Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#15 :: 23 January 2014

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#15 :: 23 January 2013
E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net
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POLITICS

1. Government.ru: Dmitry Medvedev’s interview with CNN.
2. Moscow Times: What the Papers Say, Jan. 23.
3. The Voice of Russia: Dmitry Babich, Myths about Russia: Can one believe Western media’s ‘translations’ of Putin?
4. ITAR-TASS: Putin’s spokesman says he blushed in front of the President more than once. (Dmitry Peskov)
5. RIA Novosti: Putin Never Intentionally Poses Topless ­- Spokesman.
6. RIA Novosti: Putin Picks Kremlin Critic as Russia’s Ombudsman. (Ella Pamfilova)
7. Levada.ru: Majority of Russians not willing to take part in political protests – poll
8. Moscow Times: Konstantin Sonin, Precarious Pessimism.
9. RIA Novosti: Russian Parliament Passes Anti-Extremism Bill.
10. Russia Direct: Alexey Eremenko, The Slavic Spring is starting to look like the Arab Spring. The escalation of events in Ukraine has highlighted the potential for similar types of political demonstrations in Russia, as well as a radicalization of Russia’s middle class.
11. Interfax: Russian ministry explains suspension of Navalnyy party registration.
12. Reuters: Russian court orders release of ex-aide to Khodorkovksy. (Platon Lebedev)
13. ITAR-TASS: The Russian Supreme Court will begin to try the Khodorkovsky affair. Russian Press Review.
14. Stratfor.com: Russia’s Growing Regional Debts Threaten Stability.
15. Moscow News: Print edition of The Moscow News shut down.
16. New York Times Magazine: Steven Lee Myers, Putin’s Olympic Fever Dream.

ECONOMY

17. RIA Novosti: Russia Sees Stagnation in Industrial Output in 2013.
18. Moscow News: Stagflation: A double anomaly for Russia.
19. RIA Novosti: Russia Has Too Many Banks ­- Putin.
20. ITAR-TASS: WEF recommends investing in best Russian regions.
21. Russia Direct: Stanislav Tkachenko, Think of Davos as a PR opportunity for Russia. The World Economic Forum in Davos gives Russia an opportunity not only to improve its image abroad, but also to promote the Sochi Winter Olympics.
22. Russia & India Report: Russia announces stimulus package for SMEs. The government has announced a major package of measures to support small and medium enterprises, including new tax breaks, government contracts, and subsidies worth about $630 million.
23. ITAR-TASS: Energy ministry forecasts growing demand for Russian gas until 2035.
24. The Daily Telegraph (UK): $60 oil will finish Russia’s Putin regime, says Hermitage’s Browder.
25. Interfax: Russia, U.S. plan to conclude several agreements on trade.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

26. Interfax: Terror threat at Sochi Olympics not greater than at other Olympics – Medvedev.
27. Moscow Times: U.S.-Russian Sochi Cooperation ‘Subject to Mistrust’
28. ITAR-TASS: Peskov: Some Western countries act unscrupulously trying to discredit Sochi Olympics.
29. Valdai Discussion Club/Izvestia: Alexander Rahr, Sochi 2014 and the Horizons of Global Politics.
30. Washington Post: Sally Jenkins, Sochi 2014: IOC jeopardized safety of athletes and fans in awarding Games to Putin’s Russia.
31. ITAR-TASS: Geneva-2: a long way to peace in Syria.
32. RIA Novosti: Russia to start fingerprinting foreign visitors in July.
33. RIA Novosti: Russia Must Protect Arctic Border From Missile Threats ­- Expert.
34. Reuters: Ukraine opposition say they’ll brave bullets after talks with Yanukovich fail.
35. Interfax: Ukraine not a boxing ring – Party of Regions’ faction.
36. ITAR-TASS: A split threatens Ukraine. Russian Press Review.
37. The Nation: Alec Luhn, The Ukrainian Nationalism at the Heart of ‘Euromaidan.’ Coverage focused on the call for European integration has largely glossed over the rise in nationalist rhetoric that has led to violence.
38. Moscow Times: Sergei Markov, Europe’s Failure in Ukraine.
39. Interfax: Russian senators say Kiev lacks political will to solve crisis.
40. Russia Direct: Ukraine: Molotov cocktails and incendiary op-eds. The escalating violence in Ukraine has led to escalating political rhetoric in global media.
41. New York Times editorial: Ukrainian Standoff.
42. The Voice of Russia: Former Soviet President Gorbachev asks Putin, Obama to initiate peace talks in Ukraine.