RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-95 :: Friday, 25 May 2018

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#95 :: Friday, 25 May 2018
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1. Russia Beyond: Perestroika: 30 years from the decisive break with the Soviet past. [Text with links and photos: rbth.com/history/328362-perestroika-30-years-from-break]
2. TASS: Putin vows to uphold Russia’s interests on economic front, yet not impair other states.
3. www.rt.com: No sign of Russia’s isolation at opening of St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
4. www.rt.com: Russian government ‘like a tiger ready to leap forward’ – Audit Chamber chief. (Alexei Kudrin)
5. Oxford University Changing Character of War Centre (CCW): Richard Connolly, Playing it Safe: Continuity Through the “New” May Decrees and “New” Government.
6. St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2018): Putting Russian Economy on a Sustained Path of Growth: Challenges and Solutions. [forumspb.com/en/news/news/rossijskaja-ekonomika-na-traektorii-rosta-vyzovy-i-reshenija/]
7. Carnegie Moscow Center: Tatyana Stanovaya, [LINK:] Political Dispersion: Russia’s New Cabinet. The political and administrative dispersion of governance is under way in Russia: regulatory functions are being scattered among government and near-government players, which will inevitably result in the formation of first moderate and then increasingly pronounced polycentricity within the state. Initiative will eventually stop being punishable.
8. Bear Market Brief: Regions and Politics with Fabrice Deprez.
9. RFE/RL: ‘This Is Only The Beginning’: What’s Next For Russia’s Brash (Former) Mayor Of Yekaterinburg?
10. The National Interest: Richard Connolly and Mathieu Boulegue, Russia’s Military: More Bark Than Bite. Russia remains a long way from possessing the ability to overwhelm larger, better equipped peer competitors.
11. Riddle: Kirill Shamiev, [LINK:] The Risks of Creating A Fully Professional Army in Russia. If conscription comes to an end in Russia, it would remove several counterweights that limit the government’s use of force.
12. The Economist: Meet the Ministry of Enlightenment. Reformists and traditionalists are at war over Russian schools. Is teaching a “divine calling” to support the state, or is about preparing students for the future?
13. www.rt.com: Russia 2018 – 20 days to go: The 20 World Cup stats you need to know. [Text with photos https://www.rt.com/sport/427766-world-cup-20-days-russia/]
14. The Independent (UK): Mary Dejevsky, The World Cup in Russia is an unmissable diplomatic opportunity – for us and them. My hope, and my betting, is that Russians will rise to the occasion – as the natives of almost every country hosting a major international event have done in the recent past.
15. Valdai Discussion Club: NEW COLD WAR OR RECALIBRATION OF THE GLOBAL SYSTEM?
16. Valdai Discussion Club: HOW TO OVERCOME INFORMATION INEQUALITY AND GET OUT OF THE INCOMPETENCE QUAGMIRE.
17. Interfax: State Duma ready to heed opinion of businessmen opposed to penalizing compliance with U.S. sanctions in Russia – MP Zhukov.
18. Russiafeed.com: Paul Goncharoff, Russia strikes back, levels counter-sanctions on US and unfriendly nations (Part II). The new measures will not affect goods that individual citizens bring into the country for their personal use.
19. TASS: RBC: Can Macron’s visit to Russia improve ties with Moscow?
20. Reuters: U.S. Ambassador Skips Encounter With Sanctioned Russian Tycoon.
21. RFE/RL: U.S. Ambassador To Russia Expresses ‘Frustration’ With State Of Relations.
22. Reuters: U.S. Senate Panel Targets China, Russia in Massive Defense Bill.
23. Reuters: U.S. Top Commander in Europe Wants More Resources, Forces to Deter Russia.
24. Foreignpolicy.com: Jonathan Spyer, Putin’s Endgame in Syria Has Arrived. It’s not an Assad victory – it’s a frozen conflict.
25. Valdai Discussion Club: Alexander Vorontsov, TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT CANCELLED: CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?
26. Russian International Affairs Council: Vladimir Nelidov, Regional Security in Northeast Asia and the Russia-Japan-U.S. Triangle. [Full text: russiancouncil.ru/papers/Northeast-Security-Policybrief16-En.pdf]
27. The Guardian (UK): Angus Roxburgh, Yulia Skripal delivered a coded message and it spoke volumes. Russia is the likely perpetrator of the Salisbury poisoning. But ratcheting up the pressure is not the way forward.
28. The Independent (UK): Mary Dejevsky, These are the unanswered questions that still remain after Yulia Skripal’s shock reappearance. Sowing confusion is often seen as a typically Russian technique to blindside and divert the enemy. But the Russians have hardly needed to sow any chaos here, because the British have helpfully done it for them.
29. Off-Guardian: Whose words was Yulia reading? off-guardian.org/2018/05/24/whose-words-was-yulia-reading/
30. TASS: Lavrov likens MH17 crash investigation to Skripal saga.
31. www.rt.com: Russia ‘absolutely’ rejects Dutch & Aussie accusations it’s responsible for MH17 downing.
32. Off-Guardian: MH17: “New evidence”, same issues. [Text with links: off-guardian.org/2018/05/25/mh17-new-evidence-same-issues/]
33. Sputnik: Russia Provides Evidence That Ukrainian BUK Launchers Downed MH17 – Russian MoD.
34. Economic Principals: David Warsh, The /Other/ Russia Story. [Text with links economicprincipals.com/issues/2018.05.20/2117.html]
35. The Federalist: Jason Beale, Why It’s Ridiculous To Say FBI Spying Meant To Protect The Trump Campaign. The decision to use Stefan Halper as an informant instead of a messenger cannot possibly be considered a favor to the Trump campaign. It’s as insulting as it is ridiculous to assert.
36. The Federalist: Lee Smith, How The Code Name ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ Undermines The FBI’s Russia Story. The paper of record has apparently joined a campaign, spearheaded by government and political operatives, to minimize Christopher Steele’s role in the Russia investigation. [Text with links: thefederalist.com/2018/05/25/code-name-crossfire-hurricane-evidence-fbis-russia-cover-story/]

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