(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 29, 2014) “Voyennoye obozreniye,” an online Moscow journal directed at the Russian military and military analysts, has published today list of seven targets Russian forces are likely to attack in the course of what it describes as “the probable future of the war for Novorossiya.” Of course, which ones the Kremlin […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – moscowtimes.com – Nabi Abdullaev – August 29, 2014) After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine had the second-largest armed forces in Europe (after Russia) and the fourth-largest in the world (after Russia, China and the United States). Twenty-three years later, when the Russian military invaded Ukrainian territory in Crimea this February, the country formidably […]
» Read more
NEW YORK, August 29 (RIA Novosti) – More than half of Americans view growing tensions between Russia and its neighbors as a major threat to the United States, among a wide range of security fears that are revealed in a recent survey. “As the public’s views of global threats have changed, so have opinions about America’s role in solving world […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – August 29, 2014) Russia wants to propose amendments to the association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, top officials said, despite Ukraine and the EU maintaining that the bilateral agreement is moments away from ratification and not open to suggestions. Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev and Kremlin economic adviser Andrei Belousov […]
» Read more
MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti) – “Fact-hiding” is a distinctive Western behavior in the events in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday. “It seems to me that ‘fact-hiding’ is a characteristic feature of the position, first and foremost, by the US and a number of European countries in regard to everything that is happening in Ukraine, be it […]
» Read more
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Bezimmine, Ukraine – August 28, 2014) The forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic – comprising irregular Russian-backed rebels and regular Russian troops – are free to advance from the border town of Novoazovsk to Ukraine’s second largest port of Mariuopol, warn fighters of Ukraine’s irregular Dnipro battalion, which is based […]
» Read more
MOSCOW. Aug 29 (Interfax) – The Russian Foreign Ministry has received a response from Kyiv which tentatively agreed to the possible dispatch of Russia’s second Ukraine-bound humanitarian aid convoy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. “We have received a response note from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, which gave its tentative agreement to a proposal to send humanitarian aid to […]
» Read more
SELIGER, Tver region. Aug 29 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that an agreement has been reached with Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko about the handover of Russian airborne troops held in Ukraine. “We spoke about it with Petro Poroshenko, and he reassured me that the Russian military servicemen will be handed over to Russia just like we have […]
» Read more
MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow will help in negotiations between the warring sides in Ukraine and is taking steps toward a de-escalation of the conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday. “Russia will consistently help in creating the conditions for transferring the situation into a negotiation channel through strengthening trust between the warring sides, taking […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – August 29, 2014) UNITED NATIONS – As the West lined up to condemn Russia for what Ukraine has called “an invasion” of its eastern regions, Russia at the UN Security Council urged it to keep out of its “close relations” with its neighbor in a show of increasing frustration that dimmed hopes […]
» Read more
GENEVA, August 29 (RIA Novosti) – A UN report published Friday said 2,220 people have died and some 6,000 have been injured between mid-April and August 17 in the Ukrainian crisis. “As of 17 August, the total number of people killed (civilians, military personnel and some members of armed groups) is at least 2,220 since the fighting began in mid-April. […]
» Read more
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – August 28, 2014) RFE/RL’s Andrei Babitsky is in Donetsk and has sent this footage of fierce fighting on the streets of the eastern Ukrainian city this afternoon. (WARNING: Graphic content, including footage of dead bodies) Article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – © 2014 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Article also appeared at http://www.rferl.org/media/video/26555171.html
» Read more
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – August 29, 2014) Ukraine reported terrible economic results this week leaving some commentators to say that the country is only weeks away from running out of money entirely. The results also suggest that the IMF sponsored rescue package plan was overly optimistic and that its standby agreement will have to be renegotiated. Ukraine’s GDP […]
» Read more
Brussels, 28 August: Attempts to draw NATO into a public discussion of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (IRNFT) issues look artificial, Russia’s NATO envoy Aleksandr Grushko has said. “We noted that the stove piping on IRNFT came in the lead-up to the summit. This clearly benefits those who would like to present Russia as the enemy. Recall that the Treaty has […]
» Read more
BRUSSELS. Aug 28 (Interfax) – NATO’s intention to adopt “a readiness action plan” as part of its recent steps near the borders with Russia under the pretext of some threats coming from the East is unjustified and will only serve to further complicate relations between Russia and the alliance, Moscow’s Permanent Representative to NATO Alexander Grushko has said. “Certainly, we […]
» Read more
WASHINGTON, August 28 (RIA Novosti) – A week before the September 4-5 NATO summit in Wales, a number of allies started to fear that the readiness action plan to increase the alliance’s military presence along Russia’s border would be provocative, a Center for Strategic and International Studies representative told RIA Novosti. “The allies have already fully anticipated a very strong […]
» Read more
MOSCOW, August 28 (RIA Novosti) – NATO allies do not intend to discuss the status of their relations with Ukraine or take the responsibility for the country’s protection, but will announce consulting and financial aid to Ukrainian military, a high-ranking NATO official told journalists. “In Wales, there will be an announcement on the form of military consultations and financial support […]
» Read more
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2014-#191 :: Saturday 30 August 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php 1. Buzzfeed: 21 Photos That Show The Growing Conflict In East […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – August 28, 2014) NATO will set up new bases in Eastern Europe in an attempt to deter President Vladimir Putin from meddling in the internal affairs of countries that used to be under Moscow’s control, the organization’s secretary-general told journalists in an interview published Wednesday. The move effectively returns the state of […]
» Read more
BRUSSELS, August 28 (RIA Novosti) – Thursday’s claims of a Russian military invasion of Ukraine were sparked by Kiev’s attempts to justify its military setbacks in the east and downplay the results of recent talks in Minsk, Russia’s EU envoy said. “I think that this is related to the launch of the Minsk process, which, I believe, someone did not […]
» Read more
(Business New Europe MOSCOW BLOG – bne.eu – Ben Aris – August 28, 2014) “Russia invades Ukraine” screamed a banner headline in the Huffington Post on August 27 after it was reported that 100 Russian tanks had crossed the border into Ukraine. Let’s get one thing straight at the outset. Russia did not invade Ukraine on Wednesday. An invasion is […]
» Read more
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – August 27, 2014) When literature came under state control: 80 years since the First Congress of Soviet Writers When the First Congress of Soviet Writers opened on Aug. 17, 1934 in Moscow, it marked a watershed in Soviet literature. The artistic freedom that had characterized the turbulent 1920s was now gone, replaced by forced […]
» Read more
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2014-#190 :: Friday 29 August 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php 1. Business New Europe: Ukraine on the verge of financial collapse. […]
» Read more
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Liz Fuller – August 26, 2014) Veteran opposition politician Raul Khajimba has been elected de facto president of the largely unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia by the slenderest of margins — just 559 votes. He received 50.57 percent (50,494 votes) of the total 99, 869 ballots cast, defeating three rival candidates. Voter turnout in the early election, which was necessitated by […]
» Read more
MOSCOW, August 28 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian government is to go ahead with plans to privatize a 19.5 percent stake in oil major Rosneft in 2015, likely in two stages, Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said Thursday. “The [government] plan is being upheld and preliminary operations have already begun. We are talking about the sale of the entire […]
» Read more
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2014-#189 :: Thursday 28 August 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Ukraine 1. Euromaidan PR: Daniel Centore, Ukraine for Dummies – Part 1: […]
» Read more
Subject: RE: Response Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 From: Anders Aslund <AAslund@PIIE.COM> Dear David, Thank you for your inordinate attention you have given to my personal words to you. I appreciate your kind consideration. At the same time, I am surprised that anybody can object to me calling your list biased in favor of Putin. Whenever you get a chance, […]
» Read more
(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 26, 2014) Independent Russian experts say that there is no basis for the claim by Boris Titov, presidential plenipotentiary for the rights of entrepreneurs, that the level of corruption in the Russian Federation has fallen. Instead, they say, all measures point to corruption still being a major obstacle for the country’s […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 26, 2014) Three of every four Russian university students would prefer to work abroad rather than in Russia, Newsru.com reported Monday, citing a survey conducted by Career.ru. The survey revealed that 77 percent of Russian students found the prospect of overseas employment more appealing than working at home. Those most hopeful for overseas jobs […]
» Read more
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexei Lossan, RBTH – August 25, 2014) Low price-per-barrel for Urals crude oil is putting pressure on the Russian budget On Aug. 18, Reuters reported that the price for Russia’s benchmark Urals oil fell to $98 a barrel – its lowest level since May 2013. Even as recently as July, Urals crude was […]
» Read more
MOSCOW, August 26 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Ministry of Finance expects an average oil price of $90-95 per barrel in 2015, Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseyev told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. “The price for oil in 2015 will be $90-95 per barrel,” Moiseyev said. The Ministry of Economic Development earlier predicted an average oil price of $100 per barrel over […]
» Read more
Subject: Pictures of the Odessa massacre Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 From: Ludmila Foster <ludmilaf001@gmail.com> David: I hesitated sending you these pictures, but after all those attacks on you, you may want to post them on the JRL. http://ersieesist.livejournal.com/813.html [Very graphic!]
» Read more
MOSCOW, August 26 (RIA Novosti) – The West ought to fundamentally change its approach towards the Ukrainian crisis, making Ukraine a ‘neutral buffer’ between Russia and NATO instead of westernizing it, asserts John J. Mearsheimer, American professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. “The United States and its European allies now face a choice on Ukraine. They can […]
» Read more
MOSCOW. Aug 26 (Interfax) – Militiamen of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR) claim that up to 7,000 Ukrainian army servicemen have been trapped in three “pockets” in Ukraine’s eastern regions. “We have managed to drive the adversary into three “pockets”. One of them is located outside of Ilovaysk, the second one near Lutuhyne, and the third one near Stepanivka […]
» Read more
(Interfax – August 26, 2014) Eighty percent of Russians are monitoring the political events evolving in Ukraine; 32 percent of them are doing so on a regular basis and 48 percent learn the news from time to time, the Russian Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) said. The interest in the Ukrainian events has been high (over 70 percent) since February, […]
» Read more
MINSK. Aug 26 (Interfax) – The association agreement signed between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine could cost Russia billions and force it to introduce protective measures, said Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Due to Ukraine adopting zero duties on EU imports (which is to take effect almost immediately after the ratification of the agreement and will affect 98% of the […]
» Read more
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Kyiv – August 26, 2014) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has dissolved parliament and called snap elections for October 26, in a move he says aims to “reload” Ukraine’s political elite. The move was widely anticipated and could help Poroshenko and his allies in the Rada clear the political decks and move […]
» Read more
MOSCOW. Aug 26 (Interfax) – No serious breakthroughs are expected with regard to a peace settlement in eastern Ukraine at the possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Minsk because Poroshenko is guided by the U.S. stance, the Russian Federation Council international affairs committee said. “Washington is not represented at this meeting in Minsk […]
» Read more
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris – August 26, 2014) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian peer Vladimir Putin are due to sit down in Minsk on August 26 for their first formal meeting since the fighting in eastern Ukraine kicked off. Expectations for a peace deal are low, but what exactly can each side put on the […]
» Read more
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexander Korolkov, special to RBTH – August 25, 2014) Currently in the headlines for its use by both sides in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the Grad BM-21 multiple launch rocket system has a history that goes back all the way to the early 1960s, when it succeeded the legendary Katyusha rocket battery. […]
» Read more
SELIGER, Russia. Aug 27 (Interfax) – Only talks between the Ukrainian government and eastern Ukrainian regions can make it clear whether the eastern territories are willing to remain part of Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov argued on Wednesday. “We are now convinced that everything possible must be done to ensure that they sit down at the negotiating table and […]
» Read more
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2014-#188 :: Wednesday 27 August 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php 1. Financial Times: The right stomach for sanctions. Muscovites seem happy to sacrifice […]
» Read more
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexandra Trifonova, Nikolai Litovkin, RBTH – August 26, 2014) The issuing of provisions of Russian humanitarian aid in Lugansk has begun after the controversial arrival of the aid convoy from Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says another convoy is planned and insists that on this occasion delivery terms will be fully negotiated. […]
» Read more
MOSCOW, August 27 (RIA Novosti), Antonina Ivanova – The talks on Ukraine in the Belarusian capital of Minsk that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said would decide “the fate of the world and Europe” did not yield any breakthrough solutions to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The talks were attended by the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, senior European Union officials, […]
» Read more
KYIV. Aug 27 (Interfax) – The Ukrainian government plans to endorse a Ukraine-NATO action program for 2014 at its Wednesday session, Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said. “The government will endorse a Ukraine-NATO annual action program today. The president of Ukraine will be present at the NATO summit. NATO is our partner, and we expect our western partners and the alliance […]
» Read more
(jackmatlock.com – Jack Matlock – August 26, 2014) Jack Matlock is a career diplomat who served on the front lines of American diplomacy during the Cold War and was U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union when the Cold War ended. This article is part of Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Carnegie Forum: Rebuilding U.S.-Russia Relations – perspectives.carnegie.org/us-russia/?utm_source=hero&utm_medium=carnegiewebsite&utm_campaign=USRussia082014 In his interview with Thomas Friedman […]
» Read more
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Schastye, Ukraine – August 27, 2014) Irregular and regular Ukrainian forces have already captured “scores” of Russian Federation forces, a battalion commander tells bne, after Ukrainian media played videos of interviews with some captured members of Russia’s elite Pskov airborne division. Ukraine now appears to possess damning evidence of Russia’s involvement […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexey Eremenko, Ivan Nechepurenko – August 27, 2014) A slew of reports about Russian paratroopers slain or captured in Ukraine have reignited fears of a Russian invasion in the war-torn country, but confusion reigned supreme, indicating that the stories are above all part of the propaganda battle. The reports came ahead of a long-awaited meeting […]
» Read more
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – August 27, 2014) There was little concrete progress in bringing about a ceasefire in the conflict ravaging eastern Ukraine, following a two-hour tete-a-tete between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko behind closed doors at a regional summit held in the marble-clad presidential palace in the Belarusian […]
» Read more
… 6. Reuters: Slim chance of progress as Russian and Ukrainian leaders meet.
7. Moscow Times: Ukraine Compromise on the Table in Minsk.
8. Carnegie Moscow Center: Balazs Jarabik, Minsk Freeze: Can Ukraine Handle a Compromise? …