RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents & links :: JRL 2020-#105 :: Thursday, 11 June 2020

St. Basil's Domes

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

Support the JRL: russialist.org/funding.php
Donate Online: click here for direct link at GWU

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

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2020-#105 :: Thursday, 11 June 2020
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 Home: 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.

1. CNN: Pentagon announces $250 million in security assistance to Ukraine.
2. Intellinews: Ben Aris, It’s Russia’s cheapest crisis ever and the CBR is still accumulating cash.
3. Intellinews: Russian government spending on national projects runs low, but 2H20 should see boost.
4. TASS: Vladimir Putin to restore face-to-face meetings shortly – Kremlin.
5. Meduza: New polling shows that Vladimir Putin and Alexey Navalny are Russia’s two most inspiring public figures.
6. TASS: Putin to address Russians on constitutional amendments if necessary – Kremlin.
7. Reuters: Citing Virus, Some Russian Election Officials Shun Vote to Extend Putin Rule.
8. TASS: Scientists predict coronavirus pandemic will end in Russia by late July.
9. www.rt.com: ‘Difficult to understand’: World Health Organization official can’t explain Russia’s low Covid-19 death rate – rt.com/russia/491514-who-russia-low-covid19-death-rate/
10. Sputnik: Triple Punch to COVID: Russian Scientists Developing New Tests, Drugs & Vaccines Against Coronavirus – sputniknews.com/russia/202006111079584365-triple-punch-to-covid-russian-scientists-developing-new-tests-drugs–vaccines-against-coronavirus/
11. Wall Street Journal: Hit Hard by Coronavirus, Russia Joins Global Race for a Vaccine. Being first would provide Putin more economic and political leverage as ‘vaccine nationalism’ spreads.
12. Government.ru: Meeting of the Presidium of the Government Coordination Council to control the incidence of novel coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation – government.ru/en/news/39846/
13. Sputnik: US Denies Russian Request to Use Seized Property to Reduce COVID-19 Risks, Envoy to UN Says – sputniknews.com/us/202006051079533036-us-denies-russian-request-to-use-seized-property-to-reduce-covid-19-risks-envoy-to-un-says/
15. www.rt.com: Bryan MacDonald, Drama around famous actor Efremov is latest example of divide between ordinary Russians & Moscow’s wealthy liberal elites.
16. The National Interest: Kris Osborn, Why Russia Still Holds an Advantage in the Rapidly Melting Arctic. Can the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard catch up? – rt.com/russia/491497-efremov-auto-crash-inequality-debate/
17. The Barents Observer (Norway): Putin heightens the strategic role of the Northern Fleet.
18. www.stalkerzone.org: Aleksandr Dubrovsky, The Northern Sea Route and Its Prospects: Part 1 – stalkerzone.org/the-northern-sea-route-and-its-prospects-part-1/
19. Valdai Discussion Club:Pavel Gudev, China, USA, Russia and the Code of Conduct in the Arctic – valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/china-usa-russia-and-the-code-of-conduct/
20. CGTN.com (China): One Year of Upgraded Ties: Is COVID-19 Bringing China, Russia Any Closer? – cgtn.com/news/2020-06-05/One-year-of-upgraded-ties-Is-COVID-19-bringing-China-Russia-closer–R2Bdb3zfOM/index.html
21. CNSNews.com: Dimitri Simes, Russia, Seeking to Bolster its Influence, Steps Up Intervention in Libyan Conflict.
22. Newsweek: William Courtney and Frank Klotz, Should the U.S. Really Be Testing Nukes Now?
23. Foreign Policy: Stephanie Liechtenstein, Want to Avoid U.S.-Russian Conflict? Keep the Lines Open. Trump’s withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty hurts the United States most.
24. First Things: Algis Valiunas, RUSSIAN PURGATORY. (excerpt)
25. Carnegie Moscow Center: Andrei Kolesnikov, Why Putin’s Rating Is at a Record Low.
26. The American Interest: Lilia Shevtsva, MYTHS ABOUT RUSSIA. When Past Isn’t Prologue. If we are to understand where Russia is heading, we need to ask ourselves why our past predictions about it have been proven wrong time and time again.
27. TASS: Izvestia: Kiev dealt major financial blow during coronavirus recession due to plunging exports to Russia.
28. www.rt.com: Call Russia ‘sponsor of TERROR’! Imperial-minded House Republicans urge return to Cold War footing & drastic sanctions policy – rt.com/usa/491455-call-russia-sponsor-terror-republicans/
29. TASS: Kommersant: Republicans drawing up plans to crack down on Russia.
30. The New Kremlin Stooge: Mark Chapman, The USA is Not Ever Going to be a Major Gas Supplier to Europe. That’s Never. – thenewkremlinstooge.wordpress.com/2020/06/10/the-usa-is-not-ever-going-to-be-a-major-gas-supplier-to-europe-thats-never/#more-281

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

Map of CIS Central Asia and Environs

Eurasia Map

Comment