(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Christopher Brennan – March 20, 2014) Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, currently under house arrest in connection with a criminal case against him, has written an op-ed for the New York Times in which he calls for sanctions on officials and businessmen connected to President Vladimir Putin. Saying that previous U.S. and EU sanctions in response […]
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MOSCOW, March 20 (RIA Novosti) – US financial officials have contacted investment funds with Russian assets and advised them to inform clients about potential risk associated with the crisis in Ukraine, the Reuters news agency reported Thursday. The commission began counseling investment companies weeks ago, advising them to clearly communicate risks with investors and warning them to have a clear […]
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MOSCOW/VIENNA. March 20 (Interfax) – Moscow may draft its own “blacklist” of American officials as part of a response that will “mirror” the sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. “If Washington restarts measures to escalate tensions and confrontation, as well as attempts to tell us what we should do using the […]
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MOSCOW. March 20 (Interfax) – The sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union and the United States do not have international legal grounds, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “Unilateral sanctions have never done any good. They are not legal. And they do not have international legal grounds,” Lavrov said at a State Duma sitting on Thursday. “The UN […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anatoly Medetsky – March 20, 2014) The White House has thrown some light on who may be next in line to feel U.S. wrath over Crimea’s breakaway from Ukraine: businesspeople close to the Russian government. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. will add bite to its current sanctions against Russian government officials by […]
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(“Let Georgia be a lesson for what will happen to Ukraine; My country’s ordeal in 2008 suggests Crimea’s referendum is a trick for Russia to cement its territorial and military grip” – Mikheil Saakashvili, former President of Georgia – The Guardian – March 15, 2014) Mikheil Saakashvili, former President of Georgia, writes in The Guardian about the crisis in Ukraine, […]
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ST. PETERSBURG. March 13 (Interfax) – Former Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin is apprehensive about possible Western sanctions against Russia and said limitations in the banking sector have already begun. “I can say quite definitely: credit line limits for Russia are being closed,” said Kudrin, who is currently a member of the Presidential Economic Council. “Our corporate sector currently has […]
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(The White House – Office of the Press Secretary – For Immediate Release – March 12, 2014) We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, call on the Russian Federation to cease all efforts to change the status of Crimea […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW. March 12, 2014) The United States is not ready to cut cooperation with Russia on important and strategic issues concerning disarmament and non-proliferation and the situation in Ukraine does not affect this, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department on security and disarmament, Vladislav Antonyuk, said at a meeting of the State Duma committee on security […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Oleg Sukhov – March 11, 2014) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told President Vladimir Putin on Monday that Russia and the West were continuing to butt heads over the Ukraine situation after the U.S. submitted “unsatisfactory” proposals based on the notion that there was a “conflict between Russia and Ukraine.” At a meeting with Putin […]
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KYIV. March 10 (Interfax) – The United States will support any president the Ukrainian people will elect, U.S. Ambassador in Kyiv Jeffrey Payette said at a news conference on Monday. The U.S. will support anyone, who will win during the democratic elections and who will be elected by the Ukrainian people, the ambassador said. The most important thing is that […]
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(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – editorial – March 6, 2014) As the U.S. and Europe consider financial sanctions to punish Russia for trampling on Ukraine’s sovereignty, they are coming up against an uncomfortable reality: Those sanctions tend to cut both ways. But how deep do they cut? Russia is far more financially intertwined with the West than it was back in […]
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(US Department of State – state.gov – Fact Sheet – Office of the Spokesperson – Washington, DC – March 5, 2014) As Russia spins a false narrative to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine, the world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote, “The formula ‘two plus two equals five’ is not without its attractions.” Below are […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – March 6, 2014) The Federation Council is drawing up a bill that would allow the government to confiscate the property of U.S. and European companies in the event of Western sanctions, though political analysts dismiss both actions as intimidating rhetoric unlikely turn into action. Further decreasing the possibility of asset confiscation is […]
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MOSCOW, March 5 (RIA Novosti) – The top diplomats of Russia and the United States agreed at their meeting on Wednesday that they should help Ukraine to implement the EU-brokered reconciliation deal. “We have agreed that Ukrainians need assistance to implement the February 21 accord,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. He met with US Secretary of State John Kerry […]
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MOSCOW, March 4 (RIA Novosti) – An adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that authorities would issue general advice to dump US government bonds in the event of Russian companies and individuals being targeted by sanctions over events in Ukraine. Sergei Glazyev said the United States would be the first to suffer in the event of any sanctions […]
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(Facebook – Michael McFaul – March 2, 2014 – https://www.facebook.com/russialist/posts/10203369527624843) “To my Russian friends especially, if you argued in 2003 that it was a mistake and illegitimate for the U.S. to invade Iraq (as many Americans did as well), then why are you invoking the Iraq war to justify a Russian repetition of such an illegitimate mistake in Ukraine? I […]
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MOSCOW, March 2 (RIA Novosti) – Russian leader Vladimir Putin told US President Barack Obama in a telephone conversation Sunday that Moscow reserved the right to protect its own interests and those of Russian speakers in the event of violence breaking out in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. The Kremlin press service said Putin responded to Obama’s expression of concern over […]
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WASHINGTON, February 28 (RIA Novosti) – A veteran US diplomat linked with a possible ambassadorial posting to Moscow has said the United States and Russia must refrain from adopting confrontational positions on Ukraine and should instead cooperate on assisting the country achieve stability. Steven Pifer, who served as US Ambassador to Ukraine for two years up until 2000, was named […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – February 28, 2014) U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has told new Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk in a telephone conversation that the interim government in Kiev has Washington’s full support. The White House said in a statement that Biden congratulated Yatsenyuk on his appointment on Thursday and said that the U.S. will […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 28, 2014) Russia’s anti-gay laws and attempts by the ousted Ukrainian president to quash opposition protests were among the world’s most grievous human rights violations to emerge over the past year, the U.S. State Department said in its annual report. The review of 200 countries and territories around the globe said a chemical attack […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Igor Dunayevsky, special to RBTH – February 27, 2014) Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukayev on Russia’s plans to attract U.S. investors and boost mutual trade. Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukayev paid a visit to the Washington, DC on Feb. 24-26 to discuss possibilities for increased bilateral trade and investment […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexander Gasyuk, special to RBTH – February 26, 2014) Foreign policy experts and former foreign service officers weigh in on what’s needed in the next U.S. ambassador to Russia. Spaso House, the neoclassical villa that is the longtime home of American ambassadors to Russia, awaits a new occupant to warm the frosty bilateral […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – February 27, 2014) Michael McFaul officially relinquished his position as U.S. ambassador to Russia on Wednesday morning, leaving one of the U.S.’ most vital diplomatic posts empty amid political upheaval in neighboring Ukraine. McFaul, known for his active presence on Twitter, wrote goodbyes to Russian users of the microblogging service throughout the […]
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KYIV. Feb 26 (Interfax) – U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns has said the United States is ready to cooperate with Ukraine on the road to holding free and fair presidential elections on May 25, 2014, the press service of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has reported. He said that the United States looked forward to working with the […]
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(Interfax – February 24, 2014) U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said on Twitter he is leaving Russia on Wednesday. McFaul earlier said he will leave his post after the Sochi Olympics. He reiterated that his dismissal from the post of U.S. ambassador to Russia was caused by family circumstances and is not connected to the state of U.S.-Russian relations.
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Subject: New Suzanne Massie Book — “Trust, but Verify: Russia, Reagan, and Me” Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 From: Mitchell Polman <mitchpolman@gmail.com> Suzanne Massie, author of “Land of the Firebird”, has written a new book on her days as an informal advisor on the Soviet Union to President Reagan. It is a fascinating account of the discussions Suzanne had with […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Viktor Kuzmin, special to RBTH – February 20, 2014) Russia’s Economic Development Minister heads to Washington next week for a series of talks in increasing bilateral trade relations. Russia and the United States will make another attempt early next week to revitalize bilateral trade during a working trip to Washington by Economic Development […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Allison Quinn – February 20, 2014) The Kremlin on Wednesday denounced ongoing violence in Ukraine as an “attempted coup by radicals,” as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lashed out at the West and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych declared Thursday a day of mourning. By Wednesday evening, at least 26 people were confirmed dead during clashes in […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Vsevolod Pulya, RBTH – February 18, 2014) In November 2013 Vsevolod Pulya, an RBTH editor, was an intern at the Denver Post. In this piece he describes his experiences working and traveling in Colorado, and discusses the mutual stereotypes that influence the way Russians and Americans perceive each other. One peaceful November morning, […]
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[“Japan-Russia Ties: An Opportunity for the U.S.” – Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jeffrey Mankoff – February 18, 2014 – themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/japan-russia-ties-an-opportunity-for-the-us/494786.html] A Moscow Times commentary by Jeffrey Mankoff, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggests that Russian relations with the United States and the European Union are at an impasse, but that Russian Relations with Japan have been […]
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WASHINGTON, February 13 (RIA Novosti) – With the eyes of the world trained on the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Americans’ opinions of Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin have reached their lowest point in 20 years, according to a survey released Thursday by the US pollster Gallup. Both Putin and Russia registered their highest “unfavorable” ratings – 63 percent and […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Michael Bohm – February 14, 2014) Michael Bohm is opinion page editor of The Moscow Times. Although Michael McFaul masterminded the “reset” between the U.S. and Russia, ushering in a welcome period of warmer relations, albeit short-lived, his ambassadorship to Moscow was doomed from the start. The sandy-haired Montana native fell right into the Kremlin’s […]
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(New Eastern Outlook – journal-neo.org – Martin Harris – February 13, 2014) Martin Harris, a freelance journalist and analyst based in the Eurasia region, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”. The recently leaked diplomatic exchange between United States Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasia Affairs Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyat is more […]
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(Valdai Discussion Club/Gazeta.ru – Fyodor Lukyanov – February 13, 2014) Fyodor Lukyanov is Chairman of the Russian council on foreign and defence policy, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine, member of the Valdai Discussion Club. US Ambassador Michael McFaul attracted much more attention during his tenure in Moscow than any of his colleagues or predecessors. But his efforts as […]
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[“Olympics: Ice Hockey: U.S. vs. Russia far from David and Goliath Tale” – Reuters – Frank Pingue – February 13, 2014 – reuters.com/article/2014/02/12/olympics-icehockey-miracle-era-idUSL2N0LG08420140212] Reuters covers Olympic Men’s Hockey, with a game between the United States and Russia coming up on Saturday. While different than the “Miracle on Ice” of 1980, the game is still “must-see”: This week’s Russia v United […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Justin Lifflander – February 12, 2014) [Photos here http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/10-unlikely-candidates-to-replace-michael-mcfaul-photo-essay/494297.html] While U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul cited personal reasons for his departure, no one would dispute that his role as Washington’s top representative in Moscow was challenging. With thorny issues remaining on multiple fronts, chances are slim that relations will warm significantly between the two […]
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(Interfax – February 12, 2014) This year’s first planning conference of Vigilant Eagle 2014, the command post antiterrorist exercise involving Russia, the United States and Canada, has begun in the city of Colorado Springs (the state of Colorado, the U.S.), Eastern Military District (EMD) spokesman Lt. Col. Alexander Gordeyev told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. “The Russian side is represented at the […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – George Feifer, special to RBTH – February 10, 2014) George Feifer is the author of many acclaimed books, including “Moscow Farewell” and “The Girl from Petrovka.” Thank you, Edward Snowden, for telling us how badly reform is needed. It would have been impossible without the knowledge you gave us. If Edward Snowden ever […]
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(Stratfor.com – George Friedman – February 11, 2014) The struggle for some of the most strategic territory in the world took an interesting twist this week. Last week we discussed what appeared to be a significant shift in German national strategy in which Berlin seemed to declare a new doctrine of increased assertiveness in the world — a shift that […]
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(Interfax – February 11, 2014) The Russian academic community reacted with shock and alarm to the recent decision by the Washington, D.C.-based Woodrow Wilson Center to shut down the Moscow office of the Kennan Institute. The oldest of the Wilson Center’s programs, the Kennan Institute brings together “scholars and governmental specialists to discuss political, social, and economic issues affecting Russia,” […]
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(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Tom Balmforth – MOSCOW – February 07, 2014) They’re gearing up to march on Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square. Two years ago, protesters rallied there against electoral fraud in the wake of the disputed December 2011 State Duma elections. In May 2012, they clashed with police on the eve of President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration. And, on February 8, […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Michael Bohm – February 7, 2014) Michael Bohm is opinion page editor of The Moscow Times. For Russians watching state television news over the past several weeks, the message about the political turmoil in Ukraine is clear: The anti-government protests are a U.S. plot. Take, for example, this Jan. 22 evening news broadcast on Channel […]
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(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Kyiv – February 7, 2014) According to the leaked recording of a phone-tapped conversation between senior US diplomats, Washington is pushing for Ukraine’s opposition leaders to take up the offer from President Viktor Yanukovych to head a government of national unity, while viewing Klitschko as a future presidential front runner. But […]
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(RFE/RL – rferl.org – February 7, 2014) A senior U.S. diplomat has denied Russian claims that Ukrainian antigovernment militants are trained at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland also said Washington and the international community are ready to provide more aid to Ukraine if leaders move quickly to implement democratic reforms and install what she […]
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(Interfax – February 6, 2014) The upcoming resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has nothing to do with the end of the reset policy in Russia-U.S. relations, Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak said. “I did not know when Mike decided to resign but I know that he wanted to return to his favorite work at […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Viktor Litovkin, special to RBTH – February 5, 2014) The U.S. recently accused Russia of contravening the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in its testing of the RS-26 intercontinental ballistic missile. However, these allegations may conceal a hidden agenda. The United States has informed its NATO allies of American concerns over a possible breach […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ezekiel Pfeifer and Natalya Krainova – February 5, 2014) Michael McFaul, who has served as U.S. ambassador to Russia over a two-year period marked by heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow, announced in a blog post Tuesday that he would be leaving his position as ambassador and returning to academia later this month. McFaul, 50, […]
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MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) – Washington is preparing to hold a Russia-U.S. summit in Sochi this summer on the G8 sidelines, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said. “We’re working very hard to make the agenda rich enough to justify a summit with an eye toward the G-8 Summit in Sochi in the summer,” he said in an interview with […]
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MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) – Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul made a mistake in trying to maintain contacts not only with Russian government institutions but also with the opposition, says Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian State Duma international affairs committee. “I think the ambassador’s replacement is unlikely to have any impact on Russian-American relations. Surely, it […]
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