RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2021-#99 :: Wednesday, 12 May 2021

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2021-#99 :: Wednesday, 12 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.
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1. Moscow Times: Russia’s Far North Could Be Arable in 20-30 Years As Permafrost Melts – Minister
2. Moscow Times: Majority of Russians Still Not Ready to Get Sputnik Vaccine – Poll
3. Intellinews: Russia again speaks of toughening gun control laws after school shooting leaves 10 dead
4. TASS: Media: Experts discuss possible consequences of deadly school shooting in Kazan.
5. Meduza: Balancing interests. After the Kerch school shooting in 2018, Russia promised to tighten its gun laws — but ended up easing restrictions.
6. TASS: Social tensions in Russia fueled from overseas ahead of polls, security chief warns – tass.com/society/1288813
7. Moscow Times: Russia’s Inflation Headache Intensifies as PM Blasts Corporate ‘Greed’ for Price Hikes. Mikhail Mishustin attacked companies for profiteering, driving Russia’s inflation rate to a five-year high.
8. rt.com: Russia becomes net exporter of food as import phase-out begins bearing fruit – PM – rt.com/business/523586-russia-net-exporter-import-phaseout/
9. TASS: Russia faces transition to low-carbon development in coming years — PM – tass.com/economy/1288643
10. Moscow Times: Russia’s Oil Reserves Will Last Through 2080 – Government. Country also has a century of gas deposits under its soil, but unclear how much will be profitable to extract.
11. rt.com: American Embassy in Moscow puts halt on issuing travel & business visas to Russians, amid growing row over expulsion of diplomats – rt.com/russia/523588-american-embassy-halts-issuing-visas-russians/
12. AP: Kremlin-imposed cuts at US Embassy leave thousands adrift
13. TASS: Izvestia: Russia ready to consider returning to Treaty on Open Skies if US does the same.
14. The National Interest: Ted Galen Carpenter, The Biden Administration Is Failing to Set Intelligent Foreign Policy Priorities. Joe Biden’s inability to set priorities heightens the risks to America.
15. Wall Street Journal: Biden Faces Russian Test Over Aid in Syria. A showdown looms over one remaining U.N. border crossing to deliver assistance.
16. Le Monde diplomatique: Pierre Rimbert, The battle over Nord Stream 2. How to sabotage a pipeline. Pipelines create ties of mutual dependence, but also tensions. Which is why the almost-complete Nord Stream 2 between Russia and Germany has left Berlin at loggerheads with its closest allies.
17. TASS: Russia ready for military contacts to reduce risks in Arctic region, says envoy – tass.com/politics/1288749
18. Moon of Alabama: More Hacks, More Baseless Accusations Against Russia – moonofalabama.org/2021/05/more-hacks-more-baseless-accusations-against-russia.html#more
19. Lenta.ru: Foreign Ministry names sources of cyber attacks on Russia in 2020 – lenta.ru/news/2021/05/12/cyber/?utm_source=yxnews&utm_medium=desktop
20. Russian International Affairs Council: Ivan Bocharov, Prospects for a Settlement of the Libyan Conflict: Three Scenarios of the Mid-Term Forecast – russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/analytics/prospects-for-a-settlement-of-the-libyan-conflict-three-scenarios-of-the-mid-term-forecast/
21. The Irish Times: Geoffrey Roberts, Stalin’s War: Disorted history of a complex second World War. Book review: Sean McMeekin dubiously contends war was more Stalin’s than Hitler’s.
22. Carnegie Moscow Center: Dzianis Melyantsou, Why Fears of a Russia-Belarus Merger Never Come True. Belarus’s weakened position has not altered its traditional interests—or Minsk’s readiness to defend them. This is becoming increasingly obvious as the Belarusian regime regains control over the situation at home.
23. Intellinews: Putin’s ally in Ukraine Viktor Medvedchuk charged with treason
24. rt.com: Ukraine on verge of fuel crisis: Politically driven decisions to stop imports from Russia & Belarus may lead to shortage – expert – rt.com/russia/523576-ukraine-mulling-cut-fuel-russia-belarus
25. The Unz Review: Pepe Escobar, Pictures of a Ukrainian Dream – unz.com/pescobar/pictures-of-a-ukrainian-dream/
26. Antiwar.com: With US Assurances, Ukraine Says NATO, EU Membership Main Strategic Goal of Nation – news.antiwar.com/2021/05/11/with-us-assurances-ukraine-says-nato-eu-membership-main-strategic-goal-of-nation/
27. Russia in Global Affairs: THE AMBASSADORIAL SERIES. COMPILATION OF CONVERSATIONS WITH EIGHT OUTSTANDING AMERICAN DIPLOMATS – eng.globalaffairs.ru/articles/the-ambassadorial-series/

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