Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#172 :: Friday, 20 September 2013

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#172 :: 20 September 2013
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POLITICS

1. Moscow TImes: Putin Talks Syria, Gays and John McCain at Valdai.
2. BBC Monitoring: Putin says Russia on road to democracy.
3. Kremlin.ru: Meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (partial transcript)
4. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Putin rolls up his sleeves to find a national idea.
5. Reuters: Russia’s Putin says could seek re-election in 2018.
6. RIA Novosti: Putin’s Spokesman Calls Presidential Bid Question ‘Rhetorical’, ‘Untimely’
7. Valdai Discussion Club: Valdai Club Experts on Putin’s Most Important Statements.
8. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say Sept. 20, 2013.
9. BBC Monitoring: Putin says Russia needs constructive not destructive political activists.
10. ITAR-TASS: Communist leader proposes Duma to discuss Putin’s Valdai address.
11. The Independent (UK): Syria crisis: After diplomatic triumph in Geneva, an upbeat Putin allows Russian opposition a rare public hearing. Mary Dejevsky observes the cheerful Russian President, close up (but a little late) in Valdai.
12. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Vladimir Putin At The Valdai Forum: A Man In Full.
13. The Economist: Valdai Conference. Russia’s identity and values.
14. Gazeta.ru: Editorial on Russia’s Search for National Identity and Impact This Has on Foreign Policy.
15. RIA Novosti: With Moscow Mayoral Race Over, Navalny Trial Date Announced.
16. Vedomosti: Royzman Scores Opposition Victory In Yekaterinburg Mayoral Elections.
17. BBC Monitoring: Russia’s Putin says Bolotnaya case detainees could be amnestied.
18. ITAR-TASS: Ombudsman supports idea to amnesty Bolotnaya Square riot case participants.
19. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. The Constitutional Court decides whether previously convicted people can run in elections.
20. BBC Monitoring: Russian state TV talk show discusses elections, Syrian situation.
21. Nature.com: Vote seals fate of Russian Academy of Sciences. Controversial law has critics fearing ‘liquidation’ of the nation’s science.
22. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Protest songs in Russia: A sign of democratic society. In modern Russia, we can see that almost every public rally features a music performance that can be identified as a protest song. Russian protest songs have come a long way in the past 60 years following World War II­starting with songs created by prisoners in Stalin’s Gulags, and coming all the way up to today’s punk bands.

ECONOMY

23. Interfax: U.S. financial woes source of anxiety for Russia – Putin.
24. New York Times: Russia Cuts Budget to Try to Spur Growth.
25. Moscow Times: Russia’s Growth Ranking Low, Hopes High.
26. Interfax: Ex-finance minister does not rule out new economic crisis in Russia with political repercussions. (Kudrin)

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

27. Moscow Times: Vasily Likhachev, The Two Faces of the U.S. Role in World Affairs.
28. Kommersant: Russian Pundit: China Derives ‘Greatest Benefit’ From Russian-US Confrontation. (Georgiy Kunadze)
29. Kommersant: Russia Still Seen Principal US Adversary Owing to its Continued Global Thinking. (Dmitriy Trenin)
30. BBC Monitoring: Putin slams Western policies in Syria, Egypt, Libya.
31. Reuters: Putin sees hope in Syria deal; Kerry says it’s vital that U.N. acts.
32. Interfax: Timeline, Assad estimates $1 bln adequate for weapons disposal – Russian expert. (Fyodor Lukyanov)
33. Russia Direct: Andrey Sushentsov, Syrian crisis: A return to common sense. A resolution to the Syrian crisis shows the increasing importance of pragmatism and common sense in resolving complex diplomatic issues.
34. Sobesednik: Political Analyst Gleb Pavlovskiy Interviewed on Syrian Situation, Navalnyy’s Prospects.
35. The Economist editorial: America, Russia and Syria. The weakened West. The deal over Syria’s chemical weapons marks a low for those who cherish freedom.
36. www.counterpunch.org: Ramzy Baroud, The Russian Factor. Syria’s New Game.
37. BBC Monitoring: Putin says McCain ‘lacking in information’ on Russia.
38. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, McCain disses Putin, but Russians are mostly unimpressed.
39. RFE/RL: Interview: McCain On Russia, Putin, And His Pravda.ru Op-Ed.
40. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Minsk and Moscow set to reconcile.
41. BBC Monitoring: Putin says Ukraine independent state but part of ‘big Russian world’
42. Interfax: Ukraine can’t be ‘here and there’ at the same time – Medvedev on Ukraine’s integration.
43. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Martha Brill Olcott, China’s Unmatched Influence in Central Asia.