RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#251 :: Monday 28 December 2015

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#251
Monday 28 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
The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University.
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RUSSIA

1. Kremlin.ru: Gala reception celebrating arrival of 2016.
2. Bloomberg: This Russian Bear Is Hitting the Mall. After sweeping YouTube and Netflix, Masha and the Bear looks to licensing.
3. AFP: Russia warming ‘2.5 times quicker’ than global average: report.
4. Levada.ru: Key Russian pollsters say Putin dubbed as man of year.
5. Politico.eu: POLITICO Caucus: West needs to make up with Putin. Majority of experts say ISIL in Syria will be beaten by assisting Russia and Iran on a diplomatic deal with Assad.
6. Russia Insider.com: Gilbert Doctorow, A Christmas Present to Russia-bashers from Johnson’s Russia List. The US establishment writers on Russia are one and all “presstitutes” and when you put their writings together, back to back, in 40 pages or so as JRL has so kindly done in their Christmas eve issue, the result is an astounding propaganda barrage.
7. The Unz Report: Anatoly Karlin, World Map of Putin Derangement Syndrome.
8. Moskovskiy Komsomolets: Putin’s presser seen as attempt to restore government’s “moral authority.” (Mikhail Rostovskiy)
9. Politkom.ru: Putin’s presser suggests shift from domestic populism to geopolitical issues. (Tatyana Stanovaya)
10. www.rt.com: Bryan MacDonald, ‘I’ve seen Russia’s future and its name is probably Vladimir Putin’
11. Levada.ru: Over one-third of Russians familiar with Navalnyy’s anti-corruption film – poll.
12. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with Government members.
13. Moscow Times: Martin Gilman, Can Russia’s Economy Recover in 2016?
14. Russia Direct: Dmitry Dokuchaev, Is Russia ready to withstand low oil prices? Questions remain as to how well Russia’s economy will be able to cope with low oil prices in 2016.
15. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Ruble rollercoaster: How Russia was shortchanged in 2015. National currency lost half its value in the space of a year.
16. Russia Insider: Ben Aris, 2016 Prognosis: Another Tough Start for Russia Before Return to Growth.
17. Kremlin.ru: Statement for the press following Russian-Indian talks.
18. Washington Times: L. Todd Wood, Obama’s disrespect for Putin coming home to roost.
19. Gulfnews.com: Michael McFaul, US-Russia cooperation crucial in Syria. While Putin must engage more seriously in global efforts to launch a political transition, America should have no illusions about probability of success
20. Moscow Times: Putin’s Pivot: Out of Ukraine, Into Syria.
21. Russia Insider: Alexander Mercouris, Amnesty Publishes a Biased Report About Russia’s Campaign in Syria. Report makes wild allegations of war crimes without substantiating evidence.
22. www.opendemocracy.net: Anna Arutunyan, Russia’s politics of paranoia. Russian society tries to keep its nerve. The Kremlin thrives on it, the papers amplify it-but nobody can quite control this profound paranoia.
23. Paul Goble: 100 Million Fewer People Speak Russian Now than Did 25 Years Ago.
24. Kremlin.ru: Meeting of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art.
25. Russia Direct: Dmitri Elkin, The best books about Russia in 2015. Russia Direct has collected a list of the Top 10 most influential books about Russia from 2015 – including books from former Russian leaders Yevgeny Primakov and Mikhail Gorbachev.
26. Russia Beyond the Headlines/GODLITERATURY.RU: What books caught Russia’s imagination in 2015?. A list of 2015’s top-selling books in Russia has been published.
27. www.pravdareport.com: Alexander Chausov, Western experts: Russia wants to destroy our empire of goodness.
28. Washington Post editorial: China and Russia’s Orwellian attacks on Internet freedom.
29. Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Valeriy Zorkin, chairman of the Constitutional Court: “Law against chaos – Valeriy Zorkin: Chaos instils such terror in the masses that they are willing to accept even a totalitarian order capable of curbing chaos”
30. The Economist: Travel in Russia. The gauge of history. A train journey north shows how Russia has evolved-and regressed.

UKRAINE

31. Gallop.com: Ukrainians Disillusioned With Leadership. 17% approve of Poroshenko’s job performance. 8% confident in their national government.
32. http://gordonhahn.com: Gordon Hahn, Revolution in Vain: Maidan Ukraine Two Years Later.
33. RIA Novosti: Putin warns against moves to close Ukrainian library in Moscow.
34. Kyiv Post editorial: Full speed ahead.
35. Wall Street Journal: Fight Over Churches Reflects Ukraine’s Psychological Split From Russia.
36. The Jerusalem Post: Crimean Jews angry after Poroshenko says Russia instigating anti-Semitism. Local leaders call Ukrainian president’s claims at Knesset false.
37. Jerusalem Post: Ukrainian legislator toasts Adolf Hitler. Leader of Radical Party condemns President’s apology for Holocaust collaboration.
38. Newsweek.com/Atlantic Council: Ihor Kozak, PUTIN PLOTS TO MAKE UKRAINE A FAILED STATE.
39. https://dninews.com: 60% of the population of Ukraine will fall below the poverty level in 2016.
40. http://novorossia.today: Saakashvili Living In A Fantasy World, Blames Russia For Turmoil In Odessa.