RUSSIA – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#238 :: Wednesday AM 9 December 2015

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#238 Wednesday AM 9 December 2015 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL […]

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Biden Tells Ukraine to … Do Nothing

Joe Biden Speaking in Front of U.S. Flags and Ukrainian Flag

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – December 8, 2015) Vice President Joe Biden’s visits to Ukraine always are keenly anticipated: He is considered the voice of the country’s Western backers, the senior statesman who can resolve conflicts within the country’s ruling elite and push it down the path of reform. This week, however, Biden apparently sent conflicting signals to […]

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Interfax: LPR reports on escalation near contact line

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

LUHANSK. Dec 9 (Interfax) – Ukraine’s government forces resumed daily shellings in the territory of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), deputy chief of staff of the LPR people’s militia Igor Yashchenko said. “The situation in the zone of responsibility of the LPR people’s militia, along the line of contact, became [even] more escalated over the past three days. Kyiv’s […]

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RIA Novosti: Ousted Ukrainian leader wants political comeback – interview to Russian media

Viktor Yanukovych file photo

(RIA Novosti – December 8, 2015) Deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has expressed his wish to return to politics. He said this in an interview with RIA Novosti (part of the state-owned International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya), excerpts from which were published on 8 December. “I want to return to politics. Today… [ellipsis as received] I do everything in my […]

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TRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Meeting of the Mariinsky Theatre Board of Trustees

Marinsky Theater file photo

(Kremlin.ru – December 9, 2015) Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the Mariinsky Theatre Board of Trustees. Items on the agenda included establishing a branch of the Mariinsky Theatre in Primorye Territory, using the Primorye Opera and Ballet Theatre as a base, and other projects the theatre is involved in, in particular, organisation of the Moscow Easter Festival, which will […]

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TRANSCRIPT: [Medvedev on] The implementation of roadmaps for the national entrepreneurial initiative

Dmitri Medvedev file photo

(Government.ru – December 1, 2015) Conference on the implementation of roadmaps for the national entrepreneurial initiative From Dmitry Medvedev’s opening remarks: The national entrepreneurial initiative has become a fundamentally new programme to improve the business climate in the country. This year will see the main stage of this paramount national project come to completion. The programme’s reforms were shaped by […]

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Will hybrid warfare doctrine draw NATO and Russia further apart?

Europe Map

NATO has adopted a new doctrine aimed at conducting a swift response to any attempts to use hybrid warfare against its member states, including the possible use of “little green men” to effect a change of power. Where does this leave relations with Russia, which is clearly perceived by the alliance as a potential instigator of such activity? (Russia Beyond […]

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Is Russia Ready for Modern Dance? Ask Diana Vishneva

Modern Dance file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Olivia Bagnall – December 8, 2015) Moscow just closed the curtains on the third international festival of contemporary choreography and dance, “Context. Diana Vishneva.” Performances from leading international dance companies from Argentina, Holland, Israel and the United States took place at various venues around the city. During the festival, the audience could also attend screenings […]

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Russia’s Supreme Court overturns ruling to fine “foreign agent” NGO

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

(Interfax – December 7, 2015) The Russian Supreme Court has revoked a ruling to fine a St Petersburg-based NGO, Institute of Regional Press, over its refusal to be labelled a “foreign agent”, privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported on 7 December. “The judges failed to find formal components of the crime in the actions of the rights activists. It is […]

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How Russian women succeed in business management

Empty Boardroom

Leading businesswomen tell RBTH that the keys to success for female managers in Russia are being client-oriented, persistent and experienced. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ALEXEI LOSSAN, RBTH – December 8, 2015) When it comes to Russia’s economy, experts believe that women are mostly active in consumer-oriented sectors. “A lot depends on the sector in which the company […]

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Ruble Sinks to New Lows As Oil Prices Plummet

Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – December 8, 2015) The Russian ruble has continued its slide to dramatic lows, falling to 69 against the U.S. dollar on Monday for the first time since September, according to news reports. The euro, too, reached a two-month high, climbing to 75 rubles on Monday evening, with Russian analysts linking the ruble’s downward spiral to […]

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Two-thirds of Russians feel free – poll

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

MOSCOW. Dec 8 (Interfax) – The percentage of Russians who feel free has grown from 52% in 2013 to 66% now, and 27% do not have this feeling compared to 39% two years ago, the Levada Center told Interfax. According to the sociologists, a fifth of Russians (22%) think that a dictatorship is possible in Russia within a few years, […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#237 :: Tuesday 8 December 2015

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#237 Tuesday 8 December 2015 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on […]

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Russian businesswomen break the glass ceiling

Empty Boardroom

Despite large number of female managers in Russia, experts caution that women are mostly active in small businesses. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ALEXEI LOSSAN, RBTH – December 7, 2015) While Russia is believed to have the largest proportion of women in senior managerial positions in the world, women are mostly active in small businesses. In the medium […]

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Russia won’t turn off gas to Ukraine and risk transit to EU – energy minister

Gas Flame file photo

(Interfax – Vladivostok, December 5, 2015) Russia will in no circumstances turn off the gas supply to Ukraine and place the transit of gas to Europe at risk, Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak has said. He said this in an interview with Vesti on Saturday with Sergey Brilyev, which was broadcast in the [Russian] far east. “Ukraine is receiving gas […]

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Truckers’ Strike Won’t Lead to Political Change in Russia, Gontmakher Says

Truck at Russian Border Crossing

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, December 7, 2015) Pro-Kremlin writers have argued that the deteriorating economic situation will lead Russians to willingly tighten their belts, and opposition ones have suggested that economic problems will lead to political protests and even regime change. But both are wrong, Yevgeny Gontmakher says. In a commentary today, the Moscow economic analyst […]

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Why are Russian truckers protesting? 10 questions and answers

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

For over a month now, long-haul drivers in Russia have been engaged in a mass protest, staging rallies across the country, which have now reached Moscow. Truckers, especially those who are self-employed or work for small businesses, believe that the recently introduced additional toll for using federal highways will put their business on the brink of bankruptcy. (Russia Beyond the […]

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Moscow Times: Russians ‘No Longer Ashamed of Country’ – Poll

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – December 7, 2015) Russia has seen a surge in patriotic feelings since the annexation of Crimea in March 2014, with 82 percent of respondents saying that Russian citizenship was preferable to any other, according to a new study by the independent Levada Center pollster, the RBC news site reported Monday. The number of Russians thinking […]

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Will Crimea’s ‘energy bridge’ save it from dependency on Ukraine?

Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

Electricity in Crimea has been partially restored: On Dec. 2 an underwater cable linked the peninsula’s electricity system with a Russian electrical grid. RBTH finds out why the Russian authorities were unprepared for the peninsula’s electricity being cut off by Ukrainian activists and asks whether the energy bridge will save Crimean residents from other infrastructure failures in the future. (Russia […]

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Ukrainian government must take important political decisions in view of its obligations to IMF – U.S. Vice President Biden

Joe Biden Speaking in Front of U.S. Flags and Ukrainian Flag

KYIV. Dec 7 (Interfax) – The United States Vice President Joseph Biden has stressed the need for Ukraine to make important political decisions in the context of its obligations to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The parties talked about the very important implementation of Ukraine’s obligations to the IMF with the aim to continue the assistance, Biden said at a […]

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Russia welcomes intent of U.S., coalition to help seal Syria-Turkey border

Syria Map

(Interfax – December 7, 2015) Moscow welcomes the intentions of the United States and other members of the anti-terrorist coalition that it leads to help seal the Syrian-Turkish border with the purpose of stopping oil trafficking and other illegal businesses. “What the Syrian-Turkish border is like has been known for a long time, the same as the Turkish-Iraqi border. It […]

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Most Russians Won’t Defend Environment Unless State Gives the Order, Semenov Says

Siberian River, Forest, Mountain

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, December 6, 2015) In Western countries, environmentalism is so popular that businessmen and politicians compete with each other to see who can be “the most green.” But in Russia, with rare exceptions, people focus on defending the environment only if the government orders them to, according to Vladimir Semenov, the head of […]

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Russians Want Better Ties With West, But No Change in Policy – Poll

File Photo of G7 Leaders and other Officials Around Round Table at the Hague, with Flags

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog – December 3, 2015) Amid a standoff over the crisis in Ukraine and ongoing conflict in Syria, most Russians want their country to mend ties with its nemeses even while maintaining its political course, the independent Levada Center pollster said Wednesday. Seventy-five percent of those questioned in a new poll said Russia should […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#236 :: Monday 7 December 2015

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#236 Monday 7 December 2015 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on […]

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Interfax: Truthfulness of evidence of oil smuggled to Turkey from terrorists-controlled areas raises no doubt – senator Ozerov

Federation Council file photo

MOSCOW. Dec 5 (Interfax) – Russia has no doubt about the credibility of the evidence it showed of oil supplies to Turkey from ISIL-controlled areas, said Viktor Ozerov, head of the Federation Council’s Defense and Security Committee. “These are objective documents. With the system of capabilities that the U.S. and other NATO states have, joking and serving – to put […]

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Crimeans Putting On Brave Faces, But Frustration Mounting Over Blackout

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

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Pavel Novikov, Claire Bigg – November 25, 2015) As Russian authorities in Crimea scramble to restore power after a massive blackout over the weekend, residents are learning to live with thawing fridges, pitch-dark highways, and shuttered schools. The outage, caused by attacks that brought down power transmission towers in Ukraine’s Kherson region, near the isthmus linking […]

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Russia-Ukraine flight ban: A month in

File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

In the days since direct flights between Russia and Ukraine ended, frequent travelers between the neighboring countries have had to spend more time and money going back and forth. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – VLADIMIR KOZLOV, SPECIAL TO RBTH – November 25, 2015) Air travel is the latest industry to fall victim to tensions between Moscow and Kiev […]

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Lavrov: U.S. admits lack of prospects of restoring Ukrainian solvency

International Monetary Fund Logo Over Ukraine Flag

(Interfax – November 7, 2015) By having refused to guarantee Ukraine’s debt as part of Russia’s proposal to restructure it, the United States effectively admitted the absence of prospects of restoring its solvency, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Interfax. “We were ready to restructure Ukraine’s $3 billion debt at much more advantageous terms than those […]

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NEWSWATCH New York Times: “Russia’s Fury Over Montenegro and NATO”

File Photo of Montenegro Coastal City Kotor with Portion of Old Fortress, Town in Distance, Mountain

The New York Times comments upon Russia’s reaction to the prospect of Montenegro joining NATO. It is a measure of how cold the West’s relations with Russia have become that NATO’s membership invitation to Montenegro — a small, poor Balkan state with a military force of 2,000 and no strategic significance save putting the last bit of Europe’s Mediterranean coastline […]

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Russians Find New Holiday Spots After Egypt, Turkey Bans

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Joanna Kozlowska – December 4, 2015) Russian tour operators have seen increasing demand for tours to India, Thailand, and the UAE following restrictions on travel to Egypt and Turkey – Russians’ two preferred destinations in the first half of 2015, Russian media reported on Friday. At the same time, officials’ attempts to revive interest in […]

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Interfax: Russia, U.S. cooperating in telecommunications, environmental issues, access to drinking water in Arctic

Arctic Map

MOSCOW. Dec 4 (Interfax) – Russia and the United States are cooperating in spheres of mutual interest in the Arctic Council, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador at Large, senior official in the Arctic Council Vladimir Barbin has said. “Speaking of the U.S. program, they have lots of projects Russia is interested in […]. Naturally, we will be cooperating with them,” Barbin […]

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COP21: Facing the challenges of climate change before it’s too late

Polar Bear on Ice, Looking Back at Camera

With representatives of 195 nations currently taking part in climate change talks in Paris, or COP21, as the negotiations have been called, the issue of preventing global temperatures from rising by a key 2°C is on top of the agenda. What challenges face the international community and does Russia have a meaningful role to play in fighting global warming? (Russia […]

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NEWSWATCH Moscow Times/Mark Galeotti: “Moscow Must Avoid Shadow War With Ankara”

Turkey and Environs Satellite Image

Writing in The Moscow Times, Mark Galeotti considers Russia’s potential reactions to Turkey’s shoot-down of a Russian military aircraft. Moscow is sanctioning Turkish goods and holidays, something that will have a distinct impact on an economy which earns $6.5 billion a year from Russian tourists, but is this enough to assuage President Vladimir Putin’s evident fury at the shooting down […]

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New York Times/Anatol Lieven: “The Key to Crushing ISIS”

Middle East Map

Writing in The New York Times, Anatol Lieven addresses the fight against ISIL. Since the latest terrorist attacks in Paris, President Obama and a range of other Western leaders have agreed that ISIS must be crushed, Syria and Iraq stabilized, and the flow of refugees reversed. If ISIS, Al Qaeda and their supporters are the greatest enemies of the West, […]

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U.S.-Russian Relations on The High Frontier

International Space Station file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – December 4, 2015) In the summer of 2000, a Soviet-designed Proton rocket was rolled out to its launch pad at Site 81 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a former military black site hidden on the sprawling steppes of Kazakhstan from which the Soviet Union embarked on its conquest of space in the late […]

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Interfax: Minister sees Moody’s upgrading Russia rating outlook as recognition of effective policy

Anton Siluanov file photo

MOSCOW. Dec 4 (Interfax) – Moody’s Investors Service’s decision to upgrade the rating outlook for Russian government bonds to stable from negative is an acknowledgement of the effectiveness of the Russian authorities’ fiscal and monetary policies, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters. “The upgrade of the outlook, made for the first time in a fairly long time, indicates recognition of […]

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Truck Protests Signal New Kind of Social Activism

Truck at Russian Border Crossing

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Vasily Kolotilov – December 4, 2015) “I think I will set my car on fire soon. The tax will take us all down. I get 112 rubles a month in social payments for my kid – how am I supposed to raise him on that?” says Rasul, a truck driver from Russia’s North Caucasus republic […]

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NEWSWATCH The Hill: “Former Pentagon chief: US shares blame for poor relations with Russia.”

Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags with Number 200, 1807-2007

The Hill covers comments by former U.S. official William Perry on U.S.-Russian relations, recalling scenarios dating back to the 1990’s. ‘It’s as much our fault as it is the fault of the Russians, at least originally,’ said William Perry, who served as Defense secretary from 1994 to 1997. ‘And it began when I was secretary.’ Perry, who was speaking to […]

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Putin talks tough on Turkey but holds back on anti-West rhetoric

Turkey map

Analyzing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual speech to the Federal Assembly, Russian observers interviewed by RBTH underlined the contrast between Putin’s harsh stance toward Turkey and his apparent readiness to cooperate with the West, though they said the address was lacking in groundbreaking ideas. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – YEKATERINA SINELSCHIKOVA, RBTH – December 4, 2015) Against the […]

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Putin: Average life expectancy in Russia to exceed 71 years in 2015

File Photo of Elders Walking in Russia

(Interfax – December 3, 2015) The average life expectancy in Russia will exceed 71 years in 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual address to the Russian Federal Assembly on Dec. 3. “The average life expectancy in Russia has grown by more than five years over the past decade and, based on preliminary estimates, it should exceed 71 […]

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Moscow Times: Russians Less Keen for Democratic Transfer of Power

Arm and Torso of Person in Brown Sweater Placing Paper Ballot into Ballot Box

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – December 4, 2015) The number of Russians supporting regular democratic changeovers of political power is at its lowest point in recent history, a poll published Thursday showed, reflecting the popularity of President Vladimir Putin amid the patriotic fervor and increasingly strong rhetoric against foreign enemies surrounding Russian military actions in Ukraine and Syria. Forty-five percent […]

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Inoculated Against Russian Propaganda

File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Daria Litvinova – December 4, 2015) Immediately following the harrowing terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13, Russian pro-Kremlin media adjusted their rhetoric, abandoning their previous anti-Western and anti-U.S. vitriol even before the Kremlin spoke of a broad military alliance. “A listener called Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station … and said that Americans are not our […]

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NGO U.S. Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and Rule of Law recognized as undesirable in Russia

File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

MOSCOW. Dec 4 (Interfax) – The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has recognized a non-governmental organization (NGO) from the United States – the U.S. Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law (USRF) – as an undesirable organization in Russian territory, Prosecutor General’s Office spokesperson Marina Gridneva told Interfax on Friday. “The president of the foundation is a U.S. […]

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Percentage of Russians who speak English doubles to 30%

Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Interfax – December 3, 2015) About a third of Russians (30 percent) speak English to one degree or another: 20 percent can read and translate using a dictionary, 7 percent are familiar with colloquial language, and 3 percent are fluent speakers, according to Romir research holding. Only 16 percent of respondents claimed to speak English in 2003, and 3 percent […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#235 :: Friday, 4 December 2015

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#235 Friday, 4 December 2015 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on […]

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NEWSWATCH Intellinews/Ben Aris: “Terrorism, bread and babies in Russia’s sights for 2016, Putin tells nation”

File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

Ben Aris comments upon Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2015 State of the Nation speech. In a tight one-hour speech to more than 1,200 state officials and dignitaries gathered in the Moscow Kremlin, the Russian leader urged the international community to unite in ‘one mighty fist’ against the terrorist scourge, while leaving no doubt as to whom he blamed for its […]

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