Author: JRL Russia List

RUSSIALINK: “Kara-Murza Jr. to face criminal liability if Duma adopts law on punishment for sanctions – Isayev” – Interfax

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Memorial Flowers and Photo of Sergei Magnitsky

MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax) – Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., deputy chairman of the movement Open Russia, may fall under the bill criminalizing actions leading to the introduction of foreign sanctions against Russia if the bill is adopted, Andrei Isayev, first deputy chairman of the United Russia faction, said. “Among the people I know who are doing it is Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Ambassador Huntsman views strengthening of business ties as basis for improvement of Russian-U.S. relations” – Interfax

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) – Business ties between Russia and the United States should serve as the foundation for the improvement of bilateral relations, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said. “There of course remain profound disagreements between our governments on a number of policy issues, thankfully relations between our people, and that includes business relationships, remain strong. It is […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Differing approaches to Korea crisis may jeopardize N. Korea-U.S. summit – Kosachyov” – Interfax

North Korea, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
North Korea Map and Flag, adapted from .gov image

MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax) – The differing approaches of Washington and Pyongyang to the settlement process on the Korean Peninsula and the bilateral summit may jeopardize the very fact of the summit and its outcome, Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov said on Facebook. “The problems that emerged shortly before the pivotal meeting between the U.S. and North […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Putin Signs Order to Restructure Government Ministries” – Moscow Times

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

President Vladimir Putin has signed an executive order to restructure several government ministries after meeting with Prime Minister-designate Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday. Among other shifts, the order created a Ministry of Science and Higher Education separate from the Education Ministry and added digital development to the portfolio of the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, while adding a tenth deputy […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Putin at] Opening of Crimean Bridge motorway section” – KremlinRu

Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(Kremlin.ru – May 15, 2018) Vladimir Putin took part in the opening ceremony of the Crimean Bridge motorway section and drove the lead vehicle of the construction equipment convoy. Vladimir Putin visited the Consolidated Traffic Management Centre and heard reports on the readiness of utility teams to operate the transport route across the Kerch Strait. The head of state also […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “Working meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev” – KremlinRu

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

(Kremlin.ru – May 15, 2018) Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who presented the new government structure. Dmitry Medvedev also reported that proposals on the cabinet makeup would be presented on May 18. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Go ahead. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev: Mr President, under Article 112 of the Constitution, the Prime Minister […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-88 :: Wednesday, 16 May 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-#88 :: Wednesday, 16 May 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington […]

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‘Not Their Business To Bomb Voronezh’: Russian Lawmakers Gut Sanctions Bill Targeting U.S.

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

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Carl Schreck – May 11, 2018 – article also appeared at rferl.org/a/russia-sanctions-bill-gutted-bomb-voronezh/29221812.html) The phrase “bomb Voronezh” has become a staple of the Russian political lexicon, a reference to what Kremlin critics call Russia’s penchant for responding to Western sanctions with punitive measures that end up harming its own citizens. […]

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‘Thank You, Donald’ for Sending Oil Prices Up, Russian Commentator Says

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Oil Wells File Photo

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, May 13, 2018) As a result of rising petroleum prices and projections that they will go even higher as result of instability in the Middle East, the Russian Federation is projected to earn five times as much from the sale of oil and gas this year than last and have a budget […]

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Expert Analysis: What’s Next For Russian Oil

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Oil Well file photo

(Oilprice.com – Viktor Katona – May 14, 2018) [Text with links oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Expert-Analysis-Whats-Next-For-Russian-Oil.html] In the wake of Putin’s May 7 inauguration, the corridors of power in Moscow have been replete with speculation regarding the composition of the next government. Alexander Novak, the Energy Minister, is one of the lucky few whose performance President Putin was genuinely satisfied with, hence the lack […]

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NEWSWATCH: “The Kremlin has big plans for the next five years, and it might need to raise Russia’s retirement age to pay for everything” – Meduza

Budget, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Pensions, Pensioners, Retirees, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“… a leaked copy of … Medvedev’s next five-year budget plan … [anticipates] 25 trillion rubles ($403.8 billion) on 13 ‘national projects.’ … repeat[ing] many of the priorities of Medvedev’s … presidency and … Putin[] … executive orders. [kommersant.ru/doc/3628758] … new roads … demography … infrastructure … cancer and ‘the digital economy’ … broadband Internet connections [for] public sector facilities. […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Over 400 companies, about 200 individuals in Russia fall under U.S. sanctions – Volodin” – Interfax

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

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) – The United States’ sanctions now apply to more than 400 Russian companies and about 200 individuals, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told reporters on Tuesday. “The U.S.’ sanctions are absolutely unfriendly. They’ve been applied to more than 400 legal entities and about 200 citizens of our country, and we should do everything we can to […]

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NEWSLINK: “See Which Facebook Ads Russians Targeted to People Like You” – New York Times/Keith Collins

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

“Congress last week released thousands of Facebook ads linked to Russia that ran through the 2016 presidential election, the most comprehensive look to date at the misinformation campaign mounted on the social network. Choose from the options below to see which ads were targeted to people like you or those you know, down to age, location and interests. …”

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RUSSIALINK: “China plans to double trade with Russia to $200 billion by 2020” – Interfax

China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Far East, Siberia, APEC
Asia Map

BEIJING. May 15 (Interfax) – China plans to double its trade with Russia to $200 billion by 2020, Deputy Director of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s Central Asia and Eastern Europe Department Liu Xuesun told Russian reporters in Beijing. “The trade turnover between China and Russia is due to reach $100 billion this year, which is quite an achievement,” Liu […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-87 :: Tuesday, 15 May 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-#87 :: Tuesday, 15 May 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington […]

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‘Even in Soviet Times, Nobody Believed Promises Like Putin is Making,’ Gontmakher Says

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics
Couple in Hospital with Newborn

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, May 9, 2018) Vladimir Putin’s new May decrees are no more realistic or realizable than the 2012 ones that even he has acknowledged have remained largely unfulfilled, Yevgeny Gontmakher says. Instead, they are slogans about the future like those the Soviet government trotted out on holidays and that no one in the […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Russia to Soften Plan for Retaliation Against U.S. Sanctions” – Bloomberg/Stepan Kravchenko

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Truck at Russian Border Crossing

“… Russia’s parliament plans to adopt a bill on counter-measures to U.S. and European Union sanctions this month after softening the initial draft to remove language that had targeted specific sectors and products ranging from medication to aerospace. * * * … the Kremlin put the brakes on the plan, hoping to prevent another round of escalation in tensions with […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Russia hosts World Cup in heat of battle with West” – AFP

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Drugs, JRL NewsBlog, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Men Sitting Around Long Oval Boardroom Table, File Photo of FIFA Officials Meeting with Vladmir Putin

  “… Russia was a controversial choice when it was handed the rights to the world’s most watched event in a 2010 vote now tainted by bribery charges. … The years since have seen Moscow clash with the West over everything from Syria and Ukraine to the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England. Russia was even banned […]

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NEWSLINK: “Russia’s ‘Brain Drain’ and the Prospects for Regime Transformation” – Russian and Eurasian Politics/Gordon M. Hahn

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Newslinks, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“The U.S. government … is claiming a sharp spike in asylum claims from Russian citizens, hitting a 24-year high in 2017 …. One of the main drivers of revolutionary forms of democratic regime transformation, according to contemporary social science, is the lack of sufficient social mobility for middle class youth that often emerges in authoritarian countries with high or rising […]

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Putin 4.0: Five Issues Facing Russia’s President In The Next Six Years

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Robert Coalson – May 11, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/putin-4-0-five-issues-facing-putin-in-the-next-six-years/29221585.html) Robert Coalson is a senior correspondent for RFE/RL With President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for a fourth presidential term in the books, Russians are looking ahead to the next six years. But many of the judo-loving, ex-KGB officer’s past political […]

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Richard Sakwa: RE: Keith Gessen’s article [“The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio”]

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

Subject: RE: Keith Gessen’s article Date: Mon, 14 May 2018 From: Richard Sakwa <R.Sakwa@kent.ac.uk> [Richard Sakwa is a Professor of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent and Associate Fellow of Chatham House] Keith Gessen’s fascinating account of the inner workings of the US foreign policy establishment provides real insight into how policy is formulated and implemented. Of […]

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NEWSWATCH: “New Armenian PM Tells Putin He Wants Closer Ties With Russia” – Reuters

Armenia, JRL NewsBlog
Armenia Map and Flag

“Armenia’s new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who came to power last week after a peaceful revolution, told … Putin … he favored closer political and military ties with Russia. …. Armenia won independence from Moscow in 1991, but has been hampered by its conflict with Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh and has looked to Russia to guarantee its security. […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Putin isn’t as all-powerful as he looks; In local elections, which are harder to rig, the opposition is rising.” – Washington Post/Jackson Diehl

Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“… If opposition leaders … start to look dangerous … bad things happen …. Yevgeny Urlashov, a charismatic opposition leader who in 2012 won election as mayor of Yaroslavl … is now serving a 12-year prison sentence on trumped-up charges. Boris Nemtsov … was murdered on a bridge outside the Kremlin …. Alexei Navalny … has been banned from elections […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Most Russians Say They Are Unaffected and ‘Unworried’ by Western Sanctions – Poll” – Moscow Times

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 14, 2018) The majority of Russians surveyed by the independent Levada Center say they have not been negatively affected by Western sanctions, despite feeling increasingly isolated from the international community. Russia has been targeted by several waves of political and economic sanctions following its 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and support […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Artificial limitations on trade, finance, must not be allowed, imbalances in global markets must be corrected – Putin” – Interfax

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

MOSCOW. May 14 (Interfax) – The 21st-century economy will be effective provided artificial limitations on multilateral trade, finance, manufacturing, or investment are not allowed, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “A 21st-century economy that is effective, built on forward-thinking business models, and socially responsible, and that adheres to strict environmental standards and takes account of people’s real needs is something that […]

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NEWSLINK: “England fans at World Cup ‘at risk of blackmail from Russian mafia hookers’; There are fears gangsters could threaten to send incriminating pictures to fans’ wives or post them on social media” – The Daily Mirror (UK)/Tom Davidson

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Newslinks, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Image of Soccer Ball, Field, Stadium with Lights, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“… ‘It’s not just the Russian government we have to be fearful of when it comes to England fans.  It is also the Russian mafia who we know exploit sex, and use the internet and dating, to offer women in order to blackmail customers.’ …”  

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-86 :: Monday, 14 May 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-#86 :: Monday, 14 May 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George […]

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NEWSWATCH: “John McCain: ‘Vladimir Putin Is an Evil Man'” – Wall Street Journal/The Saturday Essay/John McCain

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
John McCain file photo

[note from JRL web editor: warning, contains mild profanity] “… Sir Andrew Wood, a retired British diplomat … told me he knew a former MI6 officer … Christopher Steele ….  * * * I agreed to receive a copy of … ‘the dossier.’ …. The allegations were disturbing … I had no idea which if any were true. I could not […]

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NEWSWATCH VIDEO: “Cohen vs. McFaul – Is Russia or America to blame for the New Cold War?” – Meduza/Kevin Rothrock & Embedded YouTube Video

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations, Videos
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

“Living in New York City, retired from academia, and unencumbered by the Washington consensus on Russia, Professor Stephen Cohen does not keep a low profile. In recent years, he has been one of America’s most vocal ‘dissidents’ when it comes to the nation’s Russia policies. On Wednesday, May 9, Cohen visited the Harriman Institute at Columbia University to debate Stanford […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Most Russians Don’t See Armenia-Style Revolution as Possible in Their Country – Poll” – Moscow Times/VTsIOM

Armenia, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Revolutionaries Marching in Moscow in 1917, adapted from image at state.gov

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 11, 2018) More than three-quarters of Russians surveyed by the state-run VTsIOM pollster said they do not foresee a repeat of the peaceful revolution witnessed in Armenia in the past month as being possible in their country. Protest leader Nikol Pashinyan was voted in as Armenia’s prime minister by the country’s parliament on Tuesday […]

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NEWSLINK: “Michael McFaul: The smear that killed the ‘reset’; Putin needed an American enemy. He picked me.” – Washington Post/Michael McFaul

Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Michael McFaul Standing and Barack Hussein Obama Sitting at Desk, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“Michael McFaul, the director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a Hoover fellow at Stanford University, was the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014. He is the author, most recently, of ‘From Cold War to Hot Peace.’ …”  

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-85 :: Friday, 11 May 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-#85 Friday, 11 May 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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Putin: Russia Looks To Get Free Of U.S. Dollar ‘Burden’ In Oil Trade

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Offshore Oil Rig file photo

(Oilprice.com – Tsvetana Paraskova – May 9, 2018) Russia is mulling over ways to ‘get free’ of the U.S. dollar burden in oil trade as part of a plan to boost its national economic sovereignty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “Oil is traded in dollars on the exchange,” TASS news agency quoted Putin as saying. “Certainly, we are thinking about […]

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Europe Buys More Russian Gas Despite Strained Relations

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Oil, Gas, Energy
Gas Flame file photo

(Oilprice.com – Tsvetana Paraskova – May 8, 2018) The West-Russia relations have reached a new low since the Cold War amid the spy poisoning scandal in the UK, allegations of Russian meddling in elections, and fresh U.S. sanctions on Russia. Yet European countries continue to buy increased amounts of Russian gas, and Russia’s state-held gas giant Gazprom is boosting production […]

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Jerry Hough: “re Gessen’s article [‘The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio’]”

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

Subject: re Gessen’s article Date: Thu, 10 May 2018 From: Jerry Hough <jhough1935@gmail.com> [Jerry Hough is James B. Duke Professor of Political Science at Duke University. Author of How the Soviet Union is Governed; Soviet Leadership in Transition; The Struggle for the Third World; Soviet Debate and American Options; Democratization and Revolution in the USSR 1985-1991; and The Logic of […]

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Mary Dejevsky: “re Gessen’s article [‘The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio’]”

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of British Parliament Building, Big Ben, Thames, adapted from image at loc.gov

Subject: re Gessen’s article Date: Wed, 9 May 2018 From: Mary Dejevsky <marydejevsky@gmail.com> [Mary Dejevsky is a writer and broadcaster. She is a former foreign correspondent in Moscow, Paris and Washington, and a special correspondent in China and many parts of Europe.] Who makes US Russia policy and why is it in such a mess is the question Keith Gessen […]

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Stephen Blank: “Re: Keith Gessen’s ‘The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio'”

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

Subject: Re: Keith Gessen’s “The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio” Date: Wed, 9 May 2018 From: Stephen Blank <traininblank@aol.com> [Stephen Blank is a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council.] [nytimes.com/2018/05/08/magazine/the-quiet-americans-behind-the-us-russia-imbroglio.html] Having read Gessen’s article, I must say that it is tendentious, simplistic and unconvincing. He only solicited the view of a few people who appear to share […]

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Russia’s Strange Obsession with Sobibór

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Religion
File Photo of Reel of Film

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Izabella Tabarovsky, Senior Associate, Manager for Regional Engagement at The Kennan Institute – May 9, 2018) [Text with links kennan-russiafile.org/2018/05/09/russias-strange-obsession-with-sobibor/] A new Russian movie, Sobibór, is making its way into Russian theaters and European capitals. The big-budget, highly promoted film tells the story of a prisoner escape from the Nazi death camp Sobibór in October […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia Blacklists Progressively Fewer ‘Foreign Agent’ NGOs, Justice Ministry Says” – Moscow Times

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 10, 2018) Russia has blacklisted NGOs at a progressively slower rate since an infamous foreign agent law was signed in 2012, the Justice Ministry has said in an annual report. President Vladimir Putin observed last year that the sharp decline in “foreign agents” resulted from organizations turning down foreign funding. The law has been […]

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Interfax: “Human Rights Council member Svanidze criticizes bill on imposing fines for involving minors in unauthorized rallies”

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Russian State Duma Building file photo

MOSCOW. May 10 (Interfax) – The bill proposed by a number of Russian State Duma deputies that would make encouraging minors to participate in unsanctioned rallies an administrative offence is controversial and potentially unconstitutional, Nikolai Svanidze, a member of the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council and the head of its commission on civil freedoms, told Interfax on Thursday. “It’s a […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Russia in charts: the reality behind Putin’s development goals; Some of the president’s social and economic six-year targets look daunting” – Financial Times/Valentina Romei, Kathrin Hille

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Screenshot of Vladimir Putin Addressing Federal Assembly, adapted from video at kremlin.ru

“… to implement [Putin’s] plans the government would need to spend an additional Rbs8,000bn over six years, said … Medvedev …. close to 9 per cent of Russia’s 2017 gross domestic product, and almost half of total federal expenditure budgeted for this year. … In many areas, the country is so far from … Putin’s 2024 goals that his plans […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Military parade on Red Square” – KremlinRu

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Aerial View, adapted from .gov source

(Kremlin.ru – May 9, 2018) Vladimir Putin attended a military parade marking the 73rd anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. . Watching the parade together with the Russian President were Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic. Reviewing the troops was Defense Minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu; Commander-in-Chief […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-84 :: Thursday, 10 May 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-#84 Thursday, 10 May 2018 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s […]

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More comments on Keith Gessen’s “The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio.” – Richard Hofer, James Carden, Nicolai Petrov, Hank Gaffney

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

[DJ: More comments on Keith Gessen’s “The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio.” With Richard Hofer, James Carden, Nicolai Petrov, and Hank Gaffney.] Subject: Re: 2018-#82-Johnson’s Russia List Date: Tue, 8 May 2018 From: Richard Hofer <richofer@yahoo.com> Richard Hofer Central Asia Consultancy Ltd Canada Very thoughtful of course and quite alarming. One must have a sense of sympathy for those […]

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William Hill: “Comment on Keith Gessen’s ‘The Russia Hands'”

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

Subject: Comment on Keith Gessen’s “The Russia Hands” Date: Tue, 8 May 2018 From: William Hill <williamhhill@gmail.com> [William Hill is Professor of National Security Strategy, National War College, Washington D.C. and a retired Foreign Service officer. Was head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova] Thanks for flagging this piece early in the week. I suppose I would have found it […]

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NEWSWATCH EVENT VIDEO: “[Stephen Cohen and Michael McFaul Debate:] THE NEW U.S.-RUSSIAN COLD WAR – WHO IS TO BLAME? [Live Streamed, Wednesday, May 9, 5-7p.m. ET, from New York City]” – Columbia University, Harriman Institute/NYU Jordan Center

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

“THE NEW U.S.-RUSSIAN COLD WAR-WHO IS TO BLAME? Columbia University, Harriman Institute/NYU Jordan Center Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 5:00pm – 7:00pm Teatro, Italian Academy (2nd Floor, 1161 Amsterdam Ave) [harriman.columbia.edu/event/new-us-russian-cold-war] … Registration is SOLD OUT. … “ Live stream: harriman.columbia.edu/event/new-us-russian-cold-war It can also be accessed directly through YouTube, here: youtube.com/watch?v=jUWAsTij9yg  “Please join The Harriman Institute and New York University’s […]

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Putin Hits Out At U.S. In Red Square Parade Speech

History, Soviet Union, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russia Map

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – May 9, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/russia-marks-end-of-world-war-ii-with-military-parade-on-red-square/29216745.html) Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued veiled criticism of the United States in a speech before a Red Square parade marking the anniversary of Germany’s defeat in World War II, listing “pretentions to exceptionalism” as a factor that drove Nazi aggression and […]

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NEWSWATCH: “To pay for a ‘Russia first’ agenda, Putin takes ax to military spending” – Christian Science Monitor/Fred Weir

Budget, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Close-Up of Line of Russian Soldiers in Dress Uniforms for Parade, adapted from image at georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov with credit to Eric Draper

“… [At his inauguration] Putin surprised many … declaring … a relentless focus on domestic development … partially paid for by sharp cuts in defense spending. … [a] projected surge in spending on roads, education, and health care …. A key source of that funding will be [taken from] the military budget … growing by around 10 percent annually for […]

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NEWSWATCH: “The big chill: the alarming decline in U.S.-Russian relations; A candid expert account suggests little will change under the current leadership” – Financial Times/Mary Sarotte

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Michael McFaul Standing and Barack Hussein Obama Sitting at Desk, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“Soviet-era jokes are fashionable once again in Russia. … a man walks into the headquarters of … the FSB … and says, ‘My pet parrot is missing.’ An agent responds, ‘Why are you wasting my time? Complain to the police or animal control!’ Man adds hastily, ‘Sorry, I told them already. I’m informing you because, if they find my parrot, […]

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