RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2018-99 :: Friday, 1 June 2018

To inquire about a subscription to the full Johnson’s Russia List e-mail newsletter, e-mail David Johnson at davidjohnson@starpower.net

[check back for updates, including more links;
links also posted to facebook and twitter]

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2018-#99 :: Friday, 1 June 2018
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.
JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist – JRL on Twitter: @JohnsonRussiaLi
Support for JRL is provided in part by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to the George Washington University and by voluntary contributions from readers.
Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php – Donate Online: direct link

1. The Unz Review: Anatoly Karlin, Rurik’s Seed: Maps of Russia. (excerpt)
2. Russian and Eurasian Politics: Gordon Hahn, PUTIN 5.0: Tea Leaves.
3. Russia Observer: Patrick Armstrong, RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 31 MAY 2018.
4. Bear Market Brief: Weekly Tea with Aaron Schwartzbaum. [re economy]
5. Bear Market Brief: Nomenklatura with Anna Nadibaidze – Alexei Kudrin.
6. Intellinews.com: Moscow mayor Sobyanin’s ratings way ahead of opposition for mayoral elections.
7. www.rt.com: Over half of Russians describe efforts to curb corruption as successful – poll.
8. Twitter: Michael McFaul: “Assassins were trying kill Babchenko. He has every right to do anything to survive. (As someone who also has had death threats lodged against me, I find lectures about how hunted people are supposed to act to be insensitive.)”
9. Interfax: Ukrainian president reacts to criticism of Babchenko’s staged murder, praises security operation.
11. Meduza: The man accused of ordering Arkady Babchenko’s murder says he was working for Ukrainian counterintelligence all along.
12. Moon of Alabama: The Purpose Of The Babchenko Hoax. (excerpt)
13. www.rt.com: Ukraine’s story of thwarting journalist’s murder starts to fall apart.
14. Kyiv Post: Veronika Melkozerova and Bermet Talant, Faked murder undermines credibility of law enforcers.
15. The Independent (UK): Mary Dejevsky, Yes, the Kremlin had a clear motive to silence Babchenko – but after his resurrection, Russia can claim the moral high ground. Whatever side of this particular line you stand, the practical consequences of the Kiev sting cannot be disputed.
16. New York Times: Keith Gessen, Ovechkin, Babchenko and the Politics of Russian Hockey.
17. Financial Times: Londongrad oligarchs are being forced back to Russia’s embrace. As sanctions bite, tycoons feel hemmed in by Vladimir Putin’s power.
18. Moscow Times: Russian Doping Scandal Whistleblower Expects Clean World Cup
19. Russia Beyond: 6 new Russian books for your summer reading list.
20. Asia Times: Pepe Escobar, Oil and gas geopolitics: no shelter from the storm. There could be widespread ramifications from US energy independence and looming US sanctions on Iran and Russia; states in Central Asia could be hit hard, as well as serious possible impacts on global oil production and the West.
21. U.S.-RUSSIA WORKING GROUP RELEASES STUDY ON NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL.
22. www.rt.com: Russia seeks to restore nuclear energy cooperation with US.
23. Washington Post: Cassandra Vinograd, There’s a new battle for influence in Central Africa, and Russia appears to be winning.
24. Haaretz (Israel): Israel and Russia Agree to Remove Iranian Forces From Syrian Border, Report Says. Israel reportedly gets ‘green light’ to strike Iranian targets as long as it does not endanger Syrian regime. Report follows call between Netanyahu and Putin, meeting between Israel’s defense chief and Russian counterpart.
25. Asia Times: M.K.Bhadrakumar, Russia censures Iran, expects Israel to help restore ties with US. Vladimir Putin surprised many at the event known as Russia’s Davos with his comments on the Iran nuclear deal and Russia’s relations with the US.
26. Interfax: Pyongyang says Kim, Lavrov agree on Russia-N. Korea summit.
27. TASS: Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Russia’s top diplomat meets Kim Jong-Un in Pyongyang.
28. Valdai Discussion Club: Artyom Lukin, FROM THE “DIPLOTAINMENT” OF SUMMITS TO SIX-PARTY TALKS. It is still too early to judge whether Donald Trump, Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in deserve the Nobel Prize, of which one of these politicians is clearly dreaming. But all the same we owe these three for the coinage of a new word, “diplotainment,”[1] to describe a new phenomenon in international relations, where diplomacy is mixed with modern media and the natural theatrics of politicians to become som
29. TASS: Ukrainian Jewish Committee warns Kiev about glorification of WWII murderers of Jews.
30. www.rt.com: Dutch FM ‘can’t rule out’ Kiev’s liability in downing of MH17 as it didn’t close airspace.
31. The Nation: Jill Kastner, Standing on the Brink: The Secret War Scare of 1983. We would be wise to remember a time when a toxic cocktail of threats, fear, and misunderstanding nearly led us down the path to Armageddon.
32. The Unz Review: Mike Whitney, Why Is the New York Times Misleading the American People About the Paid Informant Who Was Spying on the Trump Campaign? [unz.com/mwhitney/why-is-the-new-york-times-misleading-the-american-people-about-the-paid-informant-who-was-spying-on-the-trump-campaign/]
33. Wall Street Journal: Kimberley A. Strassel, The Curious Case of Mr. Downer. His story about the Papadopoulos meeting calls the FBI’s into question.