RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#231 :: Monday 30 November 2015

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#231
Monday 30 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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RUSSIA

1. Moscow Times: Russian President Putin to Give State of the Nation Address on Dec. 3.
2. TASS: Obama expresses regret over Russian plane downing incident at meeting with Putin.
3. Kremlin.ru: Press statements and answers to journalists’ questions following meeting with President of France Francois Hollande. (excerpt)
4. Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Fedor Lukyanov, chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy: Nothing personal, just politics. World without rules.
5. Russia Insider/Hintergrund: Kai Ehlers, The Ukraine-Syria Complex: What Does Putin Want? ‘Putin is a neo-liberal modernizer who wants to restore Russia as a great, sovereign nation’
6. Washington Post: Joshua Tucker, Why we should be confident that Putin is genuinely popular in Russia.
7. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Museum to Russia’s first president Boris Yeltsin opens to public.
8. Moscow Times: Two-Thirds of Russians Think Their Country Is Great Power.
9. Interfax: Soros Foundation recognized as undesirable in Russia.
10. Moscow Times: Russian Minister: Security Concerns Justify Restricting Civil Rights.
11. Bloomberg: The $30 Oil Cliff Threatening Russia’s Economy.
12. Bloomberg: Leonid Bershidsky, Putin Doesn’t Mind Oil’s Fall.
13. AP: Energy-Rich Russia Pays Little Attention to Climate Change.
14. Moscow Times: Despite Economic Woes, the Book Fair is Bigger Than Ever.
15. TASS: Turkey’s F-16 that downed Russian bomber was in Syrian airspace for 40 seconds – commander.
16. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Sergie 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.
17. Hurriyet (Turkey): Commentary urges Russia, Turkey to de-escalate tension, revive status quo.
18. Moscow Times: Kevin Ryan, Turkish Shootdown Shows Importance of NATO-Russia Dialogue.
19. Russia Direct: Vladimir Avatkov, How Turkish downing of Russian jet fuels Middle East tensions. Regardless of Russia’s response to Turkey’s downing of the Russian bomber, it will not make the region or the world any safer.
20. The Hill: Charles Dunlap, Russians may have a strong case in Turkish shootdown.
21. TASS: S-400 antiaircraft missile system to defend Russia’s air group in Syria.
22. The Guardian: Mark Galeotti, Why did it take Turkey just 17 seconds to shoot down Russian jet? Ankara has delivered an incendiary message to Moscow, and while there may be too much at stake for the conflict to spill out of control it also won’t go away.
23. Wall Street Journal: Russians Seeking Winter Retreat Are Stopped Cold. Moscow’s travel bans to Egypt, Turkey amid diplomatic crises force tens of thousands to adjust or cancel vacations.
24. New York Times: Discord Between Turkey and Russia Is Fueled by Leaders’ Similarities.
25. http://gordonhahn.com: Gordon Hahn, Putin the Risk-Taker.
26. Reuters: Khodorkovsky says Putin is leading Russia towards stagnation, collapse.
27. Paul Goble: West Needs to End Its Illusions about Putin’s Power, Shevtsova Says.
28. http://readrussia.com: Mark Galeotti, Three Putins Leave Us All Guessing.

UKRAINE

29. www.opendemocracy.net: Mikhail Minakov, Ukraine is caught between war and reform. Two years on from the protests that ignited Maidan, Ukraine is suffering from a clash of agendas.
30. Centre for International Policy (Canada): Paul Robinson, Russia’s Endgame in Donbass.
31. The Independent (UK): Jack Losh, Ukraine crisis: Forgotten victims of the war in east of country speak out as vital UN lifeline runs out of funds. ‘We struggle each day, with no way out’
32. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, War Returns to Ukraine. Tensions escalate as Ukraine tries to regain international attention diverted by Syria.
33. TASS: Ukrainian army redeploys 277 tanks, heavy artillery pieces to contact line – DPR.
34. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia-Ukraine flight ban: A month in. In the days since direct flights between Russia and Ukraine ended, frequent travelers between the neighboring countries have had to spend more time and money going back and forth.
35. First TV (Kyiv): Ukraine president accuses Moscow of “centuries-old hybrid war”, calls for unity.
36. Los Angeles Times: Rose Revolution hero runs into a wall of debauchery in Odessa. (re Mikheil Saakashvili)
37. Al Jazeera: Brothers No More. Two years after Ukraine’s Euromaidan protests began, we examine a country in turmoil and a people divided. [excerpt]
38. Interfax-Ukraine: Poroshenko demands unconditional compliance with de-communization law.
39. TASS: Ukrainian minister says it’s time to resume energy supply to Crimea.
40. Carnegie Moscow Center: Balázs Jarábik, The Crimea Blackout: Electrifying Maidan.
41. RFE/RL: Crimeans Putting On Brave Faces, But Frustration Mounting Over Blackout.
42. www.opendemocracy.net: Vitalii Atanasov, Mariupol elections: will Donbas voters be represented in Ukrainian politics? The Donbas is being airbrushed out of Ukrainian politics. This will only build another barrier to a united and democratic country.
43. Fort Russ: Yatsenyuk: Ukraine lacks coal for winter, extraordinary measures needed.
44. TASS: Ukraine: politics harms economy.
45. Facebook: Ivan Katchanovski, Maidan massacre.