RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#70 table of contents with links :: Johnson’s Russia List – Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#70 :: Wednesday 8 April 2015
A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs
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DJ: There may be no JRLs the next few days. Lots of reading for you to catch up on. I hope you will consider reading items you don’t agree with. Perhaps you could let me know if you do.

RUSSIA

1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian store assistants smiling more, says customer service report.
2. The Vineyard of the Saker: Letter from ‘deep’ Russia.
3. Interfax: Russia launches new version of president’s website.
4. Moscow Times: Former Finance Minister Slams Russian Government on Corruption. (Mikhail Zadornov)
5. Moscow Times: Ruble Hits New 2015 Highs in World’s Best Currency Rebound.
6. Interfax: Ulyukayev: GDP decline won’t exceed 3% in 2015; industrial output to drop 1%-1.5%.
7. Russia Beyond the Headlines: World Bank warns of looming two-year recession in Russia.
8. Forbes.com: Kenneth Rapoza, Here’s Where Russia Shipped Oil Last Year As Ukraine, Europe Diversified.
9. TASS: More Russians move into grey economy because of crisis – vice-premier.
10. RIA Novosti: Russian ex-minister says turned down govt job offers over “half-hearted” reforms. (Aleksey Kudrin)
11. www.rt.com: Russian banking ready to withstand $40 oil – CBR head. (Elvira Nabiullina)
12. Market Watch: Matthew Lynn, Sanctions, drop in oil price best things that ever happened to Russia. Russia’s economy pivoting away from crony capitalism and energy.
13. The Conversation: Peter Rodgers, When in Moscow: how to do business in Putin’s Russia.
14. Moscow Times: Kremlin Reliance on the Russian Orthodox Church May Backfire, Analysts Say.
15. New York Times: Lawmakers Take Step to Remove Putin Critic. (Ilya V. Ponomarev)
16. Sputnik: Manufacturing Consensus: Why the Western Media Fears ‘Russian Trolls’
17. Paul Goble: Russia Cannot Become a Democracy in Its Current Borders, Walesa Says.
18. Sputnik: Blaming Russia for Everything Becomes New Sport – Kremlin Spokesperson.
19. Moscow Times: Russian State Agency Accused of Funding Opposition Media.
20. Moscow Times: Mark Galeotti, Russia Is Flexible When It Comes to Justice.
21. Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Experts comment on possible impact of Iran deal on Russia.
22. Moscow Times: Fight Over Ukraine Darkens Future of Russia-U.S. Nuclear Arms Control.
23. The Unz Review: Anatoly Karlin, Why the New Cold War Is Here to Stay.
24. Moscow Times: Robert Berls, A Letter to My Russian Friends.
25. Russia Direct: From Russia with concern: A letter to an American friend. An open letter from Ivan Timofeev, Director of Programs at Russian International Affairs Council, to his American counterpart Robert E. Berls Jr.
26. American Institute of Contemporary German Studies: Angela Stent, Ostpolitik Reset: How Germany is Re-Evaluating its Relationship with Russia.
27. Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Rossiya Segodnya, Moscow, April 6, 2015.

UKRAINE

28. BBC: Ukraine crisis: Tension over rise of nationalist Yarosh.
29. Interfax-Ukraine: Fortification work on demarcation line in Donbas to cost UAH 1 bln – ATO deputy commander.
30. Interfax: DPR ready for working groups’ activity – Purgin.
31. Los Angeles Times: Ukrainian president says any vote on ceding power to rebels will fail.
32. RIA Novosti: Kremlin: We will not hinder Ukrainian media despite “uncivilized” Kiev behaviour.
33. http://gordonhahn.com: Gordon Hahn, Maidan Reforms or Maidan Meltdown?
34. Deutsche Welle: Ukraine: Another crisis for ‘Europe’s bread basket.’ (interview with Alexander Mercouris)
35. Fort Russ/Cont: Why Putin didn’t just pull a “Saudi Arabia” in Ukraine.
36. Atlantic Council: Former Putin Advisor on Kremlin’s Big War. (Andrei Illarionov)
37. Ukraine Today: Former US Ambassador says Putin’s ultimate goal is to destabilise Ukraine. (John Herbst)
38. Stephen Cohen Lecture, “The Ukrainian Crisis: A New Cold War?”, Fairfield University.