Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#17 :: Monday 27 January 2014

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#17 :: 27 January 2013
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POLITICS

1. RIA Novosti: Putin Pays Respects to Brother, Victims of Leningrad Siege.
2. Interfax: German president recalls war, Leningrad siege with shame, sorrow.
3. Valdai Discussion Club: Yevgeny Primakov, Russia’s Problems: Why Neoliberal Policy Is Unacceptable Today.
4. Moscow Times: What the Papers Say, Jan. 27.
5. www.russiatoday.com: Communists rule out violent ‘Ukrainian’ scenario in Russia.
6. Moscow News: Khodorkovsky Speaks About Time in Jail, Reasons for Release.
7. ITAR-TASS: Ex-deputy chairman of YUKOS board Platon Lebedev wants to engage in business again. Russian Press Review.
8. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: A Market Economy Won’t Prevent Russia’s Disintegration and May Even Accelerate It, Chernyakhovsky Says.
9. Reuters: PREVIEW-Olympics-High stakes for Putin at costly Sochi Games.
10. New York Times: Russians Debate Sticker Price of Sochi Games.
11. Carnegie Moscow Center: Dmitri Trenin, Sochi: the Game of Politics.
12. New York Times: Angela Stent, At Sochi, a High Bar for Putin.
13. Russia Beyond the Headlines: A Russian-American snowboarding love story. Vic Wild is an American-born snowboarder who now holds Russian citizenship and will compete for Russia in the Sochi Olympics. Born in Washington State, he decided to change his citizenship after falling in love with a Russian sportswoman.

ECONOMY

14. www.russiatoday.com: ‘Mise-Ruble?’ Russia’s currency hits 5-year low.
15. RIA Novosti: Medvedev Proposes Officials Return to State Company Boards.
16. ITAR-TASS: Russian authorities declare war on golden parachutes.
17. Reuters: BP back in favour despite spill legacy, Russia doubts.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

18. Russia Direct: Global Think Tanks Index 2013: Does Russia fall behind? The world’s most influential and elaborate think tank ranking included only four Russian thinks tanks in the world’s Top 100, with the list dominated by American and European organizations. That’s led to debate about how Russia can make its expertise more in demand globally.
19. Valdai Discussion Club/Carnegie.ru: Dmitri Trenin, A Practical Approach to EU-Russian Relations.
20. ITAR-TASS: Geneva 2: half-steps on road to peace.
21. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Fyodor Lukyanov, Syrian crisis: Book with an open ending. The stakes are high for both the U.S. and Russia as Geneva II gets underway.
22. Interfax: Assad overthrows Washington’s fixed idea – Russian lawmaker. (Alexei Pushkov)
23. Moscow Times: Russell Working, How St. Cyril Brings Rome and Moscow Together.
24. Reuters: New clashes as Ukraine’s president tries to tempt opposition.
25. ITAR-TASS: Experts discuss scenarios for Ukraine. Russian Press Review.
26. Business New Europe: Ben Aris, Yanukovych’s regime could be about to fall.
27. www.russiatoday.com: ‘Ukrainian opposition doesn’t control crowds.’ (interview with Alexander Mercouris)
28. Business New Europe: Tim Ash, Sunday events in Ukraine “seismic”
29. Sean’s Russia Blog: William Risch, The Day Kyiv Blew Up.
30. RIA Novosti: Two-Fifths of Russians Uncertain Over Need for Ukraine Loan.
31. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Ukraine has Revolutionary Masses But No Leaders But in Russia the Situation is Just the Reverse, Pastukhov Says.
32. Wall Street Journal editorial: America and Ukraine. As the crisis in Kiev worsens, the U.S. needs to move on sanctions.
33. Washington Post: Anne Applebaum, Ukraine shows the ‘color revolution’ model is dead.
34. Moscow Times: John Freedman, The Artistic Community Responds to Events in Kiev.