managed to destroy at least four Leopard-2 tanks, 3 Leopard 2R engineering vehicles […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia Risks Return to Planned Economy – Central Bank” – Moscow Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Moscow Times – June 15, 2023) Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina warned Thursday that Russia is at risk of reverting to a planned economic system as it grapples with restructuring challenges driven by soaring war expenses and unprecedented Western sanctions. “The temptation to manage economic restructuring can lead to [a situation] where we suppress private initiative [by businesses], not […]

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