Tag: Slider
NEWSLINK AP: “Ukraine’s rebel center in limbo as fighting dies down.”
NEWSLINK AFP: “Ukraine rebels complete small arms withdrawal”
NEWSLINK New York Times: “The Displaced: Oleg; At 11, he is living in the ruins of his former life”
NEWSLINK Defenseone.com: “Obama Should Have Given Weapons to Ukraine, Says Former Pentagon Russia Official” [Evelyn Farkas]
NEWSLINK New York Times/Masha Gessen: “Putin’s Forever Wars”
NEWSLINK AFP: “Money, patriotism drive Russians to join Syria mission”
NEWSLINK Reuters: “Russia lays foundations for carbon regulation amid calls for action”
Putin Thinks He’s ‘Vladimir the Great,’ Condoleezza Rice Says
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Sangwon Yoon – November 5, 2015) As U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice knew Vladimir Putin up close. One thing he liked to remind her during her time in the Bush administration was how Russia had “only been great when it has been led by great men, like Alexander II and Peter the Great.” Hearing him […]
» Read moreConfession of a Russian internet provider: A firsthand account of how the internet is monitored, regulated and blocked in the Russian Federation
(opendemocracy.net – Dmitry Okrest – November 5, 2015) Dmitry Okrest is a former staff writer with The New Times and currently works as an independent journalist. The internet is no longer free in Russia-that’s according to Freedom Net, a report recently published by Freedom House. Freedom of expression on the internet has been under threat for some time in the […]
» Read moreMost Russians Won’t Make It to Their 71st Birthday, OECD Report Shows
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – November 5, 2015) High alcohol and tobacco consumption mean most Russians will never reach the age of 71, with the average life expectancy in Russia lagging almost 10 years behind the average in developed countries – the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said in a report published Wednesday. The average life expectancy in Russia […]
» Read morePutin’s Fortress Russia Takes Its Toll
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – November 5, 2015) It’s difficult to quantify the damage Western economic sanctions have done to Russia. The country’s slump is almost exclusively due to a drop in oil prices, which has led to a sharp currency devaluation and a jump in interest rates. Yet the sanctions have fueled the Kremlin’s paranoia, lending Russia’s […]
» Read moreNew Museum Stakes Claim to Russia’s Gulag Legacy
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Howard Amos – November 5, 2015) [Photos here http://www.themoscowtimes.com/arts_n_ideas/article/new-museum-stakes-claim-to-russias-gulag-legacy/542211.html] Russia’s largest museum devoted to the horrors of the Soviet gulag has opened, even as many Muscovites remain unwilling to talk about political repression. Moscow’s new Gulag Museum opened Friday even as the country remains polarized by the legacy of its brutal system of Soviet-era prison […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#215 :: Thursday 5 November 2015
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#215 Thursday 5 November 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 The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on […]
» Read moreWill extremists unite to fight against Russia and the West?
The al-Qaeda leader has urged Islamist groups to overcome internal divisions and join forces to oppose the West, Russia, Syria and Iran. However, it raises the question of whether extremists can forget their differences and act as a united front. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ALEXEY TIMOFEYCHEV, RBTH – November 3, 2015) The call to unite Islamist forces […]
» Read moreUkraine Failing to Probe Pro-Russia Protester Deaths, Panel Says
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Daryna Krasnolutska, Kateryna Choursina – November 4, 2015) Ukrainian authorities are failing to adequately investigate 48 deaths, including of 42 pro-Russian protesters, in the Black Sea port of Odessa in May 2014, according to an international panel set up by the Council of Europe. The demonstrators clashed with football fans and participants in a pro-government rally […]
» Read moreMoscow creates vast new bank from Post Office
Russia’s postal service joined forces with VTB Bank to establish Post Bank, a new retail lender with three times as many retail branches as the current leader, Sberbank. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Kira Egorova – November 4, 2015) Russia’s government approved the establishment of a massive new bank based on the country’s postal service, a move that […]
» Read moreInterfax: DPR to launch combat actions if Ukraine breaches truce – Zakharchenko
DEBALTSEVE. (Donetsk region). Nov 4 (Interfax) – The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) will launch combat actions at a place they will find necessary, if Ukraine breaches the truce, DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko said. “The ceasefire is notional, yesterday I heard and saw how the silence regime is being implemented and watched the gunfire on Pesky and the frontline positions […]
» Read moreRussian Propaganda: ‘The Weaponization of Information’
(Voice of America – Molly McKitterick – November 3, 2015) When a Russian news outlet edited the U.S. ambassador into a picture of an opposition rally, the U.S. Embassy countered by editing the ambassador into a series of improbable photos – for instance, on the moon and at an ice hockey rink. The idea was to show that the original […]
» Read moreNew Task Force on U.S. Policy Toward Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia
Subject: New Task Force on U.S. Policy Toward Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2015 From: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace <chogan@carnegieendowment.org> Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Chicago Council on Global Affairs Launch Task Force on U.S. Policy Toward Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Former Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Senator to Co-Chair Bipartisan Effort WASHINGTON-The Carnegie […]
» Read moreExiled Kremlin Critic Becomes EBRD Chief Economist
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – November 4, 2015) Sergei Guriev, a former adviser to the Russian government who fled the country two years ago, has been appointed chief economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the bank said in a statement Tuesday. Guriev is to take up his post in summer 2016. He will become the first […]
» Read moreAirbnb Sees Rapid Growth in Russia Amid Recession
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – November 4, 2015) The online lodging service Airbnb has seen rapid growth in Russia as the country’s economic recession forces more Russians to look for ways to supplement their incomes, the Bloomberg news agency reported Tuesday. The Russian business of San Francisco-based Airbnb has doubled during the past year, propelling Moscow into the world’s top […]
» Read moreIntegration still a challenge in Russia
Russian society has yet to accept that mass migration is a fact, which makes it harder for those moving to the country to integrate into society, according to an expert on xenophobia. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Ilya Krol – November 2, 2015) The SOVA Center for Information and Analysis is one of the leading nonprofit organizations in […]
» Read moreA ‘new’ National Holiday serves to unite 11 time zones
In a country where more than 130 languages are spoken, the idea of unity is a necessary theme to explore. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Mikhail Shvydkoi – November 4, 2015) Mikhail Shvydkoi was the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation (2000-2004). On Nov. 4, Russian citizens will celebrate National Unity Day. This is a relatively new […]
» Read morePutin says external pressure gives Russia chance to develop
(Interfax – November 3, 2015) Russia has a unique opportunity to develop because external forces are trying to hinder it, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. He was speaking at a meeting with representatives of scientific, cultural, public and religious organizations in Dagestan on 3 November, privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported. “Life has worked out such that for us, […]
» Read moreOne in Three Russians Exempt From Military Service for Medical Reasons
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog – November 3, 2015) Roughly one third of this year’s potential conscripts have been exempted from serving in the Russian military for medical reasons, the head of the Defense Ministry’s main military medical directorate, Alexander Fisun, told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper on Tuesday. This year, about 30 percent of conscripts were turned down […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Transitions Online: “Council of Europe Slams Ukraine Probe of Odessa Deaths”
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#214 :: Wednesday 4 November 2015
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#214 Wednesday 4 November 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 The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on […]
» Read morePerestroika, Putin-Style
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Brian Whitmore – November 02, 2015) We picked the wrong metaphor. When Vladimir Putin announced four years ago that he was returning to the Kremlin, the comparisons to Leonid Brezhnev came fast and furious. If he served two more terms, the logic went, Putin would be in power until 2024 and his reign would end up […]
» Read moreDétente NOW!
Subject: Détente NOW! Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2015 From: “Dr. Christian Wipperfürth” <cwipperfuerth@email.de> Your readers might be interested in the “Détente NOW!” – Initiative by leading members of the Social Democratic Party (which takes part in the German government), the industrie and NGOs. It can be found at http://www.cwipperfuerth.de/2015/10/detente-now-english/ —- Pax Christi Press Release (translation) Berlin, October 2015 For a […]
» Read moreRIA Novosti: “Protests on the rise in Russia – study”
(RIA Novosti – Moscow, November 2, 2015) Protest activity in Russia in the first six months of this year increased by 15 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to a study by the Civil Initiatives Committee [founded by former Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin]. The assessment of protest activity was based on reports in the media and […]
» Read moreRussians Need 175,000 Rubles a Month to Feel Happy, Poll Shows
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – October 31, 2015) Russians believe they need an income of at least 175,000 rubles ($2,725) a month to feel happy, according to poll results published by the Izvestia daily Friday. The cost of happiness is higher in Moscow, where an average resident needs at least 193,000 rubles a month to feel happy, the poll by […]
» Read moreAmerican pop culture trends Russians choose to adopt
While public polls are showing a negative attitude toward Americans among ordinary Russians, from a lifestyle perspective, the influence of American pop culture is quite notable. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – KIRA TVERSKAYA, SPECIAL TO RBTH – October 31, 2015) DeLorean cars, Doc Brown quotes and Photoshopped images of Marty McFly flooded Inernet users Oct. 21. Crowds gathered […]
» Read moreForeign IT Companies Threaten to Quit Russia Over Restrictive Legislation
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anastasia Bazenkova – November 3, 2015) Major foreign IT companies could suspend their investment in Russia or withdraw from the country altogether over restrictions in the Russian market, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday. These restrictions include a Russian law that obliges state agencies to justify the purchases of foreign software from Jan. 1, 2016, as […]
» Read moreKazakhstan down to 56th position, Russia climbs to 58th place in Prosperity Index
ASTANA. Nov 3 (Interfax) – Kazakhstan occupies 56th place in the Legatum Institute’s 2015 Prosperity Index, being one position down since the previous year. Norway retained the leading position; its first runner-ups are Switzerland, whose position was also changed, and Denmark. The top ten prosperous countries of the world also include New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Finland and […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Atlantic Council/John Herbst: “The Motivations Behind Poroshenko’s New Anticorruption Drive”
NEWSLINK Reuters: “Ukraine Risks Losing Foreign Support Over Reform Delay, PM Says”
NEWSLINK New York Times Sunday Book Review: “‘Winter Is Coming,’ by Garry Kasparov”
NEWSLINK Politico: “Inside the Pentagon’s Fight Over Russia; How the victors of one of America’s most celebrated battles are facing off on the future of the Army”
Newslink NPR: “Gen. Philip Breedlove On How NATO Should Deal With Russia”
NEWSLINK Washington Post: “Russia isn’t looking good. But it sure is feeling good. The latest Legatum prosperity index suggests the degree to which prosperity is a state of mind.”
Ukraine Probes Attack on Chief Prosecutor Amid Calls He Resign
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Daryna Krasnolutska, Kateryna Choursina – November 3, 2015) Ukrainian authorities opened a criminal investigation into a sniper attack on Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who’s under pressure to resign amid criticism he has hindered the country’s fight against graft. At about 10 p.m. Kiev time on Monday, an unknown assailant fired at a window in Shokin’s office […]
» Read moreIs the Russian economy about to be hit by a new drop in oil prices?
Low prices for hydrocarbons have led to the record-breaking filling of storage facilities in Europe and the United States, according to data published by Goldman Sachs. Although the report predicts a sharp decline in demand for oil, posing a threat to the Russian economy, Russian experts do not expect panic in the oil market. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru […]
» Read moreCase against Moscow’s Library of Ukrainian Literature may be closed
(Interfax – October 30, 2015) A criminal investigation launched against the director of the Moscow-based Library of Ukrainian Literature, Natalya Sharina, who is a suspect in a case opened into the spreading of extremist literature, may be closed, a source in law enforcement agencies told Interfax. “The case against Sharina may be closed on the basis of the Prosecutor’s Office’s […]
» Read moreThe crash of the Russian airliner in Egypt: Theories abound
The investigating authorities have not yet released an official explanation of what caused Oct. 31 plane crash in Egypt, which killed all 224 people onboard. However, experts have come up with three different possible explanations of what happened. They share one common thread: the plane broke into pieces while still in the air at a high altitude due to an […]
» Read moreNov. 4 Event on Capitol Hill: The Crisis in US-Russia Relations, from Ukraine to Syria
From: “Sperling, Erik” <Erik.Sperling@mail.house.gov> Subject: Nov. 4 event on Capitol Hill: The Crisis in US-Russia Relations, from Ukraine to Syria Date: October 28, 2015 The Crisis in US-Russia Relations, from Ukraine to Syria: Is Congress Overlooking its Causes and Potential Solutions? Hosted by Rep. John Conyers, Jr., Rep. Ted Yoho, Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Steve Cohen, Rep. Jim Himes, Rep. […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#213 :: Tuesday 3 November 2015
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#213 Tuesday 3 November 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 The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on […]
» Read moreKyiv Must Use Military Means to Recover Occupied Territories Now, Borovoy Says
(Paul Goble – Staunton, October 25, 2015) Now that Vladimir Putin is focused on Syria and clearly unlikely to stop there, the Ukrainian government should take advantage of the situation by moving militarily to reclaim Russian-occupied territories in the Donbas and Crimea, according to Konstantin Borovoy. “The attention of the Russian president has been distracted” for the moment by Syria, […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#212 :: Monday 2 November 2015
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#212 Monday – 2 November 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 The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH Reuters: “Russian media take climate cue from skeptical Putin”
Reuters covers Russian media coverage of climate issues. … the Russian public heard little mention of climate change, because media coverage across state-controlled television stations and print media all but ignored it. On national TV, the villains were locals who routinely but carelessly burn off tall grasses every year, and the sometimes incompetent crews struggling to put the fires out. […]
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