Tag: Government
NEWSLINK RBTH/RBC: “Over 50% of Russians approve of Orthodox Church role in state politics. Approval of the public actions and statements of the Russian Orthodox Church has increased to record levels in Russia, according to a new survey.”
NEWSLINK: “ONLY CONNECT: RUSSIA BETWEEN INDIVIDUALISM AND COLLECTIVISM. As Russian communities grapple with historical baggage, they are on their way to creating a real national identity.” – The Wilson Quarterly/Anna Arutunyan
NEWSLINK: “Russia’s democratic opposition faces increasing threats” – Washington Post/Ellen Bork, David J. Kramer
Why did Kadyrov publish ‘revelatory’ report about himself?
The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov has chosen to make public himself a report that accuses him of creating a quasi-Islamic state within Russia and not obeying Russian laws. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – YEKATERINA SINELSCHIKOVA, RBTH – February 26, 2016) The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has chosen to publish a report called “A National Security Threat” […]
» Read moreA year on, what do we know about Boris Nemtsov’s murder?
Russia’s powerful Investigative Committee has announced that it has solved the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov after a probe lasting almost a year. But who killed Nemtsov and why is the investigation seen as inconclusive? RBTH looks back at the most headline-grabbing murder of 2015. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – YEKATERINA SINELSCHIKOVA, RBTH – February 26, 2016) […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Meeting of the Federal Security Service board
(Kremlin.ru – February 26, 2016) Vladimir Putin took part in a meeting of the Federal Security Service (FSB) board to review the results of the Service’s work in 2015 and set its priority tasks for 2016. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, We are here today to review the results of the Federal Security Service’s work in 2015 and […]
» Read moreShuvalov: economic situation in Russia is difficult, there is no influx of guest workers to Russia
MOSCOW. Feb 26 (Interfax) – Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said there is no big influx of foreign labor migrants to Russia amid the economic problems. “We need to understand that the economic situation in the country is very difficult. Migrants are not so active now as they were when our national currency was rather strong,” Shuvalov said […]
» Read more‘Putin’s Children’ – Life, Crime, Terror on the Edge of Russia
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Oliver Carroll – February 26, 2016) The driver’s voice teeters between depression and aggression. “What kinduva life do yoo call this?!” he shouts. “Weerrall peepul … peeeeepul, for sheeettin sake! … Fook, Ruussia, yoo make me want to cry!” We veer from side to side of the snow-covered track. Outside, the mercury pushes twenty under, […]
» Read moreRussia Seen Dodging Political Storm as Putin Rides Out Recession
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Andre Tartar, Anna Andrianova – February 25, 2016) As Russia hunkers down for the second year of recession, most economists say a parliamentary election in September won’t unleash the kind of protests that rattled the country in 2011. There’s a 30 percent chance that economic distress will translate into political unrest, according to the median of […]
» Read moreThe Great Manipulator
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Brian Whitmore – February 24, 2016) Dmitry Medvedev recently played a telling little head game. When the Russian prime minister said at the Munich Security Conference that Moscow and the West had “slid into a new Cold War,” he essentially created a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t situation. “If the West agrees that it is a new Cold War, then […]
» Read more‘Why Didn’t You Run?’ – The Inside Story on the Arrest of Russian Billionaire Dmitry Kamenshchik
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Peter Hobson – February 25, 2016) On the morning of Feb. 18, Dmitry Kamenshchik, Russia’s 27th-richest tycoon, packed a backpack with some spare clothes, a toothbrush, and shoes without laces – the essentials for a stint in prison. The billionaire owner of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport was unemotional, says his lawyer. Ten days earlier, three current […]
» Read moreWhat will Russia be like in 2030?
Gathered at a forum in the heart of Siberia, leading Russian economists have outlined their vision for the country’s future. Discussions at the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum focused on issues including decentralization, developing food technologies and healthcare. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ALEXEI LOSSAN, RBTH – February 25, 2016) The summer of 2016 should see the publication of Strategy-2030, […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: House Hearing on Understanding and Deterring Russia: U.S. Policies and Strategies – Oral remarks of Dr. Fiona Hill
House Armed Services Committee February 10, 2016 Hearing on Understanding and Deterring Russia: U.S. Policies and Strategies Oral remarks of Dr. Fiona Hill Fiona Hill is director of the Center on the United States and Europe and a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She is also co-author of the second edition of “Mr. Putin: […]
» Read moreInterfax: Novak considers $50 per barrel most appropriate from supply-demand standpoint
MINSK. Feb 25 (Interfax) – Oil prices are unlikely to rise above $60 per barrel and a price of $50 is optimal, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said. “Speaking fundamentally, the price cannot be high, above $50-$60 per barrel, because in this situation robust investment activity would resume, those projects where investment and production volumes are now falling would be implemented, […]
» Read moreRussian Opposition Battles Fear, Disunity Following Nemtsov’s Death
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Daria Litvinova – February 25, 2016) Ilya Yashin was in the middle of a press conference presenting a special report on the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov – a genre invented and made successful by his late friend and ally Boris Nemtsov – when a police officer tried to force everyone to leave the building. The […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Russia’s lawless economy. Night of the long scoops. Smashing the little capitalists in Russia’s capital.” – The Economist
Can Things Get Any Worse for Russia? You’re About to Find Out
Investors who’ve made a fortune in the country say that with oil’s plunge, the ruble’s collapse, and Putin in power, all bets are off (Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Ksenia Galouchko and Henry Meyer – February 23, 2016) [Charts here bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-24/putin-s-oil-despair-drives-lucky-few-investors-toward-the-exits] For a decade, Dmitri Barinov has been following the volatile economy of his homeland from the safe distance of Union […]
» Read moreHate Crimes Said Down In Russia As Kremlin Cracks Down On Nationalist Critics
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Tom Balmforth – MOSCOW, February 19, 2016) Researchers who track xenophobia in Russia have recorded an “impressive” decrease in hate crimes as the authorities appear to have stepped up pressure on far-right groups, in particular targeting nationalist critics of the Kremlin and its campaign in eastern Ukraine. The Sova Center’s annual report, presented on February 19, […]
» Read morePost-Soviet parliamentarian drama: a view from ‘the gods’ in Kiev
The political history of Russia’s neighbours can be described in terms of one long conflict between a presidential authoritarian tendency and democratic parliamentarianism. Parliaments are the key. (opendemocracy.net – Mikhail Minakov – February 22, 2016) Mikhail Minakov is Associate Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and President of the Foundation for Good Politics, Kyiv. He is also director of the Krytyka Institute, […]
» Read moreStanding Up for Reason: Russian Academia Fights Pseudoscience
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Daria Litvinova – February 22, 2016) A young woman named Nikol looks to the camera, wiping away what seem to be tears of happiness. She has reason to be happy, having navigated through to the next round of the Russian television show “Battle of the Psychics.” Somehow, she had managed to select the one car […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: [Medvedev on] The Government’s action plan to ensure stable socioeconomic development in 2016
(Government.ru – February 18, 2016) Excerpts from Dmitry Medvedev’s opening remarks at the Government meeting: The budget sector and the real sector are overstrained today due to low oil prices and sanctions, so there have been a lot of proposals to be included in the plan but far from all of them were incorporated into the final version. We need […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Gala reception to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day
(Kremlin.ru – February 20, 2016) Vladimir Putin attended a gala reception at the State Kremlin Palace to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day. The President congratulated veterans and armed forces servicemen and civilian personnel on the upcoming holiday. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrades, friends, I would like to congratulate the military and civilian personnel of our armed forces and […]
» Read moreRussians Still Get News from TV But Trust It Far Less than They Did, Gudkov Says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, February 21, 2016) More than eight out of ten Russians still get their news from television, but the share of them trusting that source has fallen from 79 percent in 2008 to only 41 percent now, a trend that is leading ever more of them to rely on family members and close […]
» Read moreRussian Duma Introduces Amendment Defining ‘Political Activity’ to NGO Law
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 20, 2016) Representatives of all factions in the State Duma have introduced an amendment to the law on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that specifies the notion of “political activity,” the RBC news agency reported Friday. The draft law, published by the Justice Ministry in January, suggests that operations in a number of spheres including national […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Russian Government Official Looks Into Crystal Ball On EU Relations” [Alexei Ulyukayev] – Forbes/Kenneth Rapoza
NEWSLINK: “Medvedev takes action to limit growth of Russia’s gray economy” – RBTH/Gazeta.ru
NEWSLINK: “Putin’s Patriotism Playbook. What’s Russian Nationalism Got to Do With It?” – Foreign Affairs/Gregory Feifer
Putin’s Pre-emptive Strike: Kremlin Moves to Liquidate ‘Foreign Agents’
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Daria Litvinova – February 19, 2015) Activist Pavel Chikov could react only with sarcasm when a court handed down a winding up order against his Agora legal advocacy association. “As the first NGO ever to have been liquidated in a Russian court, we are so proud,” he wrote on Twitter. The next day, another organization, […]
» Read moreTen Reasons Putin System May Not be as ‘Sustainable’ as Many Now Think
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, February 17, 2016) In an interview with Tomsk television, Mariya Snegovaya points to ten reasons why in her view the Putin system may not be nearly as “sustainable” as many now think given that the fall in oil prices has not led to an immediate effort to over throw the Kremlin leader. […]
» Read moreStrategy-2030 to be formulated in coming months – Dvorkovich
KRASNOYARSK. Feb 19 (Interfax) – Russian government officials intend to formulate the country’s development strategy to the year 2030 in the next few months, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said, opening the plenary session of the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum on Friday. “We have gathered not only in order to talk, but also to formulate solutions or approaches to solving the […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH: “Russia government mulls five percent cut in defense procurement spending: sources” – Reuters
Russia’s government is considering cutting spending on defense procurement this year by 5 percent … a move that would extend the budget squeeze to a sector that up to now has been immune …. The proposal has support across several ministries and in other state institutions, enough for it to go forward for discussion at a cabinet meeting, the sources […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Exiled oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky: I have no obligations to Putin. Outlining plans to back Russian opposition groups, Khodorkovsky – pardoned in 2013 – says he never agreed to stay out of politics” – The Guardian
The One Shock Russia Dodged Is Set to Catch Up With Putin
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Olga Tanas – February 18, 2016) [Charts here bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-17/the-one-shock-sidestepped-by-russia-is-catching-up-with-putin] Russia’s longest recession in two decades is proving a test too far for the labor market. After deflecting pressure in 2015 with salary reductions, part-time work and unpaid vacations, companies are increasingly opting to cut jobs as the economy enters its second year of contraction. As Russia’s […]
» Read moreCensors would starve in modern Russia
Maya Kucherskaya, a writer, linguist, literary critic and director of the newly opened Creative Writing School, the first such center for budding authors in Russia, talked to RBTH about professional writing, censorship and Russia’s book market. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – YULIA VINOGRADOVA, SPECIAL TO RBTH – February 17, 2016) RBTH: How is the Creative Writing School different […]
» Read moreRussian Politicians Ask Khodorkovsky for Endorsement As Elections Near
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – February 18, 2016) Former oil tycoon turned opposition politician Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s pro-democracy foundation has received dozens of requests from members of Russia’s main political parties to endorse them during an upcoming parliamentary election this fall, the coordinator of Khodorkovsky’s Open Elections project said in comments published Wednesday. The requests that came in […]
» Read moreMoscow Authorities Approve March in Honor of Slain Kremlin Critic Nemtsov
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 18, 2016) Moscow City Hall has approved a rally to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, opposition party member Konstantin Merzlikin told The Moscow Times on Wednesday. The authorities have given permission for 50,000 people to attend the memorial event, which is due to take place on Feb. […]
» Read moreDefender of Putin, Detained in Russia: American Activist Deemed U.S. ‘Agent’
(RFE/RL – rferl.org –Carl Schreck – February 17, 2016) For a person who has dedicated her life to improving ties between Moscow and the West — and who has passionately denounced what she calls the “demonization” of President Vladimir Putin by Western media and officials — Sharon Tennison has gotten a strange reception in Russia. Tennison, an American activist whose […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Small businesses cower after Moscow’s night of bulldozers” – Reuters
Russian Nationalists Oppose Moscow’s Plan to Resettle Ukrainian Refugees in Far East
(Paul Goble – Staunton, February 16, 2016) Duma deputies are proposing and the Russian Ministry for Far Eastern Development has come out in support of a plan to resettle as many as 50,000 Ukrainian refugees who had fled their country because of the fighting but have not yet found permanent residences in the Russian Federation. This plan reflects the convergence […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Meeting with President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin
(Kremlin.ru – February 15, 2016) The agenda included dialogue between business and the authorities and issues the business community is discussing currently and will examine further at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) annual congress. President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin: Mr President, let me start by thanking you for our regular meetings. […]
» Read moreJury trials may be brought to district court’s level – Putin
MOSCOW. Feb 16 (Interfax) – President Vladimir Putin has declared an imperfection of the jury mechanism in Russia and has proposed to bring jury trials to the level of district courts. “Obviously, the existent jury forming system is far from being perfect. Actually, why do we have to have twelve jurors, not 20 or 25 or ten or seven? There […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Conference of court chairmen
(Kremlin.ru – February 16, 2016) The President took part in the national conference of court chairmen of various levels, as well as heads of military and commercial courts. The conference is dedicated to ways of enhancing law and order, improving the business climate, protecting the rights of citizens and analysing the judiciary reform. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: “Fresh attack on Russian opposition leader amid crackdown on critics ” – The Guardian
TRANSCRIPT: Interview of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Sputnik News Agency
(Government.ru – February 12, 2016) Question: The organizers of the Munich Security Conference welcomed your participation in the conference, stressing that it is even more important to dialogue at a high level during times of crisis. What aims do you set before your delegation for your trip to Munich? What are the main theses of your speech? Dmitry Medvedev: The […]
» Read moreRussia’s Medvedev: Syrian Conflict May Become ‘Permanent War’
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – February 12, 2016) The conflict in Syria may escalate into a “permanent” war to last for decades, if peace talks were to collapse or if foreign countries tried to intervene by deploying ground troops, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in comments published on the Cabinet website Thursday. Russia has been conducting […]
» Read moreSnap Elections Wouldn’t Change Russian Ruling Structure – Poll
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 11, 2016) If elections were held in Russia next weekend, Vladimir Putin would be re-elected president and the same political parties would be elected to the State Duma, the Kommersant newspaper reported Wednesday, citing the results of a recent poll. The survey carried out by the independent Levada Center pollster revealed that 53 percent […]
» Read moreRBTH: Through a diplomat’s eyes: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in 7 quotes
Feb. 10 is Diplomatic Worker’s Day in Russia. To mark the occasion, RBTH has collected seven quotes that best represent the attitudes and values of the country’s principal “diplomatic worker” – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ANNA SOROKINA, RBTH – February 10, 2016) 1. “The global financial and economic crisis has convincingly demonstrated […]
» Read moreInterfax: Casualties of law enforcement agencies reduce threefold in North Caucasus in 2015 – Interior Ministry
(Interfax – STAVROPOL, Feb 11, 2016) A decline in the number of clashes, bombings and shelling incidents continued in the North Caucasus in 2015, head of the Russian Interior Ministry department in the North Caucasus Federal District Sergei Chenchik said at a coordination conference of district police chiefs in Pyatigorsk. “The number of shelling incidents, bombings and clashes was significantly […]
» Read moreMoscow’s Overnight Demolition Blitz Sparks Legal Debate
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Daria Litvinova, Vasily Kolotilov – February 11, 2016) You could hear a young woman yelling, but her voice was diluted in the sound of bulldozers, smashed glass and metal. “What are you doing?! There are people still in there! Stop it!” she said. Several police officers stood outside, watching the bulldozer do its work without […]
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