RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2021-#31 :: Friday, 12 February 2021

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2021-#31 :: Friday, 12 February 2021
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: Russia about to take COVID-19 epidemic under control — health ministry expert – tass.com/society/1255825
2. TASS: Kremlin says media misinterpreted Lavrov’s remarks about break-up with EU – tass.com/politics/1255719
3. Intellinews: Ben Aris, Russia’s Lavrov threatens to break off diplomatic relations with EU if sanctioned. Russia adopted a new hard line with the west last week where it will no long tolerate any attempts to bully it via sanctions. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov up the bar another notch saying Russia would break off diplomatic relations if any economically damaging sanctions are imposed.
4. rt.com: Kremlin says Russia wants to improve ties with EU, not break them off, but must prepare for worst as Brussels threatens sanctions – rt.com/russia/515359-europe-ties-sanctions-threat/
5. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with the Solovyov Live YouTube channel, February 12, 2021 – mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/4570813
6. gilbertdoctorow.com: Gilbertrt Doctorow, “If you want peace, prepare for war!” Sergei Lavrov to the EU – gilbertdoctorow.com/2021/02/12/1647/
7. The Economist: They told you so. The European Union must face up to the real Russia. Appeasement isn’t working.
8. Intellinews: Russian agriculture enjoys another year of growth in 2020, dacha-grown food production soars. Grain production was close to an all-time high in 2020, but it seems that Russians spent most of their time during self-isolation at the dacha last summer working in the garden.
9. Vedomosti: Comment views dilemma facing Kremlin after protests. (Alexei Firsov)
10. Moscow Times: Russia’s Communists Are Split Over Support for Navalny. The opposition activist’s jailing is upsetting the balance between the party’s pro-Kremlin leadership and radical grassroots membership.
11. Opendemocracy.net: Elena Bezrukova, Russian protesters on why they’re risking their futures. Why did Russian citizens come out in such large numbers last month? This researcher spoke to 50 protesters in Moscow. Here’s what she found.
12. rt.com: Claims that some members of Russian opposition work with foreign governments ‘not wrong or exaggerated,’ says top Moscow spy chief – rt.com/russia/515393-opposition-foreign-governments-spy-chief/
13. Interfax: Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service ready to continue interaction with CIA if Burns confirmed as director – Naryshkin.
14. Russia Observer: Patrick Armstrong, RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 11 FEBRUARY 2021 – patrickarmstrong.ca/2021/02/11/russian-federation-sitrep-11-february-2021/
15. City Journal: Martin Gurri, Slouching Toward Post-Journalism. The New York Times and other elite media outlets have openly embraced advocacy over reporting. (Excerpt)
16. rt.com: Russia must implement containment strategy against US ‘interference’ & ideologically ‘entrenched’ Biden White House – Deputy FM – rt.com/russia/515285-moscow-strategy-interference-biden/
17. Arctic Today: U.S. and Russia sign new maritime pollution agreement, conduct joint Bering Sea patrol. The U.S. Coast Guard is collaborating with Russian counterparts on transboundary pollution and maritime boundary patrols in the region.
18. Counterpunch: Ramzy Baroud, The Russian Alternative: How Moscow is Capitalizing on US Retreat in Palestine, Israel – counterpunch.org/2021/02/12/the-russian-alternative-how-moscow-is-capitalizing-on-us-retreat-in-palestine-israel/
19. Carnegie Europe: Thomas de Wall, Unfinished Business in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict (excerpt)
20. Responsible Statecraft: Adam Pontius, Why Biden should not support Georgia’s ascension to NATO – responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/02/10/why-biden-should-not-support-georgias-ascension-to-nato/
21. TASS: Vedomosti: Lukashenko vows to adopt new Belarusian constitution in 2022.
22. Deutsche Welle: Belarus: Lukashenko hints at leaving but ‘not today’. Voters in Belarus will get a chance to vote on a new constitution in 2022, according to Alexander Lukashenko. He also hinted at leaving power, but opposition rejected his declarations of change as empty promises.
23. Intellinews: Ukraine bans Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. Ukraine has yet to start its mass vaccination programme as it waits on deliveries, but has ruled out turning to its enemy Russia for help.
24. AP: Russia clashes with US and West over conflict in Ukraine
25. Interfax: Russia Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora: Life is not easy in Pyongyang amid Covid-19, but we adapted to the new conditions – interfax.com/newsroom/exclusive-interviews/71066/

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