Month: April 2016
NEWSLINK Kyiv Post: “IMF ready to continue supporting Ukraine”
NEWSLINK Brookings/Steven Pifer: “What Ukraine’s new prime minister is (and isn’t) likely to achieve”
NEWSLINK TASS: “Moscow to take steps to return Russians sentenced to prison terms in Ukraine – consul”
NEWSLINK Washington Post: “Ukraine’s president consolidates his control”
NEWSLINK New York Times: “The Next Chapter for Ukraine”
NEWSLINK AP: “Bolshoi’s New Director Promises the Best of Classical Ballet”
NEWSLINK Forbes/Mark Adomanis: “Vladimir Putin’s Approval Rating Appears To Have Peaked”
NEWSLINK TASS: “Form of cooperation between Kudrin, government suits both sides – Putin”
NEWSLINK: “Petro Poroshenko becomes focus of Ukraine’s disillusion” – Financial Times
Ford Mulls New Russia Investment as Quarterly Sales Jump 93%
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Andrey Lemeshko, Yuliya Fedorinova – April 14, 2016) Ford Motor Co., which spent more than $1.5 billion with a partner in the past five years to build cars and engine factories in Russia, is studying new investments in the country in a bet on economic recovery. The national car market could still become Europe’s biggest, and […]
» Read moreGovernment incomes: Abyzov pulls into first place in 2015
MOSCOW. April 15 (Interfax) – Open Government Affairs Minister Mikhail Abyzov, the only member of the government on the Forbes list of billionaires, pulled ahead of other members of the government in terms of income last year, thanks to a near doubling of his own earnings and a decline for his main competitor, Alexander Khloponin. Abyzov and his wife had […]
» Read moreFormer Finance Minister in Line for Top Position at Putin’s Think Tank
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anastasia Bazenkova – April 13, 2016) Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has been offered a senior position at Russia’s main think tank on economic policy and may participate in the development of a new economic strategy for the Kremlin. On Tuesday, Kudrin announced he would accept an offer to take a senior position at Russia’s […]
» Read moreWhat I Learned On Russian Television
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – The Daily Vertical: Brian Whitmore – April 15, 2016) I learned a lot more about the poor quality of Russian dairy products yesterday than I would care to know. I also learned that wages aren’t being paid, people can’t afford to buy medicine or pay utilities bills, that schools, kindergartens, and hospitals are being closed, that […]
» Read moreVIDEO & TRANSCRIPT: Direct Line with Vladimir Putin (transcript concluded)
(Kremlin.ru – April 14, 2016) Direct Line with Vladimir Putin was broadcast live on Channel One, Rossiya-1 and Rossiya-24 TV channels, and Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii radio stations. During the live broadcast that lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes, the President answered 80 questions out of the over 3 million that were received. [Video of complete broadcast with […]
» Read moreIn Ukraine, Expats and Romantics Are Out
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – April 15, 2016) The new Ukrainian cabinet, confirmed by the parliament on Thursday, is more interesting for the people it doesn’t include than for those it does. Ukraine’s experiment with bringing foreign reformers and private sector professionals into the government is now officially over, and it has failed. President Petro Poroshenko tapped his […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-71 :: Friday, 15 April 2016
Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#71 Friday, 15 April 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 moreNEWSLINK TASS: “Putin confirms importance of waste recycling problem”
NEWSLINK: “The Secret U.S. Army Study That Targets Moscow. A quarter century after the Cold War, the Pentagon is worried about Russia’s military prowess again.” – Politico/Bryan Bender
NEWSLINK: “Putin’s right-hand woman. The Russian economy is in a bad way, but Elvira Nabiullina has saved it from worse.” – The Economist
NEWSLINK: “The Next Chapter for Ukraine” – New York Times
How Greed and Incompetence Put Russia’s Heritage at Risk
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ekaterina Motyakina – April 14, 2016) The Novodevichy convent is a rare glimpse of tranquility in Russia’s bustling capital. Perched on the banks of the Bolshoi Novodevichny Lake, the convent’s golden domes and soaring bell towers have given refuge to Moscow’s needy since the 16th century. When cultural and scientific agency UNESCO designated it a […]
» Read moreRussia’s in the red: As Russia’s personal debt crisis spirals out of control, collectors are turning to violence to ensure people pay on time. These stories aren’t for the fainthearted.
(opendemocracy.net – Sean Guillory – April 14, 2016) Sean Guillory lives in Pittsburgh, where he hosts the SRB podcast, a weekly podcast on Eurasian politics, history and culture, and blogs at seansrussiablog.org. You can follow him on Twitter @seansrussiablog. At this point, I should be numb to Russian horror stories. But several days ago, the following story struck a chord, […]
» Read morePutin doesn’t expect Western sanctions to be lifted soon, says Russia to keep countersanctions in place
MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin does not expect the Western sanctions to be lifted from Russia in the near future. “I don’t think our partners will decide to lift the restrictions and limitations from our country in the near future,” Putin said during a Q&A session on Thursday. “Even though the Minsk Agreements on southeastern Ukraine […]
» Read moreDirect Line with Vladimir Putin (partial transcript)
(Kremlin.ru – April 14, 2016) Direct Line with Vladimir Putin was broadcast live on Channel One, Rossiya-1 and Rossiya-24 TV channels, and Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii radio stations. During the live broadcast that lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes, the President answered 80 questions out of the over 3 million that were received. Valeriya Korableva, reporter at Channel […]
» Read moreRussian State Duma hopeful about Groysman’s appointment as Ukrainian PM
MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) – The appointment of Volodymyr Groysman to the post of Ukraine’s prime minister gives hope that actual steps will be taken to implement the Minsk agreements, and that the level of tension in Russian-Ukrainian relations will decline, Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Alexander Romanovich has said. “Groysman has a record of work at the regional level, […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Groysman becomes Ukraine’s new prime minister, Parubiy takes over as speaker of parliament” – Kyiv Post
NEWSLINK: “Vladimir Putin Talks Foreign Policy, Everyday Problems in Televised Q&A Marathon.” – Wall Street Journal
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-70 :: Thursday, 14 April 2016
Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#70 Thursday, 14 April 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 moreFive great new Russian films to watch online with the Dubl Dv@ festival
New Russian movies will be available for streaming online with English subtitles as part of the Dubl dv@ (Take Two) film festival from April 11-22. We have selected the five most interesting movies from the program. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ALEXANDER NECHAYEV, SPECIAL TO RBTH – April 11, 2016) Festival website: d2.rg.ru 1. ‘CH/B’ (‘Black/White’) After Nurik, […]
» Read moreVolodymyr Hroysman: Ukraine’s Likely Next Prime Minister Is Loyal Poroshenko Ally
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Ron Synovitz – April 11, 2016) The man identified by Ukraine’s outgoing prime minister as his successor, Volodymyr Hroysman, is a 38-year-old loyalist of President Petro Poroshenko who was thrust onto the national scene after the Euromaidan unrest that toppled a government. Hroysman’s meteoric rise from mayoral upstart to speaker of a notoriously obstreperous parliament was […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Most Important Bank Needs a Bailout. VEB faces task of paying off about $20 billion in foreign-currency debt.” – Wall Street Journal
When the Russian government needed to build up infrastructure in … Sochi ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, it turned to Russia’s most important lender: Vnesheconombank, the country’s state-owned development bank. … eventually holding the equivalent of at least $2.9 billion in overdue loans. … the bill is coming due. VEB for years kept its books in balance by […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH: “Russian shopping mall activity continues 2016 recovery” – Intellinews.com
Following a shaky start to the year – three of the first four weeks in 2016 saw annual decreases in footfall – activity in Russian shopping malls appears to have turned the corner, with the positive data of February continuing into March …. Click here for Intellinews.com: Russian shopping mall activity continues 2016 recovery [featured image is file photo, not […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH: “Investors Starting to Show Interest in Russia Again: Credit Suisse.” – Reuters
Investors are starting to look at Russia again after cutting off exposure amid geopolitical tensions two years ago, the head of Credit Suisse’s $60 million Russian Equity Fund said. There are no big inflows yet but a rebound in Russian stock markets in the past few months as the oil price and the rouble have picked up is encouraging interest […]
» Read moreWhy Hedge Funds Are Loading Up on Rubles
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Elena Popina – April 10, 2016) Managers of some of the best-performing funds from Berlin to New York are buying Russian ruble assets as the currency has rebounded 23 percent from a record low. Stuart Sclater-Booth, who helps oversee more than $40 billion at Stone Harbor Investment Partners, turned overweight on the ruble in mid-February and […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Ukraine ‘Very Volatile’ After PM Resignation, Says Council of Europe” – Reuters
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-69 :: Monday, 11 April 2016
Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#69 Monday, 11 April 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 moreNEWSLINK: “PUTIN PONDERS A SPRING OFFENSIVE IN UKRAINE” – Newsweek
NEWSLINK: “The Dutch just showed the world how Russia influences Western European elections” – Washington Post/Anne Applebaum
NEWSLINK: “You Wouldn’t Think It from the Headlines, but Ukraine Is Making Progress.” – Atlantic Council/Michael Druckman, Katie LaRoque
NEWSLINK: “Syria Defies Russia in Bid to Keep Assad. Damascus, emboldened by battlefield victories, pushes a political plan even as allies prepare military offensive to retake Aleppo.” – Wall Street Journal
Putin’s annual Q&A session set for April 14
(Interfax – April 11, 2016) The Russian president will hold his annual televised question and answer session officially known as “The Direct Line with Vladimir Putin” on April 14, the Kremlin press service said. President will speak directly with people from around the country and answer their questions on the country’s life and the international situation. People can also call […]
» Read moreOn My Mind
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Brian Whitmore – April 11, 2016) In many ways, corruption is the new communism. The Soviet Union sought to spread communism and establish a bloc of nations loyal to Moscow. Vladimir Putin’s Russia seeks to spread its corrupt business model to establish a bloc of nations dependent upon Moscow. The Soviet Union tried to co-opt Westerners […]
» Read moreRussians believe Belarus, China, Kazakhstan are the friendliest to them
(Interfax – April 9, 2016) As many as 68% of Russian respondents interviewed by the Public Opinion Foundation and asked to name three countries they believe are the closest and the friendliest ones to Russia mentioned Belarus, 56% China and 50% Kazakhstan. These very three countries have remained on top of the list since April 2014. The April poll of […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK The National Interest/Alexander Decina and Eugene Steinberg: “How to Play Putin’s Game in Syria. Moscow wants prestige. That means the conflict is not as zero-sum as it may seem.”
NEWSLINK RBTH/Izvestia: “Russian experts: U.S. can’t do without Russia in Syria. Russian and American servicemen are secretly working together in Syria as part of the fight against ISIS, say Russian analysts, who argue that cooperation is unavoidable”
How Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Could Spark Major International Crisis
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – April 7, 2016) Springtime in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is predictable enough. As sure as the plane trees begin to flower, skirmishes break out between Azeri and Armenian troops. On April 2, however, the typically short-lasting, day-long ritual morphed into the makings of a serious international crisis. Armenia and Azerbaijan have […]
» Read moreRussia Wins Silent Victory Against Ukraine With Dutch ‘No’ Vote
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog – April 8, 2016) The Netherlands on Thursday awoke to a post-election hangover dominated by questions over how to interpret the results of a plebiscite in which an overwhelming majority of voters opposed a trade deal between the EU and Ukraine that for years has been a source of conflict with Moscow. The […]
» Read moreRBTH: Dutch vote on Ukraine: Result will force Europe to ‘restrain’ ambitions
Most Russian media have welcomed the Dutch rejection of an EU association agreement with Ukraine, hoping that the results may not only affect the attitude of Europeans to Ukraine but also to force the EU to “restrain” its ambitions. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – IGOR ROZIN, RBTH – April 7, 2016) Dutch voters have rejected the association agreement […]
» Read moreInterfax: Russia lost faith in Western leadership due to abuse of its trust – Pushkov
MOSCOW. April 8 (Interfax) – Russia has stopped seeing the West as a leader because the West has abused Russia’s readiness for partnership, Alexei Pushkov, head of the State Duma committee on international affairs, said. “Russia was not ready to see the West as a leader by the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, specifically, because the West […]
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