RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2021-#168 :: Wednesday, 25 August 2021

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2021-#168 :: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
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1. Moscow Times: 25% of Russians Still Skeptical of Climate Change – Poll
2. Moscow Times: 2 in 5 Russians Can’t Afford Necessities – Poll
3. Intellinews: Putin promises more social spending in September at United Russia congress. Russian president has turned on the social spending spigot ahead of Duma elections in September, but the spending is also designed to bolster economic growth but could drive inflation up.
4. rt.com: West is working to interfere in Russian elections next month & actively backing anti-government forces, top Moscow official claims – rt.com/russia/533031-askaldovich-risk-foreign-interference-elections/
5. Paul Goble: United Russia Overwhelmingly Dominates Municipal Councils, New Study Reports
6. Meduza: Russia’s Justice Ministry finally gave some insight into potential grounds for labeling journalists ‘foreign agents’
7. RFE/RL: Who Might Russia Declare A ‘Foreign Agent’ Journalist? Pretty Much Anyone, Really.
8. Riddle: 30 years of constitutional justice in the Russian Federation: What needs to change? Yulia Khalikova on how to strengthen the Constitutional Court in Russia.
9. Intellinews: Ben Aris, Merkel trying to cut an almost impossible gas transit deal for Ukraine. With only a month left in office German Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to cut an energy deal that would see Germany receive gas from the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline and still let the EU obtain some gas via Ukraine. That is a tall order.
10. rt.com: EU rules block Nord Stream 2 owner from exclusive access to its own pipeline – rt.com/business/533022-nord-stream-eu-gas-directive/
11. TASS: Nord Stream 2 AG itself must decide on next steps after German court decision — Kremlin – tass.com/economy/1329937
12. Irrussianailtiy: Paul Robinson, THE OWLS AGAINST THE BATS: INTERVIEW WITH ARGUMENTY I FAKTY – irrussianality.wordpress.com/2021/08/25/the-owls-against-the-bats-interview-with-argumenty-i-fakty/
13. Valdai Discussion Club: Maxim Suchkov, Biden’s Withdrawal From Afghanistan: Consequences for the United States and Russia – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/biden-s-withrawal-from-afghanistan-consequences/
14. Russian International Affairs Council: Adriel Kasonta, Afghanistan Marks the Beginning of the End of US-led Unipolarity – russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/columns/global-governance-and-world-politics/afghanistan-marks-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-us-led-unipolarity
15. Foreign Affairs: Alexander Cooley, A Post-American Central Asia. How the Region Is Adapting to the U.S. Defeat in Afghanistan.
16. rt.com: Taliban movement has ‘good relations’ with both Russia & China, political spokesman for Afghanistan’s de facto new rulers claims – rt.com/russia/533026-naeem-taliban-good-relations-russia/
17. TASS: Izvestia: Russia, China could emerge as key players in Afghanistan.
18. The National Interest: John Ruehl, Can Central Asia Help Russia Cajole the Taliban? Though hundreds of miles distant, Russia’s military strength and connection to Afghanistan through Central Asia suggest a powerful role in Afghanistan’s future affairs.
19. PONARS Eurasia: Anar Valiyev, Karabakh After the 44-Day War: Russian Peacekeepers and Patterns.
20. Meduza: ‘We are a family’. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech marking Ukraine’s 30th independence anniversary, in brief.
21. Kyiv Post: Steven Pifer, Steven Pifer: President Zelensky comes to Washington.
22. TASS: Izvestia: Ukraine marks 30 years of independence.
23. RFE/RL: Russia Launches Probe Into ‘Ecocide’ Over Ukraine’s Suspension Of Water Deliveries To Annexed Crimea
24. Project Syndicate: Anders Aslund, The Case for Stronger Russia Sanctions