RUSSIA NEWS & INFORMATION – Johnson’s Russia List contents & links :: JRL 2022-#28 :: Friday, 4 February 2022

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2021-#28 :: Friday, 4 February 2022
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1. Russia Beyond: Moscow ranked 3rd best megacity in the world according to the UN – rbth.com/travel/334727-moscow-un-habitat-city-prosperity-index
2. Postsocialism: Jeremy Morris, Is Moscow the most liveable global city in the world? – postsocialism.org/2022/02/03/is-moscow-the-most-liveable-global-city-in-the-world/
3. Clingendael Spectator (Netherlands): Sim Tack, MISREADING SIGNS OF PUTIN’S WAR PREPARATION IN UKRAINE. – spectator.clingendael.org/en/publication/misreading-signs-putins-war-preparation-ukraine
4. gilbertdoctorow.com: Gilbert Doctorow, Look at the map! Where are the Ukrainian military forces concentrated and where are they absent? – gilbertdoctorow.com/2022/02/04/look-at-the-map-where-are-the-ukrainian-military-forces-concentrated-and-where-are-they-absent/
5. AP: A hopeful sign? Despite Russian warning, Ukraine talks go on.
6. Deutsche Welle: Stakes are high over Ukraine crisis, but Putin is ‘not a gambler’ (Lukyanov)
7. Moscow Times: Putin’s Approval Grows Amid Ukraine Tensions – Poll.
8. Russia Matters: Most Russians Aren’t Worried by West’s Sanctions, But Many More See Them Hitting Ordinary People.
9. Russian International Affairs Council: Andrey Kortunov, Demystifying Fear. – russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/analytics/demystifying-fear/
10. Valdai Discussion Club: Andrey Sushentsov, Can Russia Deliver on Its Threats? The lack of attention to Russian proposals and objections was the result of a distorted perception in the West about the goals of Russian policy. The main assumption in such a speculative scheme was that Russia cannot behave rationally, that it is just an ever-expanding expansionist power without logic or pragmatism. Such an assessment is very comfortable, but it is inadequate even when analysing the simplest questions. – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/can-russia-fulfil-its-threats/
11. rt.com: Vladislav Ugolny, ‘Without Russia, we won’t stop a full-on Ukrainian offensive’: What people in Donbass say about the ongoing military crisis. People living near the frontline share their thoughts on war, peace and the future of self-proclaimed republics. – rt.com/russia/548202-donbass-residents-ukrainian-crisis/
12. Wall Street Journal: Yaroslav Trofimov, Dismal Russian Record in Occupied Eastern Ukraine Serves as Warning. The areas, once engines of the Ukrainian economy, are now impoverished, depopulated enclaves that increasingly rely on Russian subsidies to survive. It’s what many fear could happen to the rest of the country if Vladimir Putin carries out a broader invasion. .
13. Responsible Statecraft: Sarang Shidore, India tilts towards Russia in Ukraine fight at the UN. New Delhi will continue to resist falling in line with Washington, potentially thwarting American strategies of neo-primacy.
14. Ron Paul Institute: Daniel McAdams, Biden’s Insane ‘Russia False Flag’ Conspiracy Debunked.
15. US Department of State: Department Press Briefing (excerpt)
16. rt.com: Russia slams US false flag claim. The allegations are reminiscent of fake claims in 2003 that Iraq had biological weapons, Moscow’s Washington embassy says. – rt.com/russia/548293-allegations-iraq-biological-weapons/
17. Russia Observer: Patrick Armstrong, RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 3 FEBRUARY 2022 – patrickarmstrong.ca/2022/02/03/russian-federation-sitrep-3-february-2022/
18. Russia Matters: Paul Saunders, Non-Aggressors With Benefits: Russia-China Alignment Won’t Be Game-Changed by Ukraine or Much Else.
19. Independent Media Institute: John Ruehl, Why It’s Time to Take the Russian-Led Military Alliance Seriously. The intervention by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kazakhstan marks a change for multinational security both regionally and around the world.
20. Project Syndicate: Richard Haass, Putin’s Ukraine Quagmire. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to throw the United States and its NATO allies off balance by mobilizing Russian troops on Ukraine’s border. But this manufactured crisis is likely to leave Russia facing new sanctions, a stronger NATO, and a neighbor whose people have developed a more separate, anti-Russian identity.
21. Moscow Times: For Russia and China, Beijing Olympics Are About More Than Sporting Glory.
22. Carnegie Moscow Center: Andrei Kolesnikov and Denis Volkov, Will a New Generation of Russians Modernize Their Country? Today, the young generation is more critical of the authorities than any other population segment. But how reasonable is it to expect the new generation to usher in modernization? Who will win the battle for the young: the state or civil society institutions? And will today’s young people become just another disappointed generation?
23. Consortium News: Joe Lauria, What a US Trap for Russia in Ukraine Might Look Like. The U.S. and NATO are pouring weapons into Ukraine. Kiev says it plans no offensive against Donbass, but if Washington forced one, Moscow would have a major decision to make – consortiumnews.com/2022/02/04/what-a-us-trap-for-russia-in-ukraine-might-look-like/
24. The Unz Review: Mike Whitney, What Putin Wants. – unz.com/mwhitney/what-putin-wants/
25. The National Interest: Melinda Haring, Why Zelenskyy Is Downplaying a Russian Invasion. A visit to Ukraine reveals that the dominant mood is a mixture of fatalism and sang-froid when it comes to a potential Russian invasion.