Year: 2019

U.S. Power, Influence Seen as Greater Threat than Russia, China

China, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Satellite Image of Earth in Style of Mercator Map, adapted from image at nasa.gov

(Voice of America – voanews.com – February 11, 2019 – Jeff Seldin – voanews.com/a/us-power-influence-seen-as-greater-threat-than-russia-china/4782226.html) More people around the world worry about the threat posed by the United States’ use of power and influence than they do about similar threats from Russia or China. The finding, part of Pew Research Center’s Spring 2018 Global Attitudes Survey, found a median of 45 […]

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Russian Bill On ‘Autonomous Operation’ Of Internet Advances In Duma

Cybersecurity, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Article text ©2019 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – February 12, 2019 – article text also appeared at rferl.org/a/russian-bill-on-autonomous-operation-of-internet-advances-in-duma/29765882.html) Russia’s lower house of parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill that backers say is designed to ensure the operation of the Internet in Russia if access to servers located abroad is cut off. The legislation, which critics […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Ideas in Surkov article ‘Putin’s Long State’ has supporters, opponents in Kremlin – Peskov” – Interfax

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladislav Surkov file photo

MOSCOW. Feb 11 (Interfax) – There are supporters in the Kremlin of the viewpoint stated by Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov in his article “Putin’s Long State,” but his arguments can be debated, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. He told reporters the president will be informed of the article in the general media digest. “Does this viewpoint have […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “For Putin, economic and political reality dampen appetite for arms race” – Reuters/ Andrew Osborn

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Iskander Missile with Launch file photo

“With his ratings down and state funds needed to hedge against new Western sanctions and raise living standards … Putin cannot afford to get sucked into a costly nuclear arms race …. Alleging Russian violations, Washington said … it was suspending its obligations under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and starting the process of quitting it …. That raises […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Peskov does not know whether Putin read Surkov’s article” – Interfax

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Dmitry Peskov file photo adapted from image at kremlin.ru/wikimedia commons

MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax) – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said he doubts that President Vladimir Putin will react to the article by Vladislav Surkov that was published on Monday, considering that he is busy preparing to deliver the address to the Federal Assembly. “I do not think so; a lot of articles [are being published]. You must agree that […]

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Rosstat Can’t be Trusted Until It Becomes Independent, ‘Nezavisimaya gazeta’ Says

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, February 8, 2019) People have long distrusted statistics – Mark Twain’s observation that “there are lies, damned lies, and then statistics’ is a commonplace – but over the last two years and especially over the last two weeks, Russians have come no longer to believe them at all if they are issued […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2019-#19 :: Monday, 11 February 2019

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 Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2019-#19 :: Monday, 11 February 2019 A project sponsored through […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “With Savings to Burn, Russia Turns (Again) to a State-Led Spending Plan” – New York Times/ Andrew E. Kramer

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“… So much gold has piled up in its central bank that Russia surpassed China last year to become the world’s fifth-largest holder of gold. … Russia has $472 billion in reserves, more than the country’s combined public and foreign debt of $453 billion and nearly three times what the I.M.F. recommends. … the lode is also making for an […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s New Shield From U.S. Sanctions: A Siberian Gold Mine; Sukhoi Log, widely seen as one of the world’s largest untapped gold deposits, could give Moscow a bulletproof currency backstop” – Wall Street Journal/ Thomas Grove

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Minerals, Sanctions
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“… Tests commissioned by the company last year and undertaken by Australia-based AMC Consultants, along with a scoping study conducted in 2018, determined that there are 63 million ounces of gold at Sukhoi Log, Polyus has told investors. While independent mining analysts haven’t confirmed that estimate on their own, many of them refer to Sukhoi Log as one of the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “More controversy as Rosstat upgrades Russian GDP growth to a six-year high” – bne Intellinews/Ben Aris

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog
Cash, Calculator, Pen

“More questions were raised over the veracity of the Russian State Statistical Service’s (Rosstat’s) results after it upgraded its estimates of growth in the construction sector that led to a revision of 2018 growth from 1.6% to 2.3% – the best result in six years …. Russia is emerging from a ‘silent crisis’ … caused by the collapse of oil […]

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U.S. Shuts Down Only Immigration Office in Russia, Citing Falling Demand

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 7, 2019) The United States has announced that it will close its only immigration office in Russia next month over what it called a “significant decrease in workload.” The move follows two years of mutual diplomatic staff cuts and consulate closures after the U.S. said that Russia interfered in its presidential election in 2016. […]

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At Least Twice as Many Russians Now Living in Poverty than Moscow Suggests, Gontmakher Says

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, February 5, 2019 – ) In May 2018, Vladimir Putin said his goal was to reduce the number of people living in poverty by 2024, a worthy goal to be sure but one almost impossible to achieve because of the difficulties of providing everyone with a decent income and because the state […]

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Russia and China Beyond Realpolitik: The Bond of Respect and Values

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

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Jeanne L. Wilson – February 4, 2019) Jeanne Wilson teaches at Wheaton College where she is the Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of Russian studies, a professor of political science and coordinator of the school’s international relations major. She is the author of “Strategic Partners: Russian-Chinese Relations in the Post-Soviet Era.”  This op-ed is part of a new debate from […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH AUDIO: “Reconsidering Russia Podcast #17: Stephen F. Cohen”

History, Soviet Union, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations, Videos

(Reconsidering Russia Podcast #17: Pietro A. Shakarian interview of Stephen F. Cohen – February 1, 2019 – embedded audio should load below, or click here: mixcloud.com/reconsidering-russia/reconsidering-russia-podcast-17-stephen-cohen/) “Guest: Stephen F. Cohen, Professor Emeritus of Russian History at New York University and Princeton University. … author of numerous books on Russia and the former Soviet region, including the influential “Bukharin and the […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2019-#18 :: Thursday, 7 February 2019

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
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 Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2019-#18 :: Thursday, 7 February 2019 A project sponsored through […]

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Inventorying the Past: Russia Refreshes Its Historical Memory

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
New Year's Eve on Red Square with Fireworks, Kremlin, Saint Basil's, Crowds

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Nikolay Epplee – Feb. 1, 2019) Nikolay Epplee is an independent researcher working on international memorial culture and on memory of Soviet state terror. He published extensively on memory issues in Vedomosti, InLiberty, Colta, and other Russian media. [wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/inventorying-the-past-russia-refreshes-its-historical-memory] The New Year’s holidays are one of the few times in the year that different generations […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2019-#17 :: Wednesday, 6 February 2019

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 Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2019-#17 :: Wednesday, 6 February 2019 A project sponsored through […]

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Desperately Seeking A Postwar President In Ukraine

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

(Article text ©2019 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Christopher Miller – KYIV, Jan. 25, 2019 – article text also appeared at rferl.org/a/desperately-seeking-a-postwar-president-in-ukraine/29730680.html) Ukrainians say the biggest problem facing their country ahead of a crucial presidential election in March is the same one that ushered in the current head of state in the first place: war. It’s been […]

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Russia’s isolationist ‘sovereign internet’ bill worries experts and users alike

Cybersecurity, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Science, Technology, Engineering
File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

(GlobalVoices – Christopher Moldes – January 26, 2018 – globalvoices.org/2019/01/26/russias-isolationist-sovereign-internet-bill-worries-experts-and-users-alike/) After a bill was introduced in the Russian State Duma (the lower chamber of Russia’s bicameral legislative branch), the Russian government soon plans to discuss the feasibility of creating a so-called “sovereign internet” system. This system would purportedly safeguard networks within Russia from foreign information attacks, and calls for significant […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian population put in its first full-year decline in a decade” – bne Intellinews

JRL NewsBlog, Population Disaster, Demographics, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
File Photo of Crowd in Russia Including Person Waving Russian Flag with Eagle

Bne Intellinews reports on Russian demographics and population decline, citing statistics from state agency Rosstat that Russian population fell from 146,880,432 at the beginning of 2018 to 146,793,744 at the start of 2019, a decrease of 86,688. Says bne intellinews: “The fall in the natural population has been partly offset by inbound migration, which covered half of the fall in […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2019-#16 :: Saturday, 26 January 2019

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 Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2019-#16 :: Saturday, 26 January 2019 A project sponsored through […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘These Are Our Friends’; Russians Push to Preserve North Korea Ties; Some Russian business owners and ethnic Koreans are braving U.S. ire to maintain business ties with Pyongyang” – Wall Street Journal/ Anatoly Kurmanaev, Thomas Grove, Ksenia Barakovskaya, Lyubov Barabashova, Ian Talley

Far East, Siberia, APEC, JRL NewsBlog, North Korea, United Nations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
North Korea Map and Flag, adapted from .gov image

“… some 13,000 North Korean workers [were] left in Russia by October …. Some Western diplomats view Moscow’s implementation of … sanctions as overly liberal. … allowing [Pyongyang] to continue earning foreign currency and sourcing vital supplies in Russia and undermining U.S. attempts to strong-arm the country into giving up [WMD]. … Russian customs data show North Korea imported about […]

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NEWSLINK: “The INF Quandary: Preventing a Nuclear Arms Race in Europe. Perspectives from the US, Russia and Germany” – Russia Matters/ William Tobey, Pavel Zolotarev, Ulrich Kühn

Newslinks, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Iskander Missile with Launch file photo

“This issue brief is a joint product of the Russia Matters project and the U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism (IPNT). …. I. Introduction: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty, signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, was a profound achievement. It was the first bilateral nuclear arms control treaty […]

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Sharon Tennison: “Video: Russian Journalist Dimitri Babich Speaks to CCI Group”

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

Subject: Video: Russian Journalist Dimitri Babich Speaks to CCI Group Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2019 From: Sharon Tennison <sharon@ccisf.org> Video: Russian Journalist Dimitri Babich Speaks to CCI Group: youtube.com/watch?v=Np0XktwyekQ&feature=youtu.be I want to share with you my favorite young news journalist in Moscow, Dmitri (Dima) Babich. He is one of our “CCI Experts.” I’ve known Dima a long, long time. He […]

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The World’s Most Geopolitically Charged Pipeline

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, NATO, Oil, Gas, Energy, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Gas Flame file photo

(Oilprice.com – Tim Daiss – January 19, 2019) Russia’s proposed pipeline to bring more gas from Russian fields into Europe via an undersea pipeline to Germany seems to be unable to shake both geopolitical maneuvering as well as headline-grabbing quotes from both sides of the divide. On Thursday, Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, and a seasoned diplomat […]

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Collapse of Putin’s Rating Irreversible and Spreading – Five Articles Highlight Extent of Crisis

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, January 21, 2019 – windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/01/collapse-of-putins-rating-irreversible.html) Five articles over the last several days call attention to what is already the biggest crisis Vladimir Putin has faced during his almost 20 years in power: the collapse in public trust in Putin personally with Russians blaming him and not just lower-level officials for their problems. […]

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Russian Youth: How Are They Different from Other Russians?

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

(PONARS Eurasia – Maria Lipman, Denis Volkov – January 18, 2019 – ponarseurasia.org/point-counter/article/russian-youth-how-are-they-different-other-russians) Thanks to the rapid development of mobile Internet, practically every young Russian is an Internet user, regardless of whether he or she lives in a large urban center or in the provinces. The “digital gap” between the youth and other generations is quite significant, but this hardly […]

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As Russia’s Food Prices Soar, Bakers Are Feeling the Squeeze; The costs of key ingredients like sugar and eggs have risen sharply in recent months.

Agriculture, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Wheat Field in Kenya, adapted from image at usda.gov

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Evan Gershkovich – Jan. 22, 2019) [themoscowtimes.com/articles/as-russias-food-prices-soar-bakers-are-feeling-the-squeeze-64225] Vladimir Anshakov hadn’t planned on becoming a baker. But when the law school graduate was between jobs several years ago, he was spending more time at home with his teething toddler who had a penchant for gnawing on bread crusts. After the new father checked the ingredients, his […]

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Diminishing Returns: How Effective Are Sanctions Against Russia?

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

(PONARS Eurasia – Stacy Closson – January 2019 – ponarseurasia.org/memo/diminishing-returns-how-effective-are-sanctions-against-russia) Stacy Closson is a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute and a Senior Adjunct Professional Lecturer at American University’s School of International Service. (PONARS Policy Memo) In November 2018, the Trump administration announced another set of sanctions on Russian individuals and entities for supporting Russia’s economic integration […]

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Gangster Geopolitics: The Kremlin’s Use of Criminals as Assets Abroad

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations, Terrorism
Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Mark Galeotti – January 17, 2018 – russiamatters.org/analysis/gangster-geopolitics-kremlins-use-criminals-assets-abroad) Mark Galeotti is a senior associate fellow of RUSI and a senior non-resident fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague, as well as a 2018-19 Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute. His most recent book is “The Vory: Russia’s Super Mafia” (Yale, 2018) [Amazon: […]

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Sarah Lindemann-Komarova: “Russia’s Happy Ending”

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

[originally posted 12.6.18] Subject: Russia’s Happy Ending Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2018 From: Sarah Lindemann-Komarova <echosiberia@gmail.com> Russia’s Happy Ending By Sarah Lindemann-Komarova [Founder, Siberian Civic Initiatives Support Center 1995 – 2014. Helped to establish this as the hub for the first civil society development support network in the former Soviet Union.] Link for article with pictures and video medium.com/@ECHOSiberia/russias-happy-ending-c77b332a6eec How […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2019-#15 :: Thursday, 24 January 2019

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 Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2019-#15 :: Thursday, 24 January 2019 A project sponsored through […]

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Do Trump’s Afghanistan Claims Mirror Moscow’s Rhetoric?

Afghanistan, History, Soviet Union, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Afghanistan Map of Ethnicities

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – RM Staff – January 11, 2019 – russiamatters.org/blog/do-trumps-afghanistan-claims-mirror-moscows-rhetoric) Earlier this month, President Donald Trump offered his take on Soviet Russia’s experiences in Afghanistan as he argued in favor of a huge U.S. troop withdrawal and a larger contribution by Moscow to stabilize the war-racked country. The U.S. president put forward two basic propositions: that the […]

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Russian Political Opposition, Russian Popular Protests Seldom Coalesce

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Moscow Protest File Photo

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, January 19, 2019) The agendas of those typically identified as the Russian opposition and those of Russians angry enough to go into the streets seldom intersect, thus depriving the protesters of leadership and depriving the political opposition of the energy that the protesters could provide. That suits the Kremlin just fine because […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia drops two places on Bloomberg innovation ranking” – bne Intellinews

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Science, Technology, Engineering
File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

“Despite … hype surrounding … state digitisation … Russia fell to … 27th … in … [Bloomberg] global innovative rankings …. but was still … third best in Emerging Europe …. now on a par with Malaysia and Luxembourg. Last year, Russia was two positions higher. The top slot was once again taken by South Korea, the six-time champion of […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2019-#14 :: Wednesday, 23 January 2019

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 Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2019-#14 :: Wednesday, 23 January 2019 A project sponsored through […]

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Growth of Public History in Russia ‘Democratizing Memory,’ New Study Says

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
File Photo of Soviet Gulag at Belbaltlag, adapted from image at nps.gov

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, January 17, 2019) [Text with links windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/01/growth-of-public-history-in-russia.html] Public history, the trend within the history discipline in many places around the world that seeks to rely on the digitalization of personal memoirs, diaries, and photographs of ordinary people to present the past from below, has come to Russia and is “democratizing memory” in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Trust in Putin slides to 13-year low of 33.4% in January” – bne Intellinews

JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

“Trust in … Putin fell to a 13 year low in the first poll of 2019 by the state owned pollster, the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM), slipping from 36.5% on December 29 to 33.4% on January 13. … Putin’s lowest popularity … since … 2006. Even during the mass protests of December 2011 following a rigged Duma election […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Accuses Facebook, Twitter of Failing to Comply With Data Laws; Social-media giants’ servers for storing Russian’s personal data must be located in Russia, says watchdog” – Wall Street Journal/Ann M. Simmons

JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Montage of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Logos, adapted from image at nps.gov

“Russia launched administrative action against Facebook … and Twitter … for failing to comply with its data laws … just days after Facebook removed … accounts of what it said were two misinformation campaigns based in the country. … Roskomnadzor, the federal executive body responsible for censorship in media and telecommunications, said the social-media networks hadn’t submitted … formal and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Behind Russia’s cyberwarfare lies a serious case of cyber-phobia” – Washington Post/ Lincoln Pigman

Cybersecurity, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

“… Russia grapples with its own deep cyber insecurity. Notwithstanding their bold moves in cyberspace, Russia’s leaders have spent much of the last decade panicking about cyber tools and the prospect of falling victim to their use by foreign adversaries. To be sure, the Kremlin isn’t worried that U.S. spies are hacking its voter systems. Rather, as my new study […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Facebook Shuts Hundreds of Russia-Linked Pages, Accounts” – AP

JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Montage of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Logos, adapted from image at nps.gov

“Facebook … removed hundreds of Russia-linked pages, groups and accounts that it says were part of two big disinformation operations …. after finding two networks ‘that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior’ on … Facebook and Instagram …. Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said … that one network operated … in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, Central Asia […]

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Under Moscow Pressure, Could Belarus’s Balancing Act Come Crashing Down?

Belarus, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
Alyaksandr Lukeshenko file photo

(Article ©2019 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Robert Coalson – Jan. 20, 2019 – article also appeared at https://www.rferl.org/a/analysis-under-moscow-pressure-could-belarus-s-balancing-act-come-crashing-down-/29720188.html) Speculation that the merger of Russia and Belarus is just over the horizon has become so strident in recent weeks that top officials in both countries have made efforts to refute it. “I call these suggestions very […]

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NEWSLINK: “‘Winter. What do we do in the village?…’ Pushkin ‘Зима. Что делать нам в деревне?’ Пушкин [PHOTOS: Manzherok Village, Altai Republic Siberia, New Year Holiday 2019]” – Medium/ Sarah Lindemann-Komarova

Far East, Siberia, APEC, Newslinks, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Snowy Scene with Trees and Hills file photo, adapted from NWS image

“Manzherok Village, Altai Republic Siberia, New Year Holiday 2019 Манжерок Новогодный праздник 2019 … Photos: “

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NEWSLINK: “25 years after Ukraine denuclearized, Russian aggression continues to rise” – Brookings/ Strobe Talbott, Maggie Tennis

Newslinks, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

“Twenty-five years ago this week, the United States, Russia, and Ukraine signed the Trilateral Statement and Annex, in which Ukraine agreed to transfer its nuclear stockpile to Russia. In exchange, Ukraine received compensation for the value of the highly enriched uranium in the nuclear warheads, assistance in eliminating the strategic delivery systems on its territory, and security assurances from the […]

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NEWSLINK: “U.S. Policy on Russia? Trump and His Team Might Give Different Answers” – New York Times/ Peter Baker

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladirmir Putin and Donald Trump Sitting in Chairs with Flags Behind, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“President Trump says that he has done more to counter Russian aggression than other recent presidents. But, officials say, Mr. Trump has gone along with such actions reluctantly or under pressure.”  

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NEWSLINK: “Are we now over 50 major news stories that have had to be retracted or seriously corrected, all in the same direction, wrt Russia since 2016?” – Doug Johnson Hatlem – Twitter @djjohnso

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Newslinks
File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

“Are we now over 50 major news stories that have had to be retracted or seriously corrected, all in the same direction, wrt Russia since 2016? I’ll start a thread here to count them  ….”

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NEWSLINK: “The Strange Persistent Troubling Russian Hang-Up of Donald Trump; Trump’s agenda in Europe is Putin’s agenda in Europe. Is that really a coincidence?” – New York Times/ Roger Cohen

Europe, EU, NATO, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
New York Times Masthead from 1913 adapted from image at loc.gov

“… The central thrust of Russian foreign policy under President Vladimir Putin is the dismantlement of NATO….”  

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2019-#13 :: Monday, 21 January 2019

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 Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU [check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2019-#13 :: Monday, 21 January 2019 A project sponsored through […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “New Russian order: After presidency, yet another role for Putin?” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Belarus, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Seated at Desk

“Russia faces a looming question: What follows Putin’s current, likely final presidential term? An answer is beginning to take shape – and may involve a new position for Putin and a reshaped political landscape” “For many years, the main slogan of anti-Kremlin opposition activists – often shouted as they were being dragged into police vans at street protests – has […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “As U.S. Nuclear Pact Hangs in the Balance, Russia Makes Last-Gasp Bid to Keep It Alive; Russia exhibits missile hardware amid U.S. accusations that it is in violation of a treaty signed in 1987” – Wall Street Journal/ Thomas Grove

JRL NewsBlog, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan at Table Signing Documents

“Russia made a last-ditch effort … to counter U.S. accusations that it was in violation of a Cold War-era nuclear missile treaty, showing foreign diplomats some of a disputed missile’s hardware and divulging its purported capabilities. The U.S. has given Russia until early February to comply with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, threatening to otherwise suspend its obligations under the […]

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