RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#230 :: Thursday 26 November 2015

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#230
Thursday 26 November 2015
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. Kremlin.ru: Answers to journalists’ questions following the crash of a Russian military plane in Syria.
2. Kremlin.ru: Presentation of foreign ambassadors’ letters of credence (excerpt)
3. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan (excerpt)
4. Washington Post editorial: Russian provocations led to the downing of its fighter jet by Turkey.
5. Washington Post: Anne Applebaum, How Turkey confounded Putin’s favorite narratives.
6. The Independent (UK): Mary Dejevsky, Work with Russia in Syria and we may see rewards in Ukraine. Russian airmen inscribing ‘F or Paris’ on a bomb was a plea to be accepted as part of the team.
7. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, DOUBLE STANDARDS.
8. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, Here Is Why Erdogan’s Ambush of Russian Jet Was a Massive Blunder. Turkish president actually undermined his Western support.
9. Moscow Times: Russian Public Hawkish on Syria, Terrorism – Poll.
10. Moscow Times: Russian Tour Agencies Cancel Turkey Trips Amid Fury Over Downed Warplane.
11. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia-Turkey crisis: What do ordinary citizens think? The shooting down of a Russian jet by Turkey’s air force has left many Russians indignant and confused, while in Turkey the crisis in relations between Moscow and Ankara has also become the hottest talking point. RBTH looks at social trends and speaks to ordinary citizens to gauge opinion in the two countries.
12. Russia Direct: Nikolay Pakhomov, Turkey’s downing of Russian jet: Cool heads must prevail. The shooting down of a Russian bomber by the Turkish air force leaves no doubt that the crisis in Syria has become the biggest challenge to international security in decades.
13. Wall Street Journal: Russia Takes Aim at Turkish Economy Amid Fighter-Jet Spat. Turkish officials reject Vladimir Putin’s call for an apology.
14. Moscow Times: Downing of Russian Sukhoi Bomber Was Predictable.
15. The National Interest: Nikolas Gvosdev, Russian Jet Down in Turkey: Misstep or Game-Changer? The incident has forced all NATO countries, including the United States, to reassess their commitments.
16. Wall Street Journal: Jet Downing Exposes Limits of Russian Force in Syria, Analysts Say. Su-24 aircraft, a legacy of the Cold War, has served mainly as air support for Assad’s ground offensive.
17. The National Interest: Geoff Brown, Turkey Shootdown: Russian Air Power has Issues, but Campaign has Been Decisive.
18. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Sergei Markedonov, Moscow and Ankara facing test of political nerve. Bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia have been seriously damaged by the shooting down of a Russian bomber near the Syrian border by the Turkish air force. However, despite a history of uneasy partnership, both sides will realize that it is not in their interests to allow tensions to spiral over the incident.
19. Moscow Times: Vladimir Frolov, Putin Seeks Entente Cordiale With the West.
20. The Independent (UK): Patrick Cockburn, Campaign against Isis: Is there any hope for military success? Britain’s policy in Syria and Iraq depends on two partners on the ground: the Iraqi army and the moderate Syrian opposition to Assad and Isis. But the former is weak and the latter barely exists.
21. Carnegie Moscow Center: Pavel Shkykov, The End of a Russian-Turkish “Golden Age”
22. Bloomberg: The Turkish Wild Card in Syria That Russia and U.S. Both Need.
23. www.rt.com: Erdogan: We’ll continue shooting down violating planes.
24. Moon of Alabama: Was The U.S. Involved In The Turkish Attack Against The Russian Jet?
25. The Independent (UK): Ranj Alaaldin, Turkey has spent years allowing jihadist groups to flourish – so beware its real reasons for shooting down a Russian plane. Turkey has no interest in the peaceful settlement to the conflict in Syria that world powers are negotiating. As Erdogan gets desperate, he will attempt to bring focus back to Assad.
26. www.rt.com: Catherine Shahdom, What Turkey’s attack on Russian aircraft says about MidEast geopolitical dynamics.
27. Valdai Discussion Club: Alexander Rahr, TURKEY HAS ANOTHER AGENDA IN SYRIA.
28. Atlantic Council: Stephen Blank, Russia Not a Reliable Partner in Fighting Terrorism.
29. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, IMPERIAL GAMBLE. (re Marvin Kalb’s Imperial Gamble: Putin, Ukraine, and the New Cold War)