Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#14 :: 22 January 2014

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#14 :: 22 January 2013
E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net
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POLITICS

1. Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness: Why Putin can accurately describe himself as a conservative.
2. www.opendemocracy.net: Dmitry Travin, Putin’s political triumph – but economic impasse.
3. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, The New EU Members Are Depopulating More Quickly Than Russia.
4. RIA Novosti: Russia’s Population Grew Last Year Despite Sliding Birthrate.
5. RIA Novosti: Putin Plays the Piano for Moscow Students.
5a. Reddit: “I am a Senior official working for the Russian Government, and have met Putin several times”
6. Moscow Times: What the Papers Say, Jan. 22.
7. ITAR-TASS: Ella Pamfilova may be named new Russian human rights commissioner. Russian Press Review.
8. RIA Novosti: Deputies Withdraw Bill to Label Media Firms ‘Foreign Agents’
9. www.russiatoday.com: Leading Russian bank sues newspaper over Navalny connection claims.
10. Moscow Times: Putin Touts Public-Private Partnership to Revive Health Care.
11. Interfax: Tolokonnikova, Alyokhina intend to inspect U.S. prisons.
12. RIA Novosti: Russians Doubt Authorities Can Protect Them From Terrorists.
13. Moscow Times: Georgy Bovt, FSB Confused Over Terrorism.
14. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Black widows: Russian experts warn terrorist threat to Sochi is ‘serious’
15. Washington Times: Edward Lozansky, Russia’s high hopes for the Olympics. Terrorist threats to civilian sites impinge on Sochi Winter Games.
16. The New York Review of Books: Amy Knight, The Hidden Face of Russian Security.

ECONOMY

17. Moscow Times: Russia Jumps to 44th in Bloomberg Business Rankings.
18. Moscow TImes: Davos Highlights Success of Russian Regions.
19. ITAR-TASS: Ways to accelerate reforms to be discussed at “Russian session” in Davos.
20. Moscow Times: Russia’s 8 Most Memorable Davos Moments.
21. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Who owns the Russian stock market? Foreign investors continue to have a decisive influence over the Russian stock market. According to Sberbank KIB analysts, they own about 70 percent of free floating Russian shares. But Russian investors are still wary of the stock market after the 2008-2009 crash.
22. www.thinkrussia.com: PWC ranks Russia as the biggest tax reformer.
23. Moscow Times: Savers Should Dump Rubles and Buy Hard Currency, Economist Says. (Vasily Solodkov)
24. Moscow Times: Anders Aslund, Russia Is Losing Sources of Economic Growth.
25. ITAR-TASS: Around 2,000 people already released from custody under amnesty act. Russian Press Review.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

26. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Lavrov says Russian-U.S. relations was a “productive cooperation.” Russian minister describes the 2013 year in Russian foreign policy successes and challenges.
27. ITAR-TASS: Putin: Russia not ready yet to give up nukes.
28. Kremlin.ru: Speech at a meeting with students at National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI).
29. The Guardian (UK): Ian Black, US and Russian co-operation holds key to hopes of progress over Syria.
30. The New Yorker: Snowden Calls Russian-Spy Story “Absurd”
31. Interfax: Actions of U.S. special services force Snowden to ask for asylum, Russian special services have nothing to do with it – Kucherena.
32. Interfax: Russians aware of loan to Ukraine, say it can preserve friendship – poll.
33. The Daily Beast: Anna Nemtsova, Ukraine Mobs Set Policemen On Fire.
34. Washington Post editorial: The West must break Ukraine free from Mr. Putin’s grasp.
35. Global Times (China): Zhang Hong, Ukraine caught in tug of war with EU, Russia.
36. Moscow News: Anna Arutunyan, Euromaidan and use of force. Is there a double standard in how the West responds to violence in Ukraine? Or is the issue more complicated?
37. BBC: Profile: Ukraine’s ‘Right Sector’ movement.
38. Reuters: Ukraine PM takes hard line on protests, opposition meets president.
39. ITAR-TASS: Clocks keep ticking away minutes of violent radical standoff in Ukraine.
40. www.russiatoday.com: ‘It’s a huge embarrassment for the West to ignore Ukraine’s neo-Nazis.’ (interview with Dmitry Babich)
41. The National Interest: Nicolai Petro, Defending Ukraine’s Tough New Protest Law.
42. www.russiatoday.com: Moderate opposition losing control over Kiev protests?
43. Interfax: Duma urges West not to meddle in situation in Ukraine so as not to worsen crisis – statement.
44. Yezhednevnyy Zhurnal: Fyodor Lukyanov, The Subject of Ukraine’s Breakup Is No Longer Taboo.
45. The Voice of Russia: Ukraine has close ties with Russia, cannot be artificially ‘joined’ to EU – expert. (Jonathan Steele)
46. Reuters: Georgia slams Russia for border expansion in breakaway region.