Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#173 :: Monday 23 September 2013

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#173 :: 23 September 2013
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POLITICS

1. REUTERS SUMMIT – Russia can afford to keep Putin’s social promises. (Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets)
2. Kremlin.ru: Meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (partial transcript continued)
3. Interfax: Russian pundits say Putin’s presidential bid natural.
4. Valdai Discussion Club: Fyodor Lukyanov, Indispensable Nation.
5. RIA Novosti: Kremlin Dismisses Putin Church Wedding Rumors.
6. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say Sept. 23, 2013.
7. ITAR-TASS: “Grey cardinal” Vladislav Surkov makes return to Russian politics.
8. Moscow Times: Court Rejects Navalny Election Appeal.
9. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: By Backing Those Who Make Nationalist Appeals, Russia’s Liberals are Destroying Themselves, Petersburg Student Says.
10. The New Times: Analysis of Navalnyy Electorate Suggests ‘New Political Paradigm’ for Future Elections. (Aleksey Zakharov)
11. Vedomosti: Prokhorov Deplores ‘One-Party’ System, ‘Unfair’ 8 September Elections.
12. Moscow Times: Opposition’s Council Left in Limbo.
13. New York Times: Masha Gessen, Life in a Russian Prison. (re Pussy Riot)

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

14. Reuters: Russia’s Putin says Syria violence could hit ex-Soviet bloc.
15. www.russiatoday.com: Western countries blinded by ‘Assad must go’ mentality – Lavrov.
16. Interfax: Kremlin aide: attempts to export democracy via war don’t work. (Sergei Ivanov)
17. Interfax: Cyrillic marking on rocket splinter doesn’t implicate Syria govt – Kremlin official. (Sergei Ivanov)
18. The Independent on Sunday (UK): Robert Fisk, Into the Minotaur’s cave of diplomacy: how Russia became Syria’s deterrent. The Syrians, who often memorise poetry, like Lavrov: they believe he writes it in his spare time.
19. Izvestia: Konstantin Volkov, War in Syria Could Improve US-Iranian Relations. Tehran Is Capable of Helping the West To Combat Terrorism and Chinese Economic Expansion.
20. Interfax: Astakhov confirms commitment to ban adoption of Russian children for U.S. citizens.
21. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia building its military presence in the Arctic.
22. ITAR-TASS: RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW. Gas row between Ukraine and Russia worsens.
23. Carnegie Moscow Center: Dmitri Trenin, EUKRAINE?
24. The Guardian (UK): Ukraine’s EU trade deal will be catastrophic, says Russia. Kremlin claims neighbouring state faces financial ruin and possible collapse if integration agreement goes ahead.
25. http://us-russia.org: The World According to Putin. Expert Panel Discussion.