RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2020-#195 :: Monday, 2 November 2020

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2020-#195 :: Monday, 2 November 2020
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1. rt.com: Paul Robinson, As US election looms, Russians have ceased to hope that anything good will come out of America, regardless of who is president – rt.com/russia/505250-trump-biden-kremlin-relations/
2. RFE/RL: ‘Trump’s Done Nothing Good For Us’: As Americans Go To The Polls, Most Russians Shrug.
3. The Sunday Times (UK): Russians lose taste for Trump but show little appetite for Biden. The unpredictable US president has failed to deliver on promises to Vladimir Putin.
4. Moscow Times: Lincoln Pigman, What Can Russia Expect From a Biden Presidency? Washington’s behavior would be significantly more predictable under Biden, a change that even Moscow may welcome after four long years dealing with Trump.
5. Valdai Discussion Club: Ivan Timofeev, US Elections and Sanctions Against Russia. On the eve of the US presidential election, there is growing interest in what the policy of sanctions against Russia will be if one of the candidates wins. Will they become more stringent if Joe Biden wins? Should we expect an escalation from the Trump administration? Do elections play any role in the policy of sanctions? – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/us-elections-and-sanctions-against-russia/
6. TASS: Kremlin says macroeconomic environment in Russia stable despite depreciation of ruble.
7. TASS: Putin vows to cut Russia’s poverty rate in half over the coming years.
8. TASS: Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Ruble likely to crash after November 3.
9. Financial Times: Russia’s rouble jolted by falling oil prices and US election angst. Investors worry a Biden win could spark new sanctions against Moscow.
10. Moscow Times: Coronavirus Cases Spike in 40% of Russian Regions.
11. Moscow Times: Mistrust Grows for Russia’s Coronavirus Vaccine – Poll.
12. RFE/RL: Russian Landfill Protesters Grapple With What Comes Next Following Court Win.
13. meaww.com: Is Putin planning to step down? Russia leader hints at quitting despite new law making him ‘president for life’ – meaww.com/vladimir-putin-hints-quit-office-new-president-life-report
14. rt.com: Ex-Russian presidents could become senators for life after leaving Kremlin, as Putin submits draft law to parliament – rt.com/russia/505160-presidents-lifelong-senators-putin/
15. rt.com: Keep your cash in the country: New law means Russia’s most important officials will be banned from having foreign bank accounts – rt.com/russia/504814-law-officials-ban-foreign-bank/
16. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, ALEXEI KUDRIN REVIVES AMBITION TO RULE RUSSIA – THE OLIGARCHS’ FRIEND TRIES FRESH COMEBACK PLOY – TRUST HIM TO SAVE RUSSIA FROM ECONOMY SHOCK! – johnhelmer.net/alexei-kudrin-revives-ambition-to-rule-russia-the-oligarchs-friend-tries-fresh-comeback-ploy-trust-him-to-save-russia-from-economy-shock/print/
17. Carnegie Moscow Center: Tatiana Mitrova, Neither U.S. Candidate Bodes Well for Russia’s Energy Market. The Republican and Democratic candidates have fundamentally opposite views on developing the energy sector, but whoever wins-and for different reasons-it won’t be good news for Russia’s oil and gas industry.
18. Awful Avalanche: Stalin’s Little Goons, What Does It All Mean? – Part I – awfulavalanche.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/stalins-little-goons-what-does-it-all-mean-part-i/
19. New Statesman: Felix Light, How unrest from Kyrgyzstan to Belarus is challenging Russia’s Soviet legacy. A turbulent year in the former USSR is exposing the limits of Moscow’s power – newstatesman.com/world/europe/2020/10/how-unrest-kyrgyzstan-belarus-challenging-russia-s-soviet-legacy
20. Intellinews: Protest turnout falls to 10,000 at weekend rally.
21. The Unz Review: Anatoly Karlin, Lukashenko Wins, Zmagars Lose, Russia Left on the Sidelines. (excerpt) – unz.com/akarlin/lukashenko-wins/
22. Moscow Times: Gennady Rudkevich, What’s Next for Protesters in Belarus? Protests continue, Lukashenko remains. Can either side break the stalemate?
23. AFP: Moldova’s Pro-EU Presidential Hopeful Wins First Round Vote.
24. rt.com: Moldovan election: Pro-EU opposition candidate Sandu leads first round, but Russia-leaning incumbent Dodon still in contention – rt.com/russia/505236-moldova-election-dodon-sandu/
25. TASS: Vedomosti: Armenia requests military aid from Russia under bilateral deal.
26. Intellinews: Azerbaijan’s next move awaited as its troops close on Nagorno-Karabakh’s second largest city. A mutual agreement not to shell civilians appears to have fallen apart.
27. rt.com: Russia promises ‘necessary’ assistance to Yerevan if Nagorno-Karabakh fighting spills onto Armenia’s soil – rt.com/russia/505135-armenia-support-nagorno-karabakh/
28. New York Times: Carlotta Gall, Roots of War: When Armenia Talked Tough, Azerbaijan Took Action. While Azerbaijan is the main driver of the Nagorno-Karabakh war, analysts say, Armenia’s populist prime minister pushed the situation to the brink.
29. Newsweek.com: Russia Has Offered U.S. ‘Menu’ of Options to Improve Relations, But Is Not ‘Optimistic’
30. Russian International Affairs Council: U.S.-Russia Relations at a Crossroads. RIAC and CSIS Joint Report – russiancouncil.ru/en/activity/publications/u-s-russia-relations-at-a-crossroads/
31. Dominique Arel: vASN Webinar: The Day After (Russian-American-European Relations post-US Election), Thursday November 5.
32. VIDEO: Aaron Mate: Katrina vanden Heuvel on life and love with Stephen F. Cohen.