RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents & links :: JRL 2020-#11 :: Friday, 17 January 2020

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Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2020-#11 :: Friday, 17 January 2020
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1. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with members of the working group on drafting proposals for amendments to the Constitution – en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/62592
2. TASS: Vedomosti: Proposed constitutional amendments to demonstrate ‘broad public debate’
3. Meduza: The welcome wagon. Here’s what Russia’s new prime minister told lawmakers, immediately after they voted him into office.
4. Wall Street Journal: Russia Reaffirms Its Global Ambitions After Political Transition. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticizes the West’s ‘aggressive stance’ on the world stage.
5. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Why Putin’s political shake-up isn’t just about power. Russia’s current political system is all about one man: Vladimir Putin. The changes he has proposed will keep him in power, but they also open the door to a broader political playing field in Russia.
6. Irrussianality: Paul Robinson, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING?
7. The Independent (UK): Mary Dejevsky, The idea that Putin wants to wield supreme power from behind the throne is questionable. Maybe the theory of a power-hungry leader is correct. But it is not the only explanation that would be compatible with his proposed amendments to the constitution
8. Intellinews.com: Ben Aris, Is Putin a megalomaniac? What drives Vladimir Putin? It is greed, lust for power, or the interests of the state? All three play some sort of role.
9. The Daily Telegraph (UK): Mark Galeotti, Far from clinging desperately to power, Putin is now looking for a way out.
10. The National Interest: Nikolas Gvosdev, Putin’s Power Puzzle: Russia’s President Loses a Cabinet and Gains an Exit Strategy. Vladimir Putin now has a Napoleonic-style referendum with which to mobilize the population and seek the public imprimatur of a new mandate for reshaping Russian politics for the 2020s.
11. Twitter: Alexander Baunov, Mikhail Mishustin.
12. BMB Russia: Who is Mishustin?
13. Twitter: Anna Arutunya, Some thoughts on Putin’s logic.
14. www.rt.com: Ruble strong, stocks surge after Russian government reshuffle.
15. Infobrics: Putin Updates Russian Constitution as Western Media Tries to Catch Up.
16. Dances With Bears: John Helmer, PRESIDENT PUTIN TRIES GREENING – REDUCES CARBON FOOTPRINT OF PRIME MINISTER MEDVEDEV.
17. Meduza: The transfer of power begins . A step-by-step guide to Vladimir Putin’s address on the future of the Russian government.
18. Reuters: Kremlin Critic Calls for Protest Against Putin’s Constitutional Reforms.
19. Carnegie Moscow Center:Did Putin Just Appoint Himself President for Life? (Dmitri Trenin, Alexander Baunov, Andrei Kolesnikov, Tatiana Stanovaya)
20. The Economist editorial: Glued to the throne. How Vladimir Putin is preparing to rule for ever. The details are murky, but Putin’s plan for constitutional change looks like a long-term power grab.
21. Financial Times: John Dizard, A demographic trap and low growth are Putin’s biggest challenges. Moscow has an urgent need to close the trust deficit with the public.
22. Council on Foreign Relations: Stephen Sestanovich, What to Expect From Putin’s Shake-Up.
23. RFE/RL: In Putin Speech, Glimpses Of A New Model For Russia: Isolation.
24. Moscow Times: Alexey Eremenko, How Will Putin’s Reforms Pan Out for Russian Business? By addressing the “2024 problem” early Putin has given the investment community some breathing room.
25. The Economist: Guess why?. Putin proposes a rewrite of Russia’s constitution. Term limits are for the little people.
26. Russia Observer: Patrick Armstrong, RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 16 JANUARY 2020.
27. Awara: Jon Hellevig, Russia VS America: Real Income Comparison.
28. Russian International Affairs Council: Andrey Kortunov and Herbertus Hoffman, How to Make Peace in Ukraine Five Years After Minsk II.28. Russian International Affairs Council: Andrey Kortunov and Herbertus Hoffman, How to Make Peace in Ukraine Five Years After Minsk II.
29. Asia Times: Pepe Escobar, Battle of the Ages to stop Eurasian integration. Coming decade could see the US take on Russia, China and Iran over the New Silk Road connection.
30. Infobrics: Soleimani fallout continues to produce diplomatic dividends for Russia.
31. Strategic Culture Foundation editorial: Libyan Peace Talks and Russian Diplomacy 101.
32. Asia Times: Putin calls on Netanyahu amid struggle for Syria. The Russian leader’s trip follows a visit to Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.
33. Counterpunch: Ted Rall, America’s Long History of Meddling in Russia.