RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2021-#97 :: Sunday, 9 May 2021

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2021-#97 :: Sunday, 9 May 2021
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1. TASS: West politicizes situation around Navalny’s organizations, Russian envoy to Germany says – tass.com/politics/1287653
2. Meduza: Russian lawmakers want to strengthen legislation against ‘undesirable organizations.’ Here’s why the Supreme Court is pushing back.
3. rt.com: Amnesty International changes its rules in order to REDESIGNATE Russian activist Alexey Navalny as ‘prisoner of conscience’ – rt.com/russia/523215-amnesty-navalny-reversal-apology/
4. Paul Goble: All Russia’s Systemic Parties and Most Opposition Ones Remain Moscow-Centric, Federative Party Head Says.
5. rt.com: Russia celebrates WWII Victory Day with traditional grand military parade in Moscow (FULL VIDEO) – rt.com/russia/523303-russia-victory-parade-2021/
6. TASS: Putin says there can be no forgiveness for those who ‘again nurture aggressive plans’ – tass.com/russia/1287681
7. Kremlin.ru: Victory Parade on Red Square – en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65544
8. rt.com: Paul Robinson, Victory day belongs to the Russian people: Westerners must realize it celebrates destroying the Nazis, not honoring Stalin’s USSR – rt.com/russia/523304-victory-day-stalin-crimes/
9. gilbertdoctorow.com: Gilbert Doctorow, 76th Victory Parade in Moscow: Deja vu all over again – gilbertdoctorow.com/2021/05/09/76th-victory-parade-in-moscow-deja-vu-all-over-again/
10. Meduza: ‘If we start playing games like this, historians won’t write anything’. Russian historian Mikhail Meltyukhov on the proposed ban on ‘equating’ the goals of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
11. Financial Times: Russia hit by fall in migrant workers from central Asia. Construction and agriculture worst affected as Covid border closures and Moscow’s harsh rhetoric deter foreign labour.
12. Valdai Discussion Club: Timofei Bordachev, Not Cold and Not War – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/not-cold-and-not-war
13. The Hill: Edna Andrews, Why U.S.-Russian cultural exchanges are so important.
14. Intellinews: Blinken in Kyiv. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Kyiv on May 6, and although there were no newsmakers the trip was packed with symbolism and messaging for both the local administration and Russia.
15. Facebook: Fred Weir, So here is the main takeaway from Anthony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv.
16. The National Interest: Mark Episkopos, What Does Biden Really Want in Ukraine? Washington’s ongoing strategic ambiguity risks sending the wrong signals both to Kiev and Moscow.
17. NBCNews.com: Benjamin Friedman, Biden doesn’t like Russia’s meddling in Ukraine. But he’s not prepared to stop it. The empty U.S. rhetoric merely prevents Kyiv from recognizing the need to make unpleasant sacrifices to accommodate its much stronger neighbor.
18. New York Times: Where Ukrainians Are Preparing for All-Out War With Russia. A dried-up canal running from Ukraine into Russian-occupied Crimea is emerging as one of Europe’s main flash points.
19. rt.com: Glenn Diesen, The end of strategic ambiguity? America has finally stopped pretending it would risk war with Russia over supposed ‘ally’ Ukraine – rt.com/russia/523253-ukraine-usa-strategic-ambiguity/
20. strategic-culture.org: Patrick Armstrong, Why Moscow Doesn’t Just Knock Him Over. Moscow knows what Washington has not yet learnt: it’s not just one guy, it’s a whole country and sugar hits don’t last. – strategic-culture.org/news/2021/05/08/why-moscow-doesnt-just-knock-him-over/
21. Responsible Statecraft: Daniel Larison, Inside the Blob’s dangerous anti-Russia echo chamber. The groupthink is leading to the marginalization of ideas and people who call for a new approach to Moscow. And it’s getting ugly.
22. U.S. Committee on U.S.-Russia Accord: Krishen Mehta, Sanctions and Forever Wars.
23. Military.com: General Says U.S. Military Should Consider a Deconfliction Line for Space.
24. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the meeting of the UN Security Council, “Maintenance of international peace and security: Upholding multilateralism and the United Nations-centred international system.” May 7, 2021 – mid.ru/en/press_service/minister_speeches/-/asset_publisher/7OvQR5KJWVmR/content/id/4721942

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