RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2021-#93 :: Tuesday, 4 May 2021

St. Basil's Domes

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net

Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php
Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU

[check back for updates, including more links; some links also posted to facebook and twitter]

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2021-#93 :: Tuesday, 4 May 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.
JRL Home: russialist.org – JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist – JRL on Twitter: @JohnsonRussiaLi
Support for JRL is provided in part by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to the George Washington University and by voluntary contributions from readers.

1. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Moscow cyclists are getting new bike paths. Do Muscovites get a say? Moscow’s efforts to fix the city’s terrible traffic highlight the priorities of a new generation of Russian bureaucrats – and the lack of input from any other Muscovites.
2. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, THE GUARDIAN’S ANTI-RUSSIAN VAX PROPAGANDA PLUNGES TO NEW DEPTHS – irrussianality.wordpress.com/2021/04/30/the-guardians-anti-russian-vax-propaganda-plunges-to-new-depths/
3. New York Times: Russian Attempts to Expand Sputnik Vaccine Set Off Discord in Europe. Political turmoil in Slovakia is an example of how Russia’s vaccine diplomacy, which has divided politicians across Europe, can have negative side effects for a recipient country.
4. Valdai Discussion Club: Robert Legvold, US-Russian Relations: Where to Now? – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/us-russian-relations-where-to-now/
5. Russian International Affairs Council: Andrey Kortunov, US-led ‘Psychological Wars’ Against Russia, China Lead to All Lose Situation – russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/comments/us-led-psychological-wars-against-russia-china-lead-to-all-lose-situation/
6. Intellinews: Ben Aris, Russia in April wrap. Russia’s economy has clearly emerged from the coronacrisis in March, but the outlook for the rest of the year will be determined by things outside the Kremlin’s control, including oil prices and its unfolding relations with the new Biden administration.
7. Intellinews: Russian economy makes a stronger than expected recovery. Russia’s economy contracted less than expected in 2020 and it has grown more strongly than predicted since March as the rebound gets under way.
8. The National Interest: Bonnie Kristian, Four Pivots Joe Biden Should Make with Russia. The primary goal of Washington’s strategy with Moscow must always be peace.
9. American Committee for U.S.-Russia Accord: Sharon Tennison and James W. Carden, The Demonization of Diplomacy Has Gone Too Far.
10. TASS: Kremlin: Getting visas at US Embassy Moscow was near impossible even before sanctions feud – tass.com/politics/1285497
11. Moscow Times: U.S. Embassy to Cut Staff, Most Visas for Russians as Moscow Bans ‘Unfriendly’ Hiring.
12. Seattle Times: Glennys Young, With sanctions, let’s offer Russia incentives, too.
13. Meduza: Two theories. Why did the Russian authorities designate Meduza as a ‘foreign agent’?
14. Moscow Times: Mark Galeotti, The Great Turn in Putin’s Post-Post-Modern Authoritarianism. A regime that for twenty years sought to be an exemplar of a kind of “hybrid authoritarianism,” seems to be seeking to get back to basics.
15. Paul Goble: Putin Doesn’t Have a Grand Design, Pastukhov Says; Instead, He’s Reacting to Events and has Become Their Prisoner.
16. Russia Matters: Russians Largely Blame US, NATO Allies for Escalation of Tensions Near Ukraine.
17. rt.com: ‘Vicious’ sanctions are hurting Russia, but Moscow has plan to ditch US dollar & axe dependency on West, Foreign Ministry tells RT – rt.com/russia/522685-vicious-sanctions-dollar-dependency/
18. The National Interest: Mark Episkopos, Is Biden Pushing Russia and China Closer Together? Pushing against both China and Russia because of their authoritarian systems is a recipe for disaster because it would bring those two powers into a formal alliance against America.
19. Foreign Affairs: Andrea Kendall-Taylor and David Shullman, China and Russia’s Dangerous Convergence. How to Counter an Emerging Partnership.
20. Russia Observer: Patrick Armstrong, RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 29 APRIL 2021 – patrickarmstrong.ca/2021/04/29/russian-federation-sitrep-29-april-2021/
21. Responsible Statecraft: Brooke Lennox, Don’t put the Arctic on the back burner: Multilateralism’s role in a melting north. The U.S. can no longer afford to ignore the potential for regional conflict due to a changing climate.
22. rt.com: By firing ‘bullets & shells’ at breakaway eastern regions, Ukraine is undermining own calls for unity, Russian UN envoy claims – rt.com/russia/522622-ukraine-undermine-unity-un-envoy/
23. Financial Times: Zelensky forced to ‘face reality’ over peace process with Russia. Ukrainian president’s push for talks with Putin last month was rebuffed.
24. rt.com: Paul Robinson, West turns a blind eye to march honoring WW2 Nazi ‘SS’ in Kiev: Ukraine may not be a fascist state, but it has a fascism problem – rt.com/russia/522555-ukraine-politics-nazi-past/
25. The American Conservative: Bill Wirtz, Let’s Not Forget Russia Remains A Thug State. The latest news out of Europe carries reasons for concern.

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion1

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

Map of CIS Central Asia and Environs

Eurasia Map

Comment