Month: February 2016
NEWSLINK: “Russia and Three OPEC Members Agree to Freeze Oil Output” – New York Times
NEWSLINK: “Europe’s Extremists Are Not Putin’s Fault. Europeans should look to Brussels – not Moscow – for the source of their extremism problem” – Foreign Policy Magazine/Scott Radnitz
NEWSLINK: “In Syrian war, a bigger role for Russian strategists” – Reuters
NEWSLINK: “Poroshenko wants to dump Yatsenyuk and Shokin” – Kyiv Post
NEWSLINK: “Ukraine should heed its economy minister’s warning on corruption” – Washington Post
NEWSLINK: “Ukraine’s graft problem tests Western patience and resolve” – AFP
NEWSLINK: “On Syria: Thank you, Russia!” – Boston Globe/Stephen Kinzer
NEWSLINK: “Q&A With Russian NATO Ambassador” – Wall Street Journal
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-32 :: Monday, 15 February 2016
Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#32 Monday, 15 February 2016 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 Facebook: facebook.com/russialist – JRL on Twitter: @JohnsonRussiaLi Support for JRL is provided in part […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: Dmitry Medvedev’s interview for Handelsblatt, Germany
(Government.ru – February 11, 2016) Ahead of the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister answered questions from Editor-in-Chief Sven Afhüppe and international correspondent Mathias Bruggmann. Question: Mr Prime Minister, thank you for finding the time to meet with us. You will come to Munich to attend the Conference on Security. Handelsblatt will cover the proceedings and primarily your participation in […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: Dmitry Medvedev’s meeting with Russian and German business leaders at the Munich Security Conference
(Government.ru – February 13, 2016) Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Buechele, colleagues. I welcome you to our breakfast on this Saturday morning. It’s this kind of morning meal where you don’t usually have the chance to eat anything. The goal of such meetings is naturally different. I consider this meeting to be useful and timely. Despite all that’s going on and all […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: Dmitry Medvedev’s interview with Time magazine
(Government.ru – February 15, 2016) Dmitry Medvedev has given an interview to Time magazine correspondent Simon Shuster following the Munich Security Conference. Question: Thank you very much for agreeing to this interview with Time magazine. I would also like to thank you for your remarks today at the conference. This was a very interesting and eloquent speech. You made a […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: Dmitry Medvedev’s interview with Euronews TV channel
(Government.ru – February 14, 2016) The Prime Minister spoke with Global Conversation presenter Isabelle Kumar on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference Question: Mr Prime Minister, thank you for joining the Global Conversation. The Syrian issue is a priority; it dominates the international agenda. It is now believed that we are approaching a turning point, although it remains to […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: Dmitry Medvedev’s speech at the panel discussion – Munich Security Conference
(Government.ru – February 13, 2016) Dmitry Medvedev: Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished colleague Mr Valls, distinguished Mr Ischinger, my speech will be of a more general nature, but I hope it will be useful. The first cold war ended 25 years ago. This is not long in terms of history, but it is a considerable period for individual people and even […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-31 :: Friday, 12 February 2016
[check back for updates, including article links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#31 Friday, 12 February 2016 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 […]
» Read moreMajority of Russians Consider Impoverishment Country’s Main Threat
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 12, 2016) Fifty-three percent of Russians consider the impoverishment of citizens and rising prices to be the major threats facing the country, the Interfax news agency reported Friday, citing the results of a recent poll by the independent Levada Center pollster. The other threats that Russia currently faces, according to respondents, include the economic […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: Interview of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Sputnik News Agency
(Government.ru – February 12, 2016) Question: The organizers of the Munich Security Conference welcomed your participation in the conference, stressing that it is even more important to dialogue at a high level during times of crisis. What aims do you set before your delegation for your trip to Munich? What are the main theses of your speech? Dmitry Medvedev: The […]
» Read moreCan Russia’s ruling party restore its reputation ahead of the elections?
The federal election campaign in 2011 was the least successful to date for United Russia, which saw its reputation tainted by accusations of vote-rigging and fraud. How is Russia’s ruling party preparing for the upcoming elections in 2016 and can it repair its tarnished image among voters? (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – YEKATERINA SINELSCHIKOVA, RBTH – February 11, […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Mounting Evidence Putin Will Ignite WWIII” – Observer.com/John Schindler
TRANSCRIPT: Dmitry Medvedev’s interview for Handelsblatt, Germany
(Government.ru – February 11, 2016) Ahead of the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister answered questions from Editor-in-Chief Sven Afhüppe and international correspondent Mathias Bruggmann. Question: Mr Prime Minister, thank you for finding the time to meet with us. You will come to Munich to attend the Conference on Security. Handelsblatt will cover the proceedings and primarily your participation in […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “History man. Making sense of race in Russia via the extraordinary life of Pushkin’s black forebear.” – The Calvert Journal/Samuel Goff
Russian Women – They’re Just Not That Into You
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog, Peter Hobson – February 12, 2016) [Chart here http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-women–theyre-just-not-that-into-you/559233.html] Tatyana, a good-looking blonde, leans across the table. “You fancy sticking around for a drink?” she asks with a naughty smile. The subject of her advances, a British Moscow Times business reporter, blushes with embarrassment. It is Saturday evening and we are nearing the […]
» Read moreRussia Sends Medvedev to Munich Seeking Sanctions Relief
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – February 12, 2016) At last year’s Munich Security Conference, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov took to the stage to defend Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Scheduled between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the U.S. vice president, Lavrov faced a tough sell. He did his best to toe the government line, declaring Russia’s annexation of […]
» Read moreRussia’s Medvedev: Syrian Conflict May Become ‘Permanent War’
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – February 12, 2016) The conflict in Syria may escalate into a “permanent” war to last for decades, if peace talks were to collapse or if foreign countries tried to intervene by deploying ground troops, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in comments published on the Cabinet website Thursday. Russia has been conducting […]
» Read moreHow realistic is BBC film about Russia-NATO nuclear war?
In a recent British pseudo-documentary film, a confrontation between NATO and Russia because of a pro-Russian uprising in Latvia leads to a nuclear war. Russian experts interviewed by RBTH are skeptical about the premise of the film: In their opinion, such uprisings are impossible in the Baltic countries and Russia would never engage in a direct armed conflict with NATO. […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “‘Cessation of hostilities’ in Syria lets Russia keep bombing” – Reuters
EVENT NEWSLINK: “Beyond a New Cold War? International Security and the Need for U.S.-Russia Cooperation [February 17 in New York]” – Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs
NEWSLINK RBTH/Kommersant: “Russian retail figures retreat to 1970 levels as crisis deepens. The Ministry of Economy has published figures revealing the Russian retail sector’s worst performance in over 40 years as inflation remains high. The report also shows a rise in the number of people in the country living below the poverty line”
NEWSLINK: “NATO agrees Russian deterrent but avoids Cold War footing” – Reuters
NEWSLINK: “The Future of Ukrainian Small Farmers under Threat under the IMF Mandate” – Oakland Institute
NEWSWATCH: “Weak Oil Prices Fuel Ukrainian Hopes of a More Conciliatory Russia” – Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal covers Russian economic vulnerability amidst falling oil prices and its possible impact on efforts to resolve the Russo-Ukrainian conflict . Ukraine’s political elite is hoping that plummeting oil prices will restrain neighboring Russia’s interventionist ambitions—and give Western sanctions on Russia a bit more bite. … diplomatic overtures have raised hopes in Kiev that Moscow—which annexed Crimea […]
» Read moreSnap Elections Wouldn’t Change Russian Ruling Structure – Poll
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 11, 2016) If elections were held in Russia next weekend, Vladimir Putin would be re-elected president and the same political parties would be elected to the State Duma, the Kommersant newspaper reported Wednesday, citing the results of a recent poll. The survey carried out by the independent Levada Center pollster revealed that 53 percent […]
» Read morePutin Pulls Levers As Russian Patriarch, PM Head Abroad
(RFE/RL News Analysis – rferl.org – Steve Gutterman – February 11, 2016) With the Russian patriarch and prime minister both holding big meetings abroad, this weekend presents a chance for President Vladimir Putin to soothe a world still stunned by Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine and dismayed by its bombing campaign in Syria. Russian Orthodox Church chief Kirill holds historic talks […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Russia, pressed to end Syria bombing, proposes March truce”
AFGHANISTAN TO SYRIA – the Russian game
Subject: AFGHANISTAN TO SYRIA – the Russian game Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2016 From: Andrei Liakhov <gaffriloff@yahoo.co.uk> AFGHANISTAN TO SYRIA – the Russian game I have tried hard to stay off JRL for a while. Too much to do and too much to travel. It does not mean that I was not involved in various Russia related situations. Syria was/is […]
» Read moreRBTH: U.S. to spend $4.3 billion on ‘countering Russian aggression’
The White House has announced that a special sum allocated to fighting Russian influence in Europe and the former Soviet space will be included in the country’s budget for the 2017 fiscal year. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – MARINA KARPOVA, RBTH – February 11, 2016) The U.S. fiscal year 2017 budget will include $4.3 billion allocated “for political, […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Putin ups the stakes in Syria as he gets backed into a political corner” – BNE Intellinews/Ben Aris
RBTH: Through a diplomat’s eyes: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in 7 quotes
Feb. 10 is Diplomatic Worker’s Day in Russia. To mark the occasion, RBTH has collected seven quotes that best represent the attitudes and values of the country’s principal “diplomatic worker” – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ANNA SOROKINA, RBTH – February 10, 2016) 1. “The global financial and economic crisis has convincingly demonstrated […]
» Read moreInterfax: Casualties of law enforcement agencies reduce threefold in North Caucasus in 2015 – Interior Ministry
(Interfax – STAVROPOL, Feb 11, 2016) A decline in the number of clashes, bombings and shelling incidents continued in the North Caucasus in 2015, head of the Russian Interior Ministry department in the North Caucasus Federal District Sergei Chenchik said at a coordination conference of district police chiefs in Pyatigorsk. “The number of shelling incidents, bombings and clashes was significantly […]
» Read moreMoscow’s Overnight Demolition Blitz Sparks Legal Debate
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Daria Litvinova, Vasily Kolotilov – February 11, 2016) You could hear a young woman yelling, but her voice was diluted in the sound of bulldozers, smashed glass and metal. “What are you doing?! There are people still in there! Stop it!” she said. Several police officers stood outside, watching the bulldozer do its work without […]
» Read morePatriarch Kirill and Pope Francis agree upon joint declaration
(Interfax – February 11, 2016) Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Pope Francis have agreed upon the text of their joint declaration, which they will sign at their historic meeting in Havana on Feb. 12. “The text of the declaration was negotiated by the sides until late last night. The final amendments were introduced. It is necessary to […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-30 :: Thursday, 11 February 2016
[check back for updates, including article links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#30 Thursday, 11 February 2016 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 […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “PUTIN IS ON THE ROPES-THAT’S NO TIME TO GIVE GROUND” – Newsweek/Atlantic Council/Diane Francis
NEWSLINK: “Moscow Demolition: A Primer in Russian Propaganda” – Moscow Times/Michele A. Berdy
NEWSWATCH: “Russian Intervention in Syrian War Has Sharply Reduced U.S. Options.” – New York Times
The New York Times covers the impact of Russian military intervention on U.S. policymaking on Syria. … the United States has insisted there can be no military solution to the Syrian civil war, only a political accord between … al-Assad and the fractured, divided opposition groups that have been trying to topple him. … days of intense bombing that could […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH: “Muslims in Russia See Putin’s Antiterrorism Efforts at Home as Backfiring. North Caucasus residents say crackdown often leads to new recruits for Islamic State.” – Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal covers concerns that Russian government policies will fuel more terrorist recruits for the so-called Islamic State. President Vladimir Putin justifies his military action in Syria in part as a way to head off the terrorist threat at home, especially here in the mostly Muslim north Caucasus. But residents say the government’s often heavy-handed measures are instead […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH: “Mortgages vs. pensions and blasts from the past”
BNE covers the impact of the Russian economic crisis on mortgage holders, and resulting unrest. Russia is in a painful place and freeing the ruble in November last year may be acting as a very effective shock absorber in the face of plummeting oil prices, but it also means that the brunt of the pain is being borne by the […]
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