RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2021-#85 :: Wednesday, 21 April 2021

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2021-#85 :: Wednesday, 21 April 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. Moscow Times: In Quotes: Putin Speaks on State of the Nation.
2. TASS: In brief: Putin urges Russians to vaccinate, offers stimulus for families with children – tass.com/politics/1281117
3. rt.com: Putin outlines national priorities to restart economy & raise living standards as Russia emerges from Covid crisis – rt.com/business/521678-russian-economy-putin-address/
4. rt.com: Putin promises ‘asymmetrical’ response to any threats made against Russia, promises those provoking Moscow will come to regret it – rt.com/russia/521688-putin-federal-assembly-speech-retaliation-measures/
5. Wall Street Journal: Putin Warns Against Crossing Russia’s ‘Red Line’ Amid Military Buildup Near Ukraine. Kremlin leader accuses certain nations of unfairly targeting Russia, while protesters plan to rally in support of Putin foe Alexei Navalny.
6. Kremlin.ru: Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly – en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65418
7. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Worse than the Cold War? US-Russia relations hit new low. With its relations with Washington at a nadir, Russia is eyeing a more pragmatic, if adversarial, relationship with the U.S. in the hopes of getting the respect it desires.
8. Valdai Discussion Club: Timofei Bordachev, Isolation Can Only Be Splendid. The fight against the pandemic changed Russia from the inside and these changes are more important than any foreign policy manoeuvres or adaptation to international affairs – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/isolation-can-only-be-splendid/
9. The Conversation (UK): Sarah Schiffling and Liz Breen, Russian COVID vaccine: why more and more countries are turning to Sputnik V.
10. New York Times: ‘We Know How to Defend Our Interests’: Putin’s Emerging Hard Line. With an air of moral superiority, the Russian president seems intent on teaching President Biden and other Western leaders a lesson.
11. AP: U.S. ambassador in Moscow heads home for consultations.
12. Carnegie Moscow Center: Alexander Baunov, Ukraine, Russia, and United States Make Use of Donbas Tension. Biden’s call to Putin confirmed that unchecked escalation is not part of the new U.S. administration’s plans. Tough rhetoric, preemptive escalation, and the announcement of new sanctions were necessary for Biden to start the inevitable conversation with Russia. – carnegie.ru/commentary/84364
13. TASS: Nezavisimaya Gazeta: NATO expands military presence near its eastern borders.
14. Antiwar.com: Doug Bamdow, US Should Reject Ukrainian Nuclear Blackmail – original.antiwar.com/doug-bandow/2021/04/20/us-should-reject-ukrainian-nuclear-blackmail/
15. 19fortyfive.com: Ted Galen Carpenter, Why Is Joe Biden Risking War With Russia Over Ukraine? – 19fortyfive.com/2021/04/why-is-joe-biden-risking-war-with-russia-over-ukraine/
16. TASS: Navalny receives all necessary treatment prescribed by doctors, Russian ombudswoman says.
17. TASS: Media: Navalny supporters plan unsanctioned rallies on April 21..
18. rt.com: Prominent Navalny allies Yarmysh & Sobol ‘detained’ on morning of planned demonstrations against opposition figure’s imprisonment – rt.com/russia/521672-navalny-allies-detained-demonstration/
19. Interfax: Putin signs legislation regulating individual foreign agents running in elections – interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/71634/
20. Financial Times: Russia to pull out of International Space Station in 2025. Withdrawal comes as Moscow seeks to build its own space station and turns to China for co-operation.
21. TASS: Vedomosti: All spheres of Russia’s economy demonstrating confident recovery.
22. Intellinews: Czech President Zeman’s pro-Russian policy blows up in his face.
23. Russian International Affairs Council: Natalia Piskulova, The European Green Deal: Risks and Opportunities for the EU and Russia – russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/analytics/the-european-green-deal-risks-and-opportunities-for-the-eu-and-russia/
24. rt.com: Paul Robinson, BBC visits Krasnoyarsk, tells us nothing about Siberia & instead focuses on Putin, Lenin & a bear – is this the best it can do? – rt.com/russia/521674-bbc-siberia-report-bears/

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