Year: 2018

RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “Dmitry Medvedev’s interview with Kommersant newspaper; 10 years after the Georgia-South Ossetia conflict” – Government.ru/Kommersant

Georgia, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Dmitri Medvedev file photo

(Government.ru/Kommersant – August 7, 2018) Question: Mr Medvedev, the August 2008 war seemed unavoidable even before it started. Did you have the same feeling? Dmitry Medvedev: No, it was not at all unavoidable. And I still think that there would not have been a war if not for the irresponsible, immoral and criminal actions of Saakashvili and his minions. Indeed, […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-144 :: Tuesday, 7 August 2018

JRL NewsBlog, Russian News
St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#143 Tuesday, 7 August 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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Not So United: Russia’s Ruling Party Rattled By Pension-Reform Crisis

Budget, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics
File Photo of Kremlin Aerial View, adapted from .gov source

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Yelizaveta Mayetnaya, Robert Coalson – August 5, 2018 [Text with links and graphics: rferl.org/a/not-so-united-russia-ruling-party-rattled-by-pension-reform-crisis/29413547.html] Speaking to a riled-up crowd at a July 28 protest against the Russian government’s deeply unpopular proposal to raise retirement ages in Vologda, angry pensioner Nikolai Zharavin didn’t mince words as to who was to […]

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Growing Russian Sympathy for West a Bigger Problem for Kremlin than Regime’s Declining Ratings, Shevtsova Says

Europe, EU, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of G7 Leaders and other Officials Around Round Table at the Hague, with Flags

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, August 4, 2018) According to a new Levada Center poll, 68 percent of Russians do not want to live in “‘a besieged fortress’ and fight with the West but instead want to a rapprochement with the West, a change in attitudes with more far-reaching consequences than the declining popular ratings of Vladimir […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia to memorialize 20 Holocaust execution sites” – Interfax

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights
Russia Map

MOSCOW. Aug 6 (Interfax) – Twenty sites in Russia where Jews were executed and buried during the war will be memorialized as part of the next stage of the Return Dignity program this year. Monuments to Holocaust victims will be built in cities and villages in the Bryansk, Volgograd, Oryol, Ryazan, Smolensk, and Tula regions, the Stavropol Territory and the […]

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Number of Believers in Russia Up, Role of Religion in Their Lives Often Remains Small, New Study Finds

Religion
File Photo of Russian Orthodox Cathedral with Man in Religious Garb in Foreground

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, August 2, 2018) Between 1998 and 2016, the share of Russians saying they are religious increased from 63 to 74 percent, with increases among young less and those among less educated more, according to a new study by Yana Roshina of the Higher School of Economics (hse.ru/data/2018/06/21/1152561475Вестник РМЭЗ НИУ ВШЭ 2018.pdf; summarized […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Moscow Welcomes 2000 Years of History” – Moscow Times

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alina Shubina – August 6, 2018) If you’ve ever watched “Doctor Who” or “Back to the Future” and dreamed of hopping in your own time machine and seeing the world of centuries past, then, starting August 10, Moscow is the place to be. For almost two weeks, the city will be home to the “Times […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russians Blame Tbilisi, Not Moscow for 2008 War, Poll Says” – Moscow Times

Georgia, Military
Georgia Map

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 6, 2018) On the 10th anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war, more Russians blame Georgia than leadership in Moscow for the conflict, according to an independent Levada Center poll published Monday. The war, which began over the breakaway region of South Ossetia on Aug. 8, 2008 and ended five days later, was Russia’s biggest combat […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Revision of sanctions could start with lifting restrictions on Russian, U.S. lawmakers – Slutsky” – Interfax

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Russian State Duma Building file photo

MOSCOW. Aug 6 (Interfax) – The mutual lifting of sanctions against legislators could be a first step toward the revision of the entire set of sanctions in place between Russia and the United States, State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Leonid Slutsky said. “We understand that for today, the lifting of sanctions today is a utopian idea, but, just as […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-143 :: Monday, 6 August 2018

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#143 Monday, 6 August 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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JRL RUSSIAWATCH: “Russian pollster reports sharp rise in positive views of U.S.” – LevadaRu

Europe, EU, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
United States Map, adapted from image at epa.gov

“The number of Russians liking the U.S. has doubled over the past two months, a poll by the independent public research organisation Levada Centre suggests. Forty-two per cent of those polled in the firm’s July survey said they had a ‘positive’ attitude towards the U.S., as opposed to 20 per cent of those asked about the same issue in May.  […]

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Will Pension Protests ‘Take Down’ Putin?

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – August 2, 2018 – Simon Saradzhyan – russiamatters.org/blog/will-pension-protests-take-down-putin) Simon Saradzhyan is the founding director of the Russia Matters Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs This summer’s polls have not been kind to Vladimir Putin and for good reason. The Russian authorities’ drive to raise the country’s pension age has […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. to impose ‘crushing’ set of sanctions on Russia’s debt and oil” – bne Intellinews/Ben Aris

Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
American Flag and Partial View of U.S. Capitol Dome, adapted from image at aoc.gov

“A proposed ‘crushing’ bipartisan bill introduced by the … Senate … will not be debated until … autumn and many … harsh terms could be considerably watered down, Luis Saenz, … co-head of equities at BCS Global Markets said …. [The] bill … targets Russian debt and energy companies, designed to punish Russia for interfering in the U.S. presidential election, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russians ready to protest pension reform, ratings of ruling United Russia drop” – bne Intellinews

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Putin Sitting at Desk, Looking Down, Writing, During Call-In Show, adapted from screenshot of video at kremlin.ru

“… discontent over controversial pension reform … keeps on snowballing … the readiness of Russians for mass protests over economic policies has risen from a record low to top 40% for the first time since 2009 …. approval indicators for the government have fallen across the board. Putin’s … personal popularity … underpin[g] the stability of the Russian political system, […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-142 :: Friday, 3 August 2018

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#142 Friday, 3 August 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russians’ Willingness to Protest is Highest in 2 Decades, Survey Says” – Moscow Times

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Moscow Protest File Photo

More Russians are willing to participate in economic and political protests now than in the past two decades, according to a new survey released by the independent Levada Center pollster. Public discontent has spread throughout Russia this summer after the government announced plans to raise the retirement age. The United Russia ruling party saw its approval ratings plummet to seven-year […]

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JRL RUSSIAWATCH: “Putin’s approval rating falls to five-year low, poll suggests” – LevadaRu

JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin with Heads Bowed Over Microphone

“… Putin’s approval rating has hit a five-year low of 67 per cent, the latest survey by independent pollster Levada Centre suggests [published July 31]. The last time the Russian leader’s rating was below 70 per cent was in July 2013 [when it hit] 65 per cent …. Putin’s approval rating dropped 12 percentage points since … May. … Medvedev’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Trump Can’t Split Russia From China – Yet; As Beijing gets stronger, there may be hope for a Kissingerian maneuver” – Bloomberg/Hal Brands

China, Far East, Siberia, APEC, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Asia Map

“… In the long term, China represents the larger threat to U.S. interests, as a result of its vast economic and military potential. Yet in the near term … Putin has proved himself to be the more dangerous and disruptive actor. The Russian leader has launched three major military interventions over the last decade – in Georgia, Ukraine and Syria […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Four Years After Its Revolution, Ukraine Is Still a Mess; Lingering corruption and a lagging economy contributed to the country’s stalled reforms” – Bloomberg/Leonid Ragozin

JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Ukraine has improved its ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index since 2013 … [but] still shares 130th place (out of 180 …) with Sierra Leone and Myanmar. Many other former Soviet republics, including … authoritarian Belarus, are far ahead … Russia is just one point behind. One of the biggest reform efforts was the creation in 2015 of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What Are the FBI and CIA Hiding? The agency might have led the bureau down a rabbit hole in the 2016 Trump counterintelligence probe” – Wall Street Journal/Thomas J. Baker

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, JRL NewsBlog, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
FBI Headquarters File Photo

“Although the FBI’s case officially began July 31, 2016, there had been investigative activity before that …. John Brennan’s CIA might have directed activity in Britain … [problematic considering] longstanding agreements that the U.S. will not conduct intelligence operations there. It would explain why the FBI continues to stonewall Congress … Further, what we know about the case’s origin does […]

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NEWSLINK: “It’s easier for Russia to recruit Americans today than it was during the Cold War; The spy game has changed, and is increasingly taking place in the daylight rather than in the shadows” – PoliticoEU/Alex Finley

Newslinks, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

“Mariia Butina wasn’t hiding. … The very brazenness of this makes some people doubt that it could really be part of an intelligence operation, especially one executed by Russia. After all, we’ve heard stories about Cold War KGB capers involving clandestine meetings and surreptitious missions. Back then, intelligence officers skulked quietly in government circles, hoping to use any number of […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-141 :: Wednesday, 1 August 2018

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#141 Wednesday, 1 August 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia dumped 84% of its American debt. What that means” – CNN/Matt Egan

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Portion of U.S. Treasury Department Building Facade, North Side, with Sculpture of Alexander Hamilton

“… Between March and May, Russia’s holdings of US Treasury bonds plummeted by $81 billion, representing 84% of its total US debt holdings. … Maybe Russia just wanted to diversify its portfolio, as the central bank stated. Or perhaps Russia was seeking revenge for Washington’s crippling sanctions on aluminum maker Rusal. …. Even at Russia’s recent peak of $105.7 billion in […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Almost 80% of Belarusians don’t have negative attitude towards EU – poll” – Interfax

Belarus, Europe, EU
Belarus Map

MINSK. July 30 (Interfax) – Belarusian citizens have a positive or neutral attitude in general towards the European Union, according to a poll conducted by the project EU Neighbors East. Thus, 34% of polled Belarusian citizens described their attitude toward the EU as “positive”, 43% “neutral” and 18% “negative.” Respondents’ positive associations with the EU are human rights (67%), freedom […]

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Optics, Then Disappointment: Trump Can’t Deliver Much to Putin

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Donald Trump and Putin Standing Side-by-Side at Helsinki Summit, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Anna Arutunyan – July 30, 2018) Anna Arutunyan is a Senior Analyst for Russia at International Crisis Group. A former Kennan Institute fellow and a former journalist, her work has appeared in USA Today, ECFR, Foreign Policy, and The Moscow News. She has authored several books on Russia, including The Putin Mystique. [Text with links […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Venediktov quit Ekho board of directors to avoid conflict of interest over radio station’s budget” – Interfax

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
File Photo of Interview on Ekho Moskvy Radio

MOSCOW. July 30 (Interfax) – Ekho Moskvy editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov said he quit the radio station’s board of directors over a conflict of interest; the decision to replace him with his deputy Yekaterina Godlina was made and approved by shareholders back in late June. “The decision was due to the fact that a majority of the board of directors supported […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-140 :: Tuesday, 31 July 2018

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#140 Tuesday, 31 July 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “No, it wasn’t some hacker on a bed someplace; The Russia case opens a window on state-driven cyberconflict” – Washington Post Editorial

Cybersecurity, JRL NewsBlog, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

“… Mueller’s charges against 12 officers of … Russian military intelligence … the GRU … identify[] the two units – No. 26165 … at 20 Komsomolsky Prospekt, Moscow, and No. 74455 … at 22 Kirova St., in Khimki, outside of Moscow – that carried out the attacks …. a dozen officers working to penetrate and disrupt the Democrats … emptying […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Amazon Getting Ready to Launch ‘The Romanoffs’; The series breaks usual practices, formats, and genres” – Moscow Times

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Romanov Family Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – HOLLYWOOD – July 30, 2018) Amazon Studios’ much-anticipated original anthology series “The Romanoffs” will hit the world stage on Oct. 12, initially available in 200 countries simultaneously. Departing from the traditional television format, “The Romanoffs” will be presented in the Amazon Prime platform both in English and foreign languages, announced Matthew Weiner, its creator, writer, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Orthodox Church a ‘national security threat’ to Ukraine, says president; Petro Poroshenko said the Russian church was separated from the state ‘only on paper.'” – PoliticoEU/KAIT BOLONGARO

Religion, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Petro Poroshenko file photo, with additional men in background, adapted from image at state.gov

“… At a ceremony marking [Ukraine’s] conversion to Christianity 1,030 years ago … [Poroshenko] said that the Russian [Orthodox] [C]hurch’s sway among Ukrainian believers is a ‘direct threat to the national security of Ukraine.’ … ‘this obliges us to act.’ There are two branches of the Orthodox Church active in Ukraine: the Russian church and its Ukrainian cousin. The former, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia to play minor role, if any, in Paul Manafort trial” – AP

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Va., adapted from image at uscourts.gov by Steven C. Welsh, www.stevencwelsh.com :: ww.stevencwelsh.info

“The trial of President Donald Trump’s onetime campaign chairman will open … with tales of lavish spending, secret shell companies and millions of dollars of Ukrainian money flowing through offshore bank accounts and into the political consultant’s pocket. What’s likely to be missing: answers about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election, or really […]

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RUSSLIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Putin] News conference following BRICS summit” – KremlinRu

Brazil, BRICS, China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, India, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, South Africa
File Photo of Flags of BRICS Nations and BRICS Logo from Past Summit

(Kremlin.ru – July 27, 2018 – en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/58119) Vladimir Putin made a statement for the press and answered questions from Russian media following a two-day BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon. I would like to brief you on what we did during these two days and on the results of our work. First of […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Putin at] 1030th anniversary of Baptism of Rus celebrations” – KremlinRu

History, Soviet Union, Religion
File Photo of Russian Orthodox Cathedral with Man in Religious Garb in Foreground

(Kremlin.ru – July 28, 2018) Vladimir Putin attended events to mark the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus. A Patriarchal Liturgy was held for the first time in the open air on the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square. As the service was coming to a close, the President joined the religious procession and walked with the believers to the monument to […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-139 :: Monday, 30 July 2018

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#139 Monday, 30 July 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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There is No “Reform” in Russia’s Recent “Pension Reform” Bill | Interview with Evgeny Gontmakher

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Pensions, Pensioners, Retirees, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(PONARS Eurasia – Maria Lipman, Evgeny Gontmakher – July 26, 2018) [Text of interview here ponarseurasia.org/article/there-no-reform-russias-recent-pension-reform-bill-interview-evgeny-gontmakher] Maria Lipman speaks with Evgeny Gontmacher about the political and socioeconomic implications of raising the retirement age. Gontmacher is the deputy director responsible for social policy projects and recommendations at Aleksei Kudrin’s Committee of Civil Initiatives. Over 1992-2003, he held positions as Head of […]

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Trump Bump and Trump Filter Bubble: How the media’s obsession with Trump may encourage the Russian propaganda machine

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Satellite Dishes

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Andrey Miroshnichenko, Sergei Samoilenko – July 27, 2018) Andrey Miroshnichenko, is a Ph.D. student in communication and culture at York University, Toronto. Sergei Samoilenko is professor in the Communication department at George Mason University. [Text with links: kennan-russiafile.org/2018/07/27/trump-bump-and-trump-filter-bubble-how-the-medias-obsession-with-trump-may-encourage-the-russian-propaganda-machine/] The recent Helsinki summit put U.S.- Russia relations back in the headlines. The critical coverage of the […]

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NEWSLINK: “The Elite Fixation With Russiagate; Does a broader public share this sense of crisis?” – The Nation/Aaron Maté

Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of White House with South Lawn and Fountain

“… But does the American public at large share the prevailing elite assessment [of Trump and U.S.-Russian relations and the Helsinki Summit]? Save for a White House vigil led by two longtime Hillary Clinton staffers and a few scattered rallies-and in stark contrast to mass protests over Trump’s misogyny, Muslim ban, and zero-tolerance immigration policy-Americans have not poured into the […]

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RUSSIALINK: “7 Key Bills of the Russian Duma’s Spring Session” – Moscow Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian State Duma Building file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – July 27, 2018) Friday marks the last day of the Russian State Duma’s spring session, in which lawmakers in the lower house of parliament considered a total of 900 bills, of which 343 bills were passed. Here is a list of the most resonant bills that lawmakers approved in the spring session. Counter-sanctions The Kremlin […]

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NEWSLINK: “Henry Kissinger Pushed Trump to Work With Russia to Box In China; The former secretary of state pushed one president to use China to isolate the Soviet Union. These days, he’s counseling almost the reverse-and officials are listening” – Daily Beast/ASAWIN SUEBSAENG, ANDREW DESIDERIO, SAM STEIN, BETHANY ALLEN-EBRAHIMIAN

China, Far East, Siberia, APEC, Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Asia Map

“Henry Kissinger suggested to President Donald Trump that the United States should work with Russia to contain a rising China. The former secretary of state – who famously engineered the tactic of establishing diplomatic relations with China in order to isolate the Soviet Union – pitched almost the inverse of that idea to Trump during a series of private meetings […]

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NEWSLINK: “Putin wanted to interrogate me. Trump called it ‘an incredible offer.’ Why? When foreign affairs are, literally, personal.” – Washington Post/Michael McFaul

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

“I thought I was done worrying about Vladimir Putin. … his proxies falsely argued that I had been sent by President Barack Obama to fund the opposition and foment revolution; that I hoped Putin would end up like Serbian autocrat Slobodan Milosevic, dislodged and imprisoned; and that I was a pedophile. …. But this month, at the Helsinki summit between […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Putin] Remarks at an expanded BRICS Summit meeting” – KremlinRu

Brazil, BRICS, China, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, India, South Africa
File Photo of Flags of BRICS Nations and BRICS Logo from Past Summit

(Kremlin.ru – July 26, 2018) President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President Ramaphosa, Friends, President Xi Jinping, President Temer, Prime Minister Modi, Colleagues, Meeting in a narrow format, we have just noted – and I would like to recall this now again at the beginning – that during these days we are jointly marking the 100th birth anniversary of South […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-138 :: Friday, 27 July 2018

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#138 Friday, 27 July 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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Elisabeth Schimpfossl: “New book: Rich Russians (OUP 2018)”

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Hand Pulling Cash from Envelope

Subject: New book: Rich Russians (OUP 2018) Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2018 From: Schimpfossl, Elisabeth <e.schimpfossl@aston.ac.uk> Would there be a chance to announce the UK launch of my book (26 July) on your mailing list? Rich Russians: From Oligarchs to Bourgeoisie (published by Oxford University Press) The first book to examine the legitimacy, social lives, lifestyles, ideologies, and families of […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-137 :: Thursday, 26 July 2018

JRL Tables of Contents
St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#137 Thursday, 26 July 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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Angus Roxburgh: “The real facts about the Putin-Trump press conference”

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Donald Trump and Putin Standing Side-by-Side at Helsinki Summit, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

Subject: The real facts about the Putin-Trump press conference Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2018 From: Angus Roxburgh <angus.roxburgh@gmail.com> There has been much discussion, rightly, of Rachel Maddow’s sensational allegation that the White House intentionally doctored both the transcript and the video of the Putin-Trump press conference. Philip Bump in the Washington Post washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/07/25/no-the-white-house-didnt-intentionally-edit-a-question-to-putin-out-of-a-video/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2e9618f92cac tries to dissect what happened. But neither […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Western Sanctions on Russia’s Oil and Gas Sector: a Damage Assessment” – Carnegie Moscow/Tatiana Mitrova

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Newslinks, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Oil Well file photo

“Don’t be misled by Western sanctions’ limited impact on Russia. In reality, they operate with an accumulating effect: the more time passes, the greater the potential technological backlog, financing gap, and negative consequences will be. In the long run, sanctions may jeopardize Russia’s oil and gas production volumes and the development of pipeline infrastructure, gradually squeezing the country out of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t forget Ukraine’s rural Donbas; War has taken its toll on rural areas under Ukrainian government control in Luhansk region. There’s little sign of relief or policy.” [Excerpt] – OpenDemocracy.net/Brian Milakovsky

JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“The armed conflict in Ukraine’s Donbas has divided the region into government- and separatist-controlled areas. In Luhansk Oblast, the frontline for most of its length is the Siversky Donets River, which is also a historical dividing line. To the south is the coal-rich Donets Upland, the ‘true Donbas’ that was largely unsettled before industrial development in the 19th century. Today […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Novichok Was in a Perfume Bottle, U.K. Victim Says” – New York Times/Michael Schwirtz, Eric Schmitt

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Chemical Weapons, Biological Weapons, ChemBio, Newslinks, Spies, Spy Allegations
Artist Rendition of Barrel with Poison Symbol on It, Oozing Green Material

“… The latest poisoning raised the prospect that in their haste to flee the area, the would-be assassins simply tossed aside a top secret, Soviet-designed weapon that the British authorities, despite a cleanup operation that lasted weeks, failed to discover. …” Click here for: “Novichok Was in a Perfume Bottle, U.K. Victim Says” – New York Times/Michael Schwirtz, Eric Schmitt […]

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NEWSLINK: “Putin’s Russia becomes Trump’s America” – Brookings/Elaine Kamarck

Newslinks, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

“I was nearing the end of Timothy Snyder’s new book, ‘Road to Unfreedom,’ when the headline came across my iPhone announcing that someone named Maria Butina had been arrested for being a Russian spy. I had to go back to page 250 and check the spelling. Sure enough, it was the same Maria Butina who appears in Snyder’s book in […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia doesn’t pose threat to U.S., Russia is America’s rival, but not enemy – Kosachyov” – Interfax

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Federation Council file photo

MOSCOW. July 25 (Interfax) – Russia and the United States will not be friends, they are rivals in the world, but Russia does not pose a threat to America, Konstantin Kosachyov, the head of the Federation council’s international affairs committee, said. “Nikki Haley has recently stated what is apparently an official position of the United States that Russia will never […]

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