RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2020-#229 :: Friday, 18 December 2020

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2020-#229 :: Friday, 18 December 2020
A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or The George Washington University.
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1. TASS: Izvestia: Putin focuses on post-COVID recovery, relations with CIS, West, during annual press conference – tass.com/pressreview/1236923
2. Intellinews: Ben Aris, Putin plays to the gallery during his annual press conference
3. TASS: Vladimir Putin still does not use smartphone, spokesman says – tass.com/society/1237157
4. The Spectator (UK): Mark Galeotti, Putin’s festive message: the world’s naughty, but I’m nice.
5. rt.com: Russia second in Bloomberg rating of economies expected to beat expectations in 2021.
6. TASS: Russian economy can recover quicker than expected in 2021, says Central Bank chief.
7. Valdai Discussion Club: Russia’s Economic Outlook: Risks Prevail Over Drivers. Geopolitical risks coupled with a second wave of the pandemic across the globe, waning activism from the largest economies in launching anti-crisis measures do not seem to be countered sufficiently by forceful drivers that would be supportive for the markets, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Yaroslav Lissovolik – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/russia-s-economic-outlook-risks-prevail/
8. Oilprice.com: Putin: Russia Reduces Its Dependence On Oil.
9. rt.com: Save the planet to stop Putin! NYT says Russia could dominate warming world – enough to make Americans wake up to climate change? – rt.com/russia/510056-global-warming-nyt-bias/
10. Russia Observer: Patrick Armstrong, RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 17 DECEMBER 2020 – patrickarmstrong.ca/2020/12/17/russian-federation-sitrep-17-december-2020/
11. AP: Kremlin happy Russians will be able to compete at Olympics.
12. Wall Street Journal: Sports Court Cuts Russia Doping Ban in Half. The ruling comes seven months ahead of the postponed Tokyo Olympics.
13. Meduza: Kremlin spokesman reiterates Putin’s statements about Russian intelligence surveilling Navalny.
14. rt.com: Glenn Diesen, West’s cultivation of Navalny as ‘Russian opposition leader’ plays into Kremlin hands by making him politically irrelevant at home – rt.com/russia/510067-navalny-opposition-leader-role/
15. Russian and Eurasian Politics: Gordon Hahn, Navalnyigate
16. TASS: ‘Going around in circles’: Diplomat says US pushing ‘unacceptable’ terms on New START deal.
17. TASS: Nezavisimaya Gazeta: White House plans to reconcile Armenia and Azerbaijan while bypassing Russia.
18. Jamestown Foundation: Paul Goble, Baku’s Success in Using Turkish Drones Raises Question: Could Ukraine Use Them Against Russia in Crimea?
19. Antiwar.com: Senators Liken Hack to Russian Invasion Despite Lack of Proof Moscow Was Involved. Media parroting claim that Russia was involved as fact, Joe Biden promises retaliation for cyberattacks – news.antiwar.com/2020/12/17/senators-liken-hack-to-russian-invasion-despite-lack-of-proof-moscow-was-involved/
20. Washington Post: Fareed Zakaria, Russia hasn’t just hacked our computer systems. It’s hacked our minds.
21. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, CHRISTMAS ALERT — GRAB STOCKING, STORM COMING DOWN CHIMNEY – johnhelmer.net/christmas-alert-grab-stocking-storm-coming-down-chimney/print/
22. Kremlin.ru: Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference. (transcript continues) – en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/64671

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