Tag: Putin

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Economy Suffers Double Hit From Oil Slump and Coronavirus” – Wall Street Journal/ Thomas Grove, Georgi Kantchev

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“As infections grow, Russia finds a shortfall in oil revenue hurts its ability to offer the kind of emergency support provided in the West.” “… [Russia’s] slump … began … when coronavirus lockdowns in China and elsewhere pushed oil prices lower. … Putin’s hesitance in joining … big producers to curtail output compounded the problem, driving oil to its lowest […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Putin Wants Russia to Get Back to Normal. New Outbreaks Show It May Be Too Early.” – Moscow Times

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Russia Regions Map

Budget deficits are driving regions to lift quarantine restrictions. But poor data could be hiding a second coronavirus wave. (Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Evan Gershkovich – May 21, 2020) Before 136 employees of the distribution center for the popular Krasnoe & Beloe discount liquor chain in central Russia’s Sverdlovsk region tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday, the region […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Anatomy of lies; Russia’s covid-19 outbreak is far worse than the Kremlin admits” – The Economist

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

“Like its Soviet predecessor, Vladimir Putin’s system is steeped in falsehoods.” “… official numbers reveal less about covid-19 than they do about Russia’s political system … like its Soviet predecessor, … saturated with lies. Russian elections throw up similarly strange graphics. Many Russian athletes … took performance-enhancing drugs … their cheating … covered up … with official connivance. … [One […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “As the Coronavirus Contagion Grows in Russia, Putin’s Strongman Image Weakens” – Moscow Times

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

With an economic crisis heaving into view, the Russian president ‘looks like an old, sick wolf.’ (Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Evan Gershkovich – May 14, 2020) If you were taking your cues from Russia’s longtime leader Vladimir Putin this week, you would have been left thinking that the country’s worst struggles with the coronavirus pandemic were over. “Starting tomorrow, […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Russia Is a ‘Distinct Civilization,’ Putin Says” – Moscow Times

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Science, Technology, Engineering
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 18, 2020) Russia is a distinct civilization that must be protected through genetics and other advanced technologies, President Vladimir Putin said in an interview that aired Sunday. Putin told state television that “it would be impossible to secure the future of our civilization” without artificial intelligence, genetics and unmanned vehicles, as well as hypersonic […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Russia Was Falling Apart ‘Everywhere’ When He Came to Power, Putin Says

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, May 12, 2020) Vladimir Putin rose to the presidency because he restarted the Chechen war and argued that only by fighting and suppressing Chechnya could Russia retain its territorial integrity, but now he is suggesting that he feared Russia in 2000 was at risk of disintegration not just in the North Caucasus […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Coronavirus crisis leaves Russian government rudderless” – Financial Times/ Henry Foy, Max Seddon

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

Prime ministerial stand-in faces task of managing pandemic while getting economy moving again ….

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “What’s preventing a respite from the broken U.S.-Russia relationship?” – Defense News/ Steven Keil

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Donald Trump and Putin Standing Side-by-Side at Helsinki Summit, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“… In addition to a rare joint statement … Trump and … Putin connected numerous times over the past several weeks according to public reports. These developments stand out … [T]ies between Moscow and Washington have long been frozen in place. [Recent developments are] even more surprising given the Kremlin’s continued actions in places like Syria and Ukraine. The dual […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Putin Eases Nationwide Virus Lockdown as Russia Becomes 3rd Most-Infected Country” – Moscow Times

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Coronavirus File Photo adapted from image at cdc.gov

… Putin has eased Russia’s “non-working” period imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus even as Russia emerges as Europe’s new coronavirus hotspot. …

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kto-Kogo: Putin vs. COVID-19

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

“… the situation could evolve in a bleaker direction, eroding Putin’s authority and enticing elites to consider alternatives, such as blocking Putin’s bid for reelection in 2024. But, for the past twenty years, Putin has been a skillful and a lucky leader. That has kept him at the top of the system. This year will tell whether his skill or his luck – or both – have run out.”

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Putin, Trump discuss anti-coronavirus efforts, situation on global oil market – Kremlin” – Interfax

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladirmir Putin and Donald Trump Sitting in Chairs with Flags Behind, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and United States President Donald Trump discussed efforts to counter the coronavirus pandemic and the situation on the global oil market in a telephone call on Thursday, the Kremlin press service said. “The heads of state exchanged greetings on the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazism. They emphasized a historic […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “As coronavirus hits record numbers in Russia, this is a dangerous moment for Putin” – CNN/ Nathan Hodge

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Coronavirus File Photo adapted from image at cdc.gov

“Russia hit a grim milestone … officially recording the highest number of coronavirus cases the country has seen in a 24-hour period, with 10,633 people testing positive. … [T]he economic pain is worsening … Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on state television … ‘I don’t recall anything like this,’ … adding that plummeting global oil prices — a primary source […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Russia To Adjust Spending On Putin’s ‘National Projects’ As Economy Hit By Coronavirus

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

(Article text ©2020 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – May 3, 2020 – article text also appeared at rferl.org/a/russia-to-adjust-spending-on-putin-s-national-projects-as-economy-hit-by-coronavirus/30590575.html) Russia may alter spending plans for a series of national goals promoted by President Vladimir Putin two years ago as the spread of the coronavirus slashes budget revenues. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 3 that the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Poll Finds Russians’ Trust In Putin Dips To Lowest Point In 14 Years

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

A survey by Russia’s main state-funded pollster shows that trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin fell in March to its lowest in 14 years. The poll … by … VTsIOM … showed those who chose Putin when asked to name a politician whom they trust[] dropped to 28.3 percent ….

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Censorship row threatens Russia’s top business newspaper; Journalists at Vedomosti in open revolt against new editor” – Financial Times/ Max Seddon

Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Empty Chair and Desk with Computer, adapted from image at osha.gov

“A row over censorship has plunged Russia’s top business newspaper into a crisis that could either see it fall under the Kremlin’s control or torpedo a deal to sell it, leaving it on the verge of bankruptcy. Staff at Vedomosti are in open revolt against new acting editor Andrei Shmarov … they say he banned writing about taboo topics for […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin, Russia’s Man of Action, Is Passive, Even Bored, in the Coronavirus Era” – New York Times/ Andrew Higgins

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

“The pandemic has derailed Vladimir V. Putin’s plans for a big military parade and a referendum extending his rule – and now knocked out his prime minister – as the Russian leader struggles to find his stride.” “This was supposed to be a moment of triumph for … Putin, a celebration of his grand successes … restoring the Russian state […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “With the World Distracted by Coronavirus, Hopes for Peace in Ukraine Are Dimming” – Wall Street Journal/ Ann M. Simmons

JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Sound of gunfire and shelling has become part of everyday life in the city of Mariupol as hopes fade for an end to the war.” “… in eastern Ukraine … hopes for an end to the long-running war between Russian-backed separatists and Kyiv have faded since this winter’s tentative detente between … Putin and … Zelensky. … The conflict has […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s economic woes will clip Vladimir Putin’s wings; Pandemic combined with collapsing oil prices spells real hardship” – Financial Times

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“… Putin’s … oil price war with Saudi Arabia … was disastrously timed. … days before the coronavirus pandemic began forcing economies around the world into lockdown, cutting crude demand. Russia then succumbed to the virus itself. … [Putin] had to cancel a referendum to approve constitutional changes …. The IMF forecasts Russian [GDP] could contract by 5.5 per cent […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Putin Extends Russia’s Coronavirus Lockdown as New Infections Continue to Rise” – Moscow Times

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 28, 2020) [Transcript and video in Russian: kremlin.ru/events/president/news/63288] President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday extended the national “non-working” month through May 11, warning that Russia has yet to see the peak of its coronavirus outbreak. Russia now ranks eighth in the world for coronavirus infections, with 93,558 confirmed Covid-19 cases as of Tuesday. Putin originally […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Has a Syria ‘Headache’ and the Kremlin’s Blaming Assad” – Bloomberg/ Henry Meyer, Ilya Arkhipov

JRL NewsBlog, Middle East, North Africa, Military, Syria
Syria Map

“… Putin is … impatien[t] … with Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad, who isn’t … [sufficiently] grateful for being kept in power by Russian intervention …. Consumed … by … twin shocks of collapsing oil prices and the coronavirus epidemic … eager to wrap up his Syrian military adventure by declaring victory, Putin is insisting that Assad show more flexibility in […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Putin has Serious Problems But Likely Doesn’t Face the Threat Now to His Power Some Suggest

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, April 24, 2020) Like the leaders of all personalist regimes that have built their authority by de-institutionalizing their states, Vladimir Putin is in important ways trapped by the system that he has created. He has to constantly be seen as the demiurge; and when he doesn’t appear for a time, that alone […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Coronavirus Could Imperil Putin’s Presidency” – Wall Street Journal/ Leon Aron

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Coronavirus File Photo adapted from image at cdc.gov

Russia entered the crisis with a stagnant economy, and its oil-price war with the Saudis isn’t helping. “… the pandemic could hardly have come at a worse time …. Russia entered the crisis in a weakened state. Its longest stagnation in modern history …. 12%[] were below the subsistence minimum …. Most of the impoverished were working. … Rosstat, reported […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Made men; The enduring grip of the men-and mindset-of the KGB” – The Economist

History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

A meticulous account of Vladimir Putin’s consolidation of power in Russia. “… as [Catherine] Belton shows [in Putin’s People], the continuity between the Soviet agency that nurtured … Putin as a young officer, and the security-based behemoths that bestride today’s Russia lies less in institutions than in mentality. … that believes anybody can be turned; that advantage can be sought […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pandemic has Changed Russians, But Can It Change Russia?

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

(Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 17, Issue 54 –  Paul Goble – April 21, 2020) The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has changed Russians more fundamentally than any past revolution. In particular, the government’s response and the changes in day-to-day life for the average Russian has destroyed traditional widespread faith in society that Russia’s authorities are omnipotent while […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

What Would a Biden Presidency Mean for Russia?

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin in front of U.S. Flag and Russian Flag, adapted from image from RIA Novosti

(Institute of Modern Russia – Yana Gorokhovslaia, Harriman Institute, Columbia University – April 22, 2020) Former Vice President Joseph Biden has recently emerged as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee who will face Donald Trump in November. Even though the outcome of the 2020 presidential election could not be more unclear, it is time to ask a question: what would a […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

The Devil and Mr. Putin

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

Subject: The Devil and Mr. Putin Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 From: Norman Pereira <9ngop6@gmail.com> The Devil and Mr. Putin By Norman Pereira Professor Emeritus, Department of History, Dalhousie University The post-Soviet era presents new challenges for the student of Russian history. It is not difficult to find fault with the USSR over the course of its seventy plus years’ […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

‘While Russians Maintain Social Distancing, Putin Keeps Political Distancing’ — from Problems, People and Elites, Pastukhov Says

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Putin at Desk

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, April 17, 2020) For the first time, it is extremely difficult to locate the exact position of Vladimir Putin on the political map of Russia, Vladimir Pastukhov says, and consequently, Russians and others concerned about Russia are focusing on those whose positions they can see more clearly. But the University College of […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “In 4th Coronavirus Address, Putin Calls for Stronger Business Support” – Moscow Times

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 15, 2020) President Vladimir Putin announced a new package of measures to support Russia’s businesses hit by the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday. In the Russian president’s fourth televised statement in as many weeks about the coronavirus pandemic, he promised direct financial support to businesses hit hardest by the nationwide lockdown, including […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

As Economic Crisis Deepens, More Russians Say Putin Defends the Interests of the Oligarchs than Say He Supports Those of the Siloviki

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, April 12, 2020) Something remarkable has happened: For the first time since he became president, more Russians say that Vladimir Putin works to defend the interests of the oligarchs than the number who say he defends the positions of the siloviki, according to a Levada Center poll reported by Vedomosti. The percentage […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Hails Oil Deal It Says Will Save Millions of U.S. Jobs” – Reuters

JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Offshore Oil Rig file photo

“… .planned supply cuts represent a complete reversal by Russia and Saudi Arabia, which had both threatened to ramp up output in a battle for market share after the previous deal between … OPEC[] and other producers fell apart …. Combined with G20 input, the leaders of Russia, the United States and Saudi Arabia engaged in a series of phone […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Makes Painful Climbdown as He Sues for Peace in Oil War” – Bloomberg/ Evgenia Pismennaya, Ilya Arkhipov, Henry Meyer

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy
Oil Wells File Photo

“… Putin’s deal with OPEC … three years ago was a triumph … bolstering his clout on the global stage. But now he’s had to to make stinging concessions after … Trump stepped in to end a price war. Amid relief in Moscow at the unprecedented deal with Saudi Arabia and other major producers to slash oil output, the accord […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Cold War roots of Putin’s digital-age intelligence strategy” – Washington Post/ Greg Myre

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

“Spying may be the world’s second-oldest profession, but … Putin has certainly given it a fresh makeover. To fully grasp what Russia did in the 2016 U.S. presidential election – and hopes to replicate … – … look back to the end of the Cold War. Putin was a young Soviet KGB officer in Dresden, East Germany … as the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Confusing COVID-19 Response” – Foreign Policy Research Institute/ Fabrice Deprez

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Kremlin and River

“The Moscow lockdown … is an unprecedented event in Russia’s post-Soviet history, as are the similar measures introduced across the country to slow the spread of COVID-19. Yet, the way that Russia has responded to the outbreak so far has followed an unusual pattern: early, swift action was followed by several weeks of uneasy lethargy, and then, as the number […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Moscow’s Coronavirus Crisis Still in ‘Foothills’ Far From Peak, Warns Mayor” – Reuters

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“The mayor of Moscow warned the coronavirus outbreak was only in the ‘foothills’ of its development in the Russian capital … that a serious test lay ahead as new infections nationwide shot up …. even as Moscow and many other regions … [were in] their second week … of lockdown …. In the bustling capital of more than 12.5 million […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Washing his hands of it; As covid-19 spreads, Vladimir Putin is invisible; Russia’s indispensable leader is strangely absent from the fight against the pandemic” – The Economist

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Putin at Desk

“For … past 20 years Russians have been told they could not survive without … Putin. … The public was also told over the past few months that the threat of the new coronavirus was greatly exaggerated, that the Americans had invented it to harm China, and that Russia was well protected. Now, Moscow and many other cities are in […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Five Patterns of the Putin Regime” – Institute of Modern Russia/ Olga Khvostunova

JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

“On March 26, IMR launched the “Russia under Putin” project, which includes a timeline of the country’s key political developments over the last 20 years. This factual digest serves not only to refresh one’s memory but also to retrace the Putin regime’s evolution and its modus operandi. IMR’s Olga Khvostunova highlights the key patterns of this regime and explains what […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

The Putin Constitution

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – William E. Pomeranz, Deputy Director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute – March 30, 2020) In the end, it was all a big show. Putin unleashed constitutional reform in his January 15, 2020, state of the nation address with a hint of institutional change and a theoretical path forward to a post-Putin era. He formally […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Putin Makes Plea For Sanctions Relief At G20 Summit

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Assorted U.S. Cash, adapted from image at tsa.gov

(Article text ©2020 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – March 26, 2020 – article text also appeared at rferl.org/a/30511615.html) Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed at a Group of 20 (G20) video conference that a freeze be placed on economic sanctions to allow countries to better combat the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 500,000 worldwide […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Coronavirus Forces Putin to Delay Vote That Could Keep Him in Power” – Wall Street Journal/ Ann M. Simmons

Coronavirus, Covid-19 Pandemic, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

Referendum originally planned for April is final hurdle to allowing Russia’s president to potentially stay in office until 2036 “In his first address to the nation since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic … Putin told citizens that an April referendum on changes to the country’s constitution would be postponed to help curb the spread of the illness. The national […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Constitutional Change a Turning Point in Russia’s History and Quite Possibly Not in the Direction Moscow Wants, Garifullin Says

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, March 14, 2010) Most residents of the Russian Federation are at present indifferent as far as the constitutional amendments are concerned either because they have been reduced from the status of citizens to mere populace or because no one has explained why these changes are needed or what they will mean, Ilnar […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Putin ‘Much Greater Problem’ for Russia than Coronavirus, Falling Oil Prices or War in Syria ‘Taken Together,’ Inozemtsev Says

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Putin Descending a Staircase

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, March 9, 2020) Russia can cope with any of the challenges it faces, including the coronavirus, the sharp decline in oil prices, or the conflict in Syria, but it currently finds itself incapable of dealing with “the fatal inability of [Putin] to react to the situation and adapt his actions,” Vladislav Inozemtsev […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Russian Scholars, Legal Experts Sign Up Against ‘Constitutional Coup’

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

(Article text ©2020 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – March 16, 2020 – article text also appeared at rferl.org/a/russian-scholars-legal-experts-sign-up-against-constitutional-coup-/30490881.html) Hundreds of scholars, journalists, and legal experts in Russia have warned in an open letter that the country faces a “deep constitutional crisis and an illegal, unconstitutional coup” as the Constitutional Court prepares to rule on a raft […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Putin’s End Game?

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

(PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo – Henry Hale – March 11, 2020) Henry E. Hale is Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Co-director of PONARS Eurasia at George Washington University. Speaking to the lower house of parliament on March 10, Vladimir Putin seemingly affirmed what many have suspected all along: that he intends to stay in power well beyond […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia to disinfect parliament chamber after lawmaker broke quarantine to hear Putin” – Reuters

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Coronavirus File Photo adapted from image at cdc.gov

“Russia is disinfecting its parliament chamber after a lawmaker ignored coronavirus quarantine to attend assembly sessions, including one where … Putin gave a speech. Sergei Katasonov, a member of the nationalist LDPR party, told Reuters he had ignored a requirement by Moscow authorities to self-isolate for 14 days after returning from France because he did not fully understand the risks. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Endorses Brazen Remedy to Extend His Rule, Possibly for Life” – New York Times/ Anton Troianovski

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

In a carefully scripted appearance, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia agreed he should be allowed to seek two more terms, if the Constitutional Court approves “It looked as though … Putin had been gearing up … obscure constitutional changes as a surreptitious way to remain Russia’s leader after presidential term limits forced him to step down in 2024. But […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin signs Arctic master plan; The strategic document paves way for a massive industrialization of the country’s far north” – Barents Observer/ Atle Staalesen

Arctic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Arctic Map

“… The document covers the period until year 2035 … authored by the Ministry of the Far East and Arctic. … approved by government and the national Security Council in late 2019. … [In addition to other factors cited, i]t prepares the ground for a major natural resource exploitation in the region and helps develop the Northern Sea Route, the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Putin’s Spending Boost Won’t Be Enough To Lift Russians Out of Poverty, Audit Chamber Warns” – Moscow Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Cash, Calculator, Pen

Russia’s plans to spend an extra $60 billion to raise living standards will fall short of the government’s ambitious poverty-reduction targets, the watchdog says (Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 4, 2020) President Vladimir Putin’s new package of social spending initiatives will not be enough to hit the country’s ambitious poverty-reduction targets, a government watchdog has said. In its assessment […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Vladimir Gelman: “An intention to preserve the political status quo and Putin’s authority is seen in the constitutional reform”

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

(Institute of Modern Russia – imrussia.org – Olga Khvostunova – February 27, 2020) Olga Khvostunova is IMR’s political analyst and researcher. In an interview with IMR, political scientist Vladimir Gelman, professor of the European University in St. Petersburg and the University of Helsinki, discusses the origins of Russia’s bad governance, the goals of Vladimir Putin’s recent political initiatives, and the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Even if Navalny Replaced Putin, Russia Wouldn’t Change Because Putin is ‘Simply a Product of Russian Society,’ Milin Says

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, February 22, 2020) Vladimir Putin has not changed Russian society as much as many think, Dmitry Milin says, because he “is simply the product of Russian society.” Consequently, even if he is replaced by someone like Aleksey Navalny, little or nothing will “change for the better.” Among Russians, the Moscow commentator argues, […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Count of presidencies in Russia may be set to zero, Putin may serve as president past 2024 – pundit” – Interfax

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

MOSCOW. Feb 28 (Interfax) – The number of presidential terms served by Russian presidents could well be set back to zero after the Russian Constitution is amended, Center for Current Policy Director Alexei Chesnakov said. “Thus far, nobody can predict Russian President Vladimir Putin’s precise place in a future system of governance with all confidence, leaning on legal and political […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,
1 … 5 6 7 8 9 … 64