Tag: Russian News

RIA Novosti: Diplomat says Russia to react to NATO build-up in Europe “if necessary”

Military, NATO
NATO meeting file photo

(RIA Novosti – January 13, 2015) Russia is carefully monitoring how NATO is reinforcing its military presence in Eastern Europe, and is ready to take action in response if necessary, Mikhail Ulyanov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of Security and Disarmament Issues, told RIA Novosti (part of the Russian state-owned International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya) on 13 January. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Poll shows Russians becoming more hostile towards the West

China, Russia & the West
World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(Interfax – Moscow, January 13, 2015) Almost half of Russians (47 per cent) believe that Russia’s long-term foreign policy should focus on strengthening relations with China, the Levada [public opinion research] centre has told Interfax. According to a poll carried out among 1,600 people in 134 population centres of the Russian Federation on 19-22 December, the second place went to […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Interfax: Putin to not attend Auschwitz liberation anniversary events in Poland

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights, Poland
Auschwitz Concentration Entrance with Sign Arbeit Macht Frei

(Interfax – January 13, 2014) Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland on January 27, although the Russian leader attaches great importance to all commemorative events, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Interfax on Tuesday. “The president’s schedule does not include such a trip,” he […]

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

Kremlin Foe Navalny Fined $10 For Cutting Ankle Bracelet

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Navalny file photo

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – January 14, 2015) Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has been convicted of large-scale theft twice and spent many nights in jail after street protests. The latest punishment meted out to one of the Kremlin’s fiercest foes is perhaps the least severe: a $10 fine. On his website on January 14, Navalny posted a note from Russia’s […]

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

A new drama in Moscow: Teatr.doc – a pioneer of ‘New Drama’ in Russia – has recently been evicted from its basement home in Moscow. But is it all an act?

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(opendemocracy.net – Alexey Krizhevsky – January 14, 2015) Alexey Krizhevsky is culture editor at gazeta.ru and member of Teatr.doc Teatr.doc is on the move. Having performed its last plays and a holiday evening, the theatre packed its bags and left the tiny basement in the centre of Moscow – its home for many years. The director of the independent theatre, […]

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

Culture Minister Wants ‘Patriotic Internet’ to Protect Russians

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – January 15, 2015) Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky has called for the creation of a “patriotic Internet” to combat Western ideas, adding that those who are against Russia are against the truth. Russia needs to “consolidate the state and society on the basis of values instilled by our history,” said a statement released […]

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

Interfax: World Bank expects Russian GDP to fall 2.9 percent in 2015, edge up in 2016

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
World Bank Building

(Interfax – January 14, 2015) The World Bank expects Russian GDP to contract by 2.9 percent in 2015, but edge up by 0.1 percent in 2016, the bank said in its January Global Economic Prospects report. The World Bank estimates that the Russian economy grew by 0.7 percent in 2014. The bank is forecasting that Russian economic growth will accelerate […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Health Ministry Says Transsexuals Can Still Drive in Russia

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Moscow Traffic file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 14, 2015) The Health Ministry has denied widespread reports that transvestites and transsexuals could lose their rights to drive in Russia based on a new road safety decree. Although the decree provides for the disqualification of driving rights for certain individuals with psychological or behavioral disorders, the mere fact that a person has a […]

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

U.S. Drama ‘House of Cards’ Features Putin Look-Alike in New Trailer

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 13, 2015) [Trailer here http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/u-s-drama-house-of-cards-features-putin-look-alike-in-new-trailer/514243.html] A trailer for season three of U.S. hit series House of Cards has fans in a frenzy over what appear to be heavy hints that the new season’s plot line will feature a character based on Russian President Vladimir Putin. The new series will see actor Kevin Spacey reprise […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Russian Film ‘Leviathan’ Takes Golden Globe, Chance for Oscar

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Movie Theater file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ali Sar, Kevin O’Flynn – BEVERLEY HILLS, United States, January 13, 2015) Andrei Zvyagintsev’s “Leviathan,” a dark and brooding film that depicts Russia as a corrupt and cruel society, took the Golden Globe for best foreign-language film late Sunday, making it one of the favorites to win the Academy Award in the same category next […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Half of Russians stand for developing relations with China – poll

China
China Map

(Interfax – January 13, 2015) Nearly half of Russians (47 percent) believe that the country’s foreign policy should center on stronger relations with China in the long-term period, Levada Center told Interfax. CIS countries ranked second (12 percent), Western Europe came third (8 percent) and the United States (4 percent) and Islamic countries (1 percent) followed in a poll of […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

What You Need to Know About Joining the Russian Army

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Military
File Photo of Russian Military Conscripts Boarding Train with Gear

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – January 13, 2015) Tried to join the French Foreign Legion and didn’t make the cut? Don’t fret – the Russian military has created its own force of foreign citizens to fight Moscow’s wars. The Russian Defense Ministry last month announced that foreigners could enlist in the Russian military, a move ostensibly aimed […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

In Implicit Criticism Of West, Russia’s FM Calls For ‘More Serious’ Fight Against IS

Russia & the West, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Middle East and North Africa with Inset Map of Holy Land

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Joanna Paraszczuk – January 13, 2015) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called for a “more serious” fight against the Islamic State (IS) group, amid reports that the militant group is present in Afghanistan and is expanding elsewhere. “‘Islamic State’ is a structure that calls for a great deal more attention and a more serious reaction. […]

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

Putin’s Backing Allows Kadyrov Free Reign for Open Threats, Analysts Say

Chechnya, Dagestan, North Caucasus, Human Rights, Terrorism
Ramzan Kadyrov file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Allison Quinn – January 13, 2015) Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has embarked in recent days on a marathon of threat-laden spats with prominent public figures, making statements so brazen they would be unimaginable coming from any other regional leader. Analysts interviewed by The Moscow Times attributed Kadyrov’s recent bout of brashness to the unyielding trust […]

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

Russian court explains decision not to jail Kremlin critic Navalnyy

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Navalny file photo

(Interfax – January 12, 2015) A Russian court has explained its decision to give a suspended sentence to anti-corruption campaigner and Kremlin critic Aleksey Navalnyy while jailing his brother, Oleg, Interfax news agency reported on 12 January. Interfax quoted Moscow’s Zamoskvoretskiy court saying that “in handing down punishment, the court took into account the actual facts in the case, information […]

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

Russia Civil Society will Grow like ‘Blade of Grass through Concrete,’ Gontmakher Says

Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, January 13, 2015) Yevgeny Gontmakher, a prominent Moscow economist and commentator, has invoked one of the most powerful images available about the ways in which the human spirit can overcome ever the harshest and most repressive regimes: “like a blade of grass breaking through concrete.” As anyone who has been on a […]

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

Securing peace instead of rewarding expansion: An appeal, by over 100 German-speaking experts on Eastern Europe, for a reality-based and not illusions-guided Russia policy

Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Georgia, Germany, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Germany

(opendemocracy.net – Andreas Umland – January 9, 2015) Andreas Umland is a DAAD Associate Professor of European Studies at the Political Science Department of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy [“Some of the most influential German correspondents on Russia and Ukraine sympathise with the appeal, but, for specifically professional reasons, did not add their signatures.”] On December 5, 2014, 60 prominent German personalities […]

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

Russia Unlikely to Abandon ISS for National Space Station – Roscosmos Deputy

Space, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
International Space Station file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 13, 2015) Despite talk that tensions over Ukraine might lead to a Russian withdrawal from the International Space Station (ISS) in favor of a new national station, a senior space official downplayed the possibility in an interview published Tuesday. “Theoretically it is possible to create a new Russian space station, but neither the current […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Russia 2014 Gas Exports Seen Lowest in Decade as Nations Cut Use

Oil, Gas, Energy
Gas Flame file photo

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Elena Mazneva – January 13, 2015) Russia, the world’s biggest natural-gas exporter, probably cut 2014 fuel exports to the lowest in a decade as consumption in Europe and Ukraine declined. OAO Gazprom (GAZP), the state-run gas-pipeline export monopoly, supplied no more than 195 billion cubic meters of fuel from Russia to the European Union, Turkey and […]

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

Russians Still Prefer Print Editions Over Online Publications

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Collage of Russian Newspapers

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 13, 2015) More than a third of Russians are most likely to read their favorite articles online and 17 percent are willing to give up print media altogether, according to a study published Monday by state-run pollster VTsIOM. The poll was conducted last month among 1,600 people across Russia with a margin of error […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#8 table of contents with links :: Tuesday 13 January 2015

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

… 27. Bloomberg: Ukraine’s Effort to Cut Russian-Gas Reliance Sees Explorers Exit.
28. The Economist: The Economist explains. Why Europe no longer fears the Russian gasman.
29. Reuters: U.S. to back $2 billion in loan guarantees for Ukraine. …

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#7 table of contents with links :: Monday 12 January 2015

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2015-#7 :: Monday 12 January 2015 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist  JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php  Russia 1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian 7th graders struggle to […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Gorbachev’s Call for ‘Perestroika’ of International Relations His Latest ‘Cynical Scam,’ Ikhlov Says

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
File Photo of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan at Table Signing Documents

(Window On Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, January 11, 2105) Mikhail Gorbachev’s current call for the “perestroika” of the international system is just as much a “cynical political scam” as was his original one, something that led many to conclude he wanted something more than just a more effective form of “authoritarian modernization,” according to Yevgeny Ikhlov. With the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Working in the Gulag: Russia’s Prison Service, the FSIN, wants to put inmates’ employment on a more businesslike footing, but their working conditions are still more like slave labour

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights
Russian Jail File Photo Showing Outer Wall, Windows, Barbed Wire

(opendemocracy.net – VYACHESLAV KOZLOV – January 9, 2015) Vyacheslav Kozlov is a journalist for daily newspaper Kommersant. He writes on international relations, nationalism, extremism, narco-politics, the Russian opposition and the problems facing Russia’s NGOs. He has at various times worked for Vremya Novostei, Moskovskiye Novosti and the online publication Gazeta.ru. His work has also appeared in Novaya Gazeta and Lenta.ru. […]

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

Theater and the Heart of a City: Moscow’s Teatr.doc’s Confrontation with Authority

Human Rights, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Blair A. Ruble – January 2015) Blair A. Ruble is vice president for programs; director, urban sustainability laboratory; and senior advisor, Kennan Institute, at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. On the evening of December 30, 2014 — just as two dozen or so patrons were settling into their seats at a purposefully ramshackle basement […]

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

Opposition Posterboy Navalny Defies House Arrest … Again

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Navalny file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Allison Quinn – January 12, 2015) Opposition firebrand Alexei Navalny has continued to defy what he has described as his “illegal” house arrest by going to work on Saturday, as the European Court of Human Rights prepares to consider his complaint over a recent conviction. Navalny has vehemently railed against the guilty verdict handed down […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Rating Downgrade Set to Scare More Capital Out of Russia

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Peter Hobson, Alexander Panin – January 12, 2015) Rating agency Fitch on Friday downgraded Russia’s credit rating to one notch above junk status, warning that oil price falls and Western sanctions could contract the country’s economy by 4 percent this year and force the government to pour cash into Russia’s buckling banking system. Coming on […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

In Russia, Tears and Jeers After Charlie Hebdo Massacre

France, Terrorism
Paris, France, View from Eiffel Tower

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – January 12, 2015) A mixture of genuine grief, petty political pandering and condemnation of a vaguely defined notion of blasphemy have dominated a broad array of Russian reactions to the massacre at French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo that left 12 dead. As much of the world commiserates with France in the aftermath […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Russian 7th graders struggle to count and solve math problems, says study

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, Education, Academia
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Gleb Fedorov – January 9, 2015) RBTH spoke to experts about the results of the National Study of Education Quality (NIKO), recently carried out in Russia. They illustrated the roots of the problems the country is experiencing with mathematics at school and explained why it is not worth relying on the international PISA assessments. Russia’s first […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#6 table of contents with links :: Friday 9 January 2015

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2015-#6 :: Friday 9 January 2015 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist  JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php  Russia 1. CNBC.com: Falling ruble? Say ‘da!’ to good deals on […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Educating Russians abroad

Education, Academia, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(opendemocracy.net – Polina Nikolskaya – January 7, 2015) Polina Nikolskaya is a correspondent at Kommersant Vlast. She has previously worked at Gazeta.ru and Lenta.ru. In 2014, the Russian government launched the ‘Global Education’ programme of postgraduate education abroad. But the reaction in Russia has been obstructive and hostile. In October 2014, Russia withdrew from the American Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

New Russian Regulation Says Transgender People Unfit to Drive

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Moscow Traffic file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – January 9, 2015) Transgender people may no longer be allowed to drive cars in Russia under new road safety regulations signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. A decree published on the government website earlier this month lists an array of health conditions that can disqualify someone from getting behind the wheel, among […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

EU to provide €1.8 billion extra funds for foundering Ukraine

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – IntelliNews – January 9, 2015) The EU will provide €1.8bn in macroeconomic assistance to default-threatened Ukraine, the European Commission announced on February 8. But the move might not be enough to save Ukraine from a sovereign default. The loan comes one day after a call by veteran financier George Soros for the EU to find €50bn for […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#5 table of contents with links :: Thursday 8 January 2015

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2015-#5 :: Thursday 8 January 2015 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist  JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php  Ukraine 1. Business New Europe: Soros calls for EU to give Ukraine […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Meet the EEU family (Eurasian Economic Union)

Belarus, CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – bne IntelliNews – January 5, 2015) Members: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia Prospective member: Armenia Potential members: Kyrgyzstan (likely), Tajikistan (unlikely) Population: 173mn (Russia, including Crimea, 146mn; Kazakhstan, 17mn; Belarus, 10mn) Total GDP: $2.7tn Share of world gas reserves: 20% Share of world oil reserves: 15% On January 1, the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty governing what […]

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

Interfax: Russia’s grain harvest tops 105 million tons in 2014

Agriculture
Field of Grain file photo

(Interfax – January 8, 2014) Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov has reported a record grain harvest of 105.3 million tonnes collected in Russia in 2014. “According to updated reports, Russian agrarians produced 105.3 million tonnes [of grain] in what people call granary weight,” he said at a meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The premier said the previous year “was rather […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Lifting the lid on Russia’s bad habits

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Maria Fyodorishina, special to RBTH – January 8, 2015) Psychologists and sociologists have identified several bad habits typical of Russians: smoking, swearing, drinking a lot of tea, and even the habit of passing the blame. What do the statistics say and what are the explanations behind these common indulgences? The most widespread bad […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Soros calls for EU to give Ukraine $50 billion bailout

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – bne IntelliNews – January 8, 2015) George Soros, the 84-year old financier and philanthropist, has called for the EU to pump $50bn into Ukraine, while predicting a Russian default. “Europe needs to wake up and recognise that it is under attack from Russia. Assisting Ukraine should also be considered as a defense expenditure by the EU […]

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

Interfax: Russian humanitarian convoy crosses into Ukraine

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

MOSCOW. Jan 8 (Interfax) – The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry’s humanitarian convoy has crossed into Ukraine and headed for Donetsk and Luhansk, deputy head of the ministry’s National Crisis Management Center Oleg Voronov said. “Customs of the Matveyev Kurgan and Donetsk checkpoints in the Rostov region have cleared the humanitarian cargo. More than 60 trucks are moving towards Donetsk and […]

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

RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#4 table of contents with links :: Wednesday 7 January 2015

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

… 2. Interfax: The Federal Migration Service may consider amnesty for illegal migrants.
3. Vox.com: How Putin could lose power. (interview with Mark Galeotti)
4. CBC.ca: Don Murray, In Ukraine’s Donetsk, the ‘death clutch’ of a forgotten war. Both Russian and Ukrainian economies in tatters, half a million people displaced. …

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

NEWSWATCH: In Ukraine’s Donetsk, the ‘death clutch’ of a forgotten war: Both Russian and Ukrainian economies in tatters, half a million people displaced

Human Rights, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

[“In Ukraine’s Donetsk, the ‘death clutch’ of a forgotten war: Both Russian and Ukrainian economies in tatters, half a million people displaced” – CBC.ca – Don Murray – January 5, 2015] The CBC and free-lance reporter Don Murray examine the conflict in Ukraine, some of its underlying issues and its human costs: * * * Tens of thousands more Ukrainians are still trapped in […]

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

NEWSWATCH: How Putin could lose power

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin

[“How Putin could lose power” – Vox.com – Amanda Taub – January 5, 2015] Vox.com and Amanda Taub talk with NYU Professor Mark Galeotti about possibilities for a Putin transition, especially if the apparatus supporting Putin has a change of attitude: After more than a decade in power, Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing what may be his most turbulent and difficult year […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Putin Signs New Military Doctrine: Core Elements Unchanged

Arctic, Europe, EU, Military, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Russian Tanks in Military Parade

(Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 12, Issue 2 – Roger McDermott – Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – January 6, 2015) President Vladimir Putin has introduced a new Military Doctrine in the context of the Ukraine crisis, deteriorating relations with the United States, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as shifts within the international security environment. […]

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

Ukraine Reinforces Front Lines as Peace Talks Creep Forward

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Maidan Square file photo

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Aliaksandr Kudrytski – January 6, 2015) Ukraine deployed new military aircraft, heavy weapons and vehicles to bolster troops fighting separatists in the country’s east as it continues peace talks with rebels and Russia’s government. The reinforcements, which included fighter jets, armored personnel carriers and artillery, follow a September truce in which the government paused an assault […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

The Kremlin Shifts Tactics in Ukraine

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

(Institute of Modern Russia – imrussia.org – Donald N. Jensen – January 6, 2015) Donald N. Jensen is a resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations in the Nitze School of International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, Over the past three months, the Kremlin has appeared to shift its strategy from further military advances to negotiations. The reasons for […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

The Federal Migration Service may consider amnesty for illegal migrants

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Migrant Workers Sleeping Quarters

(Interfax – January 6, 2015) The Federal Migration Service (FMS) does not rule out an amnesty for illegal migrants in 2015. “This issue may actually be considered. A lot will depend on outcomes of the launch of a system of patents for migrants employed by legal entities,” a FMS source told Interfax. FMS head Konstantin Romodanovsky said earlier that migrants […]

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

Putin, Patriarch Kirill Kick Off Orthodox Christmas Celebrations

Religion
Patriarch Kirill file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 7, 2015) The Russian Orthodox Church’s Patriarch Kirill prayed for peace in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin attended mass at a village church in southern Russia, as Russia’s Orthodox believers celebrated Christmas on Wednesday. Russian Orthodox Church holidays are marked according to the old Julian calendar, with Christmas falling on Jan. 7, when it […]

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

RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2015-#3 table of contents with links :: Tuesday 6 January 2015

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

… 8. Kyiv Post: Talks on Ukraine in Normandy format to continue on Jan. 9.
9. Reuters: War-torn Ukraine sees highest inflation in 14 years.
10. www.opendemocracy.net: Andrii Ianitskyi, The high price of democracy in Ukraine. Ukraine is almost bankrupt. The budget for 2015 is unrealistic. Root and branch reform has stalled. There is a war still going in the east of the country. Where now? …

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

NEWSWATCH: Russia ‘may face chaos’ if extra sanctions imposed: Germany

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Germany

[“Russia ‘may face chaos’ if extra sanctions imposed: Germany” – AFP – January 4, 2015] AFP covers a German official’s assessment of the potential impact of additional sanctions on Russia: Tougher sanctions may destabilise the situation further in Russia and plunge the country into chaos, German deputy chancellor Sigmar Gabriel warned … ‘Whoever wants that will provoke a much more dangerous situation […]

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

NEWSWATCH: Decoding Vladimir Putin’s Plan: Many say Russia’s leader is trying to strengthen his country’s position in the world

Russia & the West, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Sitting at Desk

[“Decoding Vladimir Putin’s Plan: Many say Russia’s leader is trying to strengthen his country’s position in the world” – US News and World Report – Joshua Kucera – January 5, 2015] US News and World Report considers what one could infer about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s true intentions and policies, in the light of Russia’s posture towards Ukraine and the West. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,
1 … 205 206 207 208 209 … 318