RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents & links :: JRL 2019-#177 :: Friday, 1 November 2019

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2019-#177 :: Friday, 1 November 2019
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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1. Russia Matters: Timothy Colton on Political Succession in Russia.
2. Financial Times: Victor Sebestyen, Kremlin Winter by Robert Service – how strong is Putin in reality? A nuanced account of the president’s grip on power exposes Russia’s underlying weakness.
3. Carnegie Moscow Center: Tatiana Stanovaya, Post-Putin Uncertainty Means a Jittery Russian Elite and Brittle Regime. Amid the uncertainty over what will happen when Putin steps down in 2024, everyone is striving to claim exclusive functions that could later be required by Putin during the implementation of his plan for the transition of power.
5. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Russia joins the climate crusade – in its own way. Oil-dependent Russia seems to be showing signs of taking climate change more seriously. It marks a shifting of thought, but perhaps not yet a very deep one.
6. TASS: Vedomosti: Russians face mounting debt burden.
7. Interfax: Healthcare funding to exceed 4% of Russian GDP in 2020 – Putin
8. Moscow Times: Jake Cordell, What’s Next for Russia’s Economy? Analysts predict low growth, low inflation and a strong stock market in the final two months of the year.
9. Vesti.ru: Moscovites Hold Commemoration Event at Wall of Grief Memorial Dedicated to Victims of Bolsheviks – vesti.ru/doc.html?id=3205435&cid=4441
10. TASS: Russian human rights center penalized for violating foreign agent law.
10a. Interfax: Supreme Court decision on movement For Human Rights shows authorities are not ready for criticism, compromise – HRW.
11. Interfax: Russia’s electoral system works, does not need drastic changes – Justice Ministry.
12. Moscow Times: Russia’s Sovereign Internet Law Comes Into Force. Experts say the country lacks the technology to implement the controversial legislation.
13. RFE/RL: Explainer: Russia Takes A Big Step Toward The Internyet.
14. Meduza: Meduza, Going to the dogs. A humane animal welfare law is about to take effect in Russia. A new report found that most regions are still killing stray dogs and cats indiscriminately anyway.
15. Bloomberg: Leonid Bershidsky, The U.S. Dithered Too Long on Nord Stream 2. Denmark has lifted its block on the Russian pipeline, and now it’s too late for sanctions to work.
16. www.rt.com: US official brags that American weapons will bring you the magic of friendship, especially if you ditch Russian and Chinese arms – rt.com/usa/472353-us-weapons-sale-pitch/
17. Moscow Times: At Russia’s Inaugural Africa Summit, Moscow Sells Sovereignty. The two-day event this week featured 43 African heads of state.
18. TASS: Vedomosti: America has no alternative in sight to Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.
19. Interfax: Russia willing to cut Soyuz crews for US ISS flights.
20. The Unz Review: Stephen Cohen, Russia, Ukraine, and Donald Trump – unz.com/scohen/russia-ukraine-and-donald-trump/#comments
21. BMB Ukraine: Donbass conflict.
22. Kyiv Post editorial: Hope for breakthrough.
23. Wall Street Journal: Ukraine Corruption Concerns Stall IMF Bailout. Fund wants president to recoup billions-including money that vanished from a supporter’s bank.
24. John Solomon Reports: Debunking some of the Ukraine scandal myths about Biden and election interference.
25. Russia Insider: Paul Craig Roberts, How Will the Next US-Russia Nuclear Standoff Turn Out?. US-Russia tensions are at an all time high. Anyone speaking sanely and honestly is smeared as a ‘Russian agent.’ In this environment, can disaster be averted? – russia-insider.com/en/politics/how-will-next-us-russia-nuclear-standoff-turn-out/ri27817
26. The Nation: James Carroll, It’s Only Been 30 Years Since the End of the Cold War-Why Are We Starting a New One? What can the fall of the Berlin Wall teach us at a time when democracy is in retreat, predatory capitalism is on the rise, and a new arms race is ramping up?
27. The Economist: Stalin’s splatter. Convoluted borders are hampering Central Asian integration. If you’re going to Sokh, don’t start from Rishton.
28. Russia Beyond: 6 YouTube vlogs where foreigners show you real Russia – rbth.com/travel/331222-foreign-vlogs
29. The Guardian: The World According to Putin review – sex, lies and state-approved videotape. This surreal look at Russian TV showed a foreigner-bashing propaganda machine in full swing – just the thing to distract from a nation in chaos.

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