RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#244 :: Wednesday 16 December 2015
Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#244
Wednesday 16 December 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
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1. Russia Direct: Woodrow Clark and Dimitri Elkin, Russia joins other nations in a historic climate change agreement. Russia played an important and constructive role at the UN climate change summit in Paris. Going forward, Russia will look for new ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as through the implementation of new technological innovations.
2. The National Interest: Paul Starobin, Kremlin Caricature: Washington’s Distorted View of Russia and Putin. Gleeful jokes come as more thoughtful consideration of the U.S.-Russia relationship is sorely needed.
3. RFE/RL: New Study Links Putin’s ‘Gunslinger’s Gait’ To KGB Training.
4. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, BOOK REVIEW. PUTIN. HITLER. DICTATOR. EVIL. (re Garry Kasparov)
5. Russia Direct: The secret of Putin’s high ratings as seen by an American expert. RD Interview: John Pat Willerton, a professor at the University of Arizona, gives his take on recent developments in Russian society and the reasons why President Vladimir Putin is so popular in Russia.
6. Carnegie Moscow Center/Vedomosti: Dmitri Trenin, Russia Needs a Plan C.
7. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Eugene Rumer and Paul Stronski, Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia at TwentyFive-A Baseline Assessment.
8. Politkom.ru: Russian pundit notes absence of “anti-US rhetoric” in Putin’s keynote speech. (Tatyana Stanovaya)
9. New York Times: NATO Nations No Longer Question Need for Alliance.
10. Russia Beyond the Headlines: How to improve the Russian economy: Create a safe space for investors. Former Deputy Finance Minister and former deputy governor of the Russian Central Bank Sergei Alexashenko speaks about the economic challenges currently facing Russia, including sanctions, crisis management, the need for reform, and the country’s dependence on oil.
11. Forbes.com: Kenneth Rapoza, Russia Might Have Made Budget Blunder.
12. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Sanctions On Russia: They’ll Be Around For Awhile.
13. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, No Debate Allowed as EU Readies to Extend Russia Sanctions. EU diplomats and officials have outlined the undemocratic means by which the decision to extend the sanctions will be imposed.
14. Consortiumnews.com: Jonathan Marshall, How ‘Obscure’ Bureaucrats Cause Wars.
15. Russia Insider: Lisa Marie White, Delusional Gessen and Khordokovsky Call for Putin’s Overthrow…Again. Two of the West’s most darling Russian opposition ‘leaders’ have launched brand-new appeals for ridding the world of the nefarious Putin – including starving the whole population of Moscow.
16. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Kerry in Moscow as pressure grows for US-Russia compromise on Syria. If the United States and Russia can overcome their two main sticking points – on ‘moderate’ rebels and Assad’s role in future talks – Syrian diplomacy can move forward, analysts say.
17. www.rt.com: ‘We see Syria fundamentally very similarly’ – Kerry after talks with Putin, Lavrov.
18. Military.com: US-Backed Syrian Rebel Group on Verge of Collapse.
19. Bloomberg: Leonid Bershidsky, Ukraine’s Politics Descend Into Slapstick.
20. Kyiv Post: Avakov tosses water in Saakashvili’s face.
21. Fort Russ: US has a plan if Ukraine collapses — Ischenko. Ukraine is no longer sustainable and no longer a state, but keeps on being a state only to the extent that it is recognized by international players.
22. Kyiv Post: In Crimea, Putin now seen as the lesser of two evils.
23. Kremlin.ru: Plenary session of St Petersburg International Cultural Forum.
24. Moskovskiy Komsomolets: Analyst assesses legacy of Russia’s first president. (Georgiy Satarov on Yeltsin)
