“Analysts of Russia differ about … the roots of Russia’s ongoing aggression. One side argues that Russian history and political culture are to blame …. The other side argues that the causes are … typical of … certain kinds of states, regimes, societies and leaders. … How can this vicious circle be broken? Since Russian history is [that of] of […]
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“Many units, which say the official conscription system is dysfunctional and unwieldy, have started their own recruitment campaigns to fill ranks depleted in the war with Russia.” “… Slick recruiting campaigns brimming with nationalist fervor have become ubiquitous in Kyiv … and other Ukrainian cities … perhaps the most visible sign of a push to replenish Ukrainian troops depleted by […]
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“… To make peace in a conflict, both parties have to be willing to accept each other’s minimum demands. And despite the mutual lack of progress, neither Russia nor Ukraine can swallow each other’s requirements. Kyiv, for instance, cannot accept Russia’s demand for new leadership. Moscow cannot accede to Ukraine’s demand for reparations. Both sides will not give up land. […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Simon Saradzhyan) One of the multiple factors that propelled the then relatively unknown apparatchik Vladimir Putin to the pinnacle of power in Russia in late 1999/early 2000, was his ability to convince many members of the Russian elite and the public that he was the kind of leader who not only promised to protect them […]
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“Moscow has found better ways to conceal influence operations that spread arguments for isolationism, officials and experts say.” “Russia has intensified … online efforts to derail military funding for Ukraine in the United States and Europe, largely by using harder-to-trace technologies to amplify arguments for isolationism ahead of the U.S. elections, according to disinformation experts and intelligence assessments. … [I]ntelligence […]
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(The Whitehouse – whitehouse.gov – March 28, 2024) … MR. KIRBY: First, I want to just take a moment to respond to the – both the nonsense and the propaganda that we’ve been seeing coming from the Kremlin and the Russian government over the past few days about the ISIS terrorist attack on the concert hall, which sadly took the […]
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“… We asked about proposals … by some in the West who say the United States should press for a negotiation to ‘save’ Ukraine by ceding parts of the country to Russia in exchange for peace. Few Ukrainians expressed interest … point[ing] to … war crimes Ukrainians have suffered under Russian occupation … ask[ing] how they could abandon anyone to […]
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“‘Sometimes the Ukrainian government may resist the kind of freedom of information that’s normal for us,’ said the State Department’s James Rubin.” “A senior U.S. diplomat responsible for countering disinformation says … Zelenskyy should be more open to disclosing information about the state of the war in Ukraine. The advice comes as fighting intensifies amid Russian gains in key areas […]
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“Campaign is part of push to divert attention from security failures, analysts say” “Reeling from an apparent security lapse that allowed … heavily-armed men to massacre dozens of concertgoers in Moscow … Russia has gone into overdrive advancing a narrative that pins the blame on a usual suspect: Ukraine. Western officials have said Islamic State is responsible for the March […]
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(Moscow Times – March 26, 2024) Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova has criticized the alleged violent detention of the four suspected gunmen in last week’s deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall, state media reported Tuesday. “Despite the drastic nature of detaining criminals and no criminal punishment stipulated for actions that inflict harm during detention, it’s absolutely inadmissible to […]
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“… Without new U.S. military assistance, Ukrainian ground forces may not be able to hold the line against a relentless Russian military. … The most urgent priority is to appropriate funds to resupply Kyiv with artillery shells, air defense missiles, deep-strike rockets, and other critical military needs. But even once Ukraine receives this much-needed support, a fundamental question remains: how […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 3 Ideas to Explore The March 22 terrorist attack on a concert hall outside Moscow, in which more than 130 people were killed and for which ISIS claimed responsibility, is a “reminder of the fatal results of mutual distrust in the US-Russian relations,” Anatol Lieven writes in reference to the fact that the U.S. did warn Russia on March […]
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“Whitehall figures fear hostile states have helped to fuel wild conspiracy theories in attempt to destabilise nation” “China, Russia and Iran are fuelling disinformation about the Princess of Wales to destabilise the nation, Whitehall sources believe. Senior Government figures fear … hostile states are behind the spread of wild conspiracy theories and online rumours surrounding the Princess’s health. After the […]
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“… [T]he glaring failure of Putin’s security state to prevent the gruesome assault — despite the U.S. warning of March 7 that a strike on a concert hall could be imminent — may endanger the Russian government’s social contract with its people. The attack, which underscored the country’s continuing vulnerability to terrorist acts, came just days after Putin’s victory in […]
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“… In the past the Kremlin acknowledged its opponent and dealt ruthlessly with Islamist extremists. This time … Putin made no mention of the organization that credibly claimed responsibility, an Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State known as ISIS-K, and instead cast indirect and utterly unsubstantiated suspicion on Ukraine. … [T]he claim reflected Putin’s problem: coming on the heels of […]
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“The Kremlin autocrat once wanted to align with the U.S. in fighting terrorism but is trapped in lies and paranoia” “… Today, Russia’s discourse seems intended to justify inaction, rather than action. Putin’s vaunted security apparatus, obsessed with pursuing proclaimed enemies of the state, proved unable to prevent Russia’s deadliest terrorist attack in 20 years. … Russia’s current framing of […]
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“Budanov was cagey talking about Ukraine’s responsibility for attacks in Russia.” “There will likely be further strikes into Russian territory … Budanov [said] … without specifically saying whether Ukraine would be behind them. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the Dec. 26 attack on Russia’s Engels Air Force Base … more than 800 miles from the Ukrainian border … Budanov […]
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“While many Russians are trying to link Friday’s deadly terrorist attack to Kyiv, the more likely suspect is an older enemy: radical Islamists. Russia has diverted attention from them amid its war with Ukraine.” “The horrific slaughter at Crocus City Hall, in which gunmen with automatic weapons and explosives killed over 130 people last Friday, has jolted Muscovites out of […]
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“Authoritarian system promised security. Now the Kremlin confronts Islamist terrorism at home and a costly war abroad.” “Last week, … Putin dismissed American warnings of an imminent terrorist attack and urged leaders of the country’s security services to focus on catching Ukrainian spies instead. Three days later, Islamic State gunmen rampaged through a concert hall outside Moscow, killing more than […]
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“… Top officials including Gen. Mark A. Milley, then chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of Ukrainian ground forces, attended several of the simulations and were briefed on the results. During one visit to Wiesbaden, Milley spoke with Ukrainian special operations troops — who were working with American Green Berets — in […]
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“Pro-Moscow forces had dismissed the alert as an attempt to scare Russians.” “The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a security alert on March 7, warning that its personnel were ‘monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts.’ The statement warned Americans that an attack could take place in the next 48 hours. […]
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“Washington told Kyiv that drone attacks risk driving up crude prices and provoking retaliation” “… The repeated warnings from Washington [reportedly] were delivered to senior officials at Ukraine’s state security service, the SBU, and its military intelligence directorate, known as the GUR …. Both intelligence units have steadily expanded their own drone programmes to strike Russian targets on land, sea […]
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“… Europeans should be in a position to deliver more than enough support to Ukraine. The 30 European countries that belong to NATO have, taken together, the world’s second-biggest military budget (exceeded only by America’s), vastly outspending Russia. Their economy is bigger than America’s. … [A]cross the continent the desire for Ukraine to prevail is strong. The realisation that … […]
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“… Putin staked his campaign largely on the war, which he blames the West for provoking. …[T]he war’s negative effects are becoming hard to ignore. … [T]he Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service says Russians are suffering from ‘war fatigue’ … ‘… weariness, coupled with a desire to minimize the war’s direct impact on themselves personally and those close to them.’ … […]
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“Attacks on refineries have both symbolic and strategic goals Kyiv plans to send ever-increasing swarm of drones into Russia” “Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown drone technology against a … 1,200 mile[] swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities. At least nine major refineries have been successfully attacked this year … [reportedly] taking offline 11% […]
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“The main reason … EU farmers can’t sell their … goods … has nothing to do with Ukraine and its huge agricultural sector. … [I]t is Russia, whose own record farm output — and world-beating exports — have driven crop prices down to the point where farmers everywhere are hurting. … Aided by extremely favorable weather, Russia has grown unprecedented […]
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“… Russia controls a little under one fifth of Ukraine and … Putin ordered troops to push further forward after Moscow took … Avdiivka …. Russia, which has recruited hundreds of thousands of contract soldiers, will create two new armies and 30 formations including 14 divisions and 16 brigades, [according to Russian Defense Minister] Shoigu …. Western spy chiefs say […]
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“With U.S. commitment to NATO uncertain, Europe faces a security rebuild that threatens budgets for other programs” “European countries are waking up to Russia’s danger … [T]he cost of building robust defenses able to withstand a potential U.S. pullback … threatens Europe’s post-Cold War social model. With … Trump questioning America’s future in [NATO] and Russian forces on the offensive […]
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“Two authoritarian U.S. adversaries, Russia and China … carry[] out what some … call[] a ‘hidden war on democracy,’ attempting to shape global opinion using deception and false narratives. … Russia [reportedly] spends about $1.5 billion a year and China $7 billion or more annually to influence overseas audiences. … The Global Engagement Center (GEC), headquartered at the State Department, […]
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U.S. Department of State March 19, 2024 On Russia’s Presidential Elections PRESS STATEMENT ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE Russia’s recent presidential election occurred in an environment of intense repression of independent voices and the imprisonment, death, or exile of virtually all genuine political opposition. The Kremlin has systematically marginalized groups advocating for democratic processes and rule of law, including […]
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“Both countries less likely to be named than last year, while mentions of Iran swell” “Forty-one percent of Americans name China as the United States’ greatest enemy today … the top perceived U.S. adversary for the fourth straight year. Russia ranks second, cited by 26%, followed by Iran at 9%. Five percent of national adults now name the United States […]
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“Ahead of a new mobilisation law, exhausted soldiers on the frontline complain of low morale” “… A new [Ukrainian] mobilisation law — due to be put to a parliamentary vote on March 31 — seeks to update the country’s legal framework ahead of a probable recruitment wave this year in which up to 500,000 people could be drafted. Some 330,000 […]
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“A host of Western countries reject the results of Russia’s sham election” “… Long before the first ballot was cast, it was clear … Putin, … dictator since 1999, would win by a predetermined, overwhelming majority. … Voting … was strictly supervised. In illegally occupied parts of Ukraine, voters cast their ballots at gunpoint. [] Putin faced no credible opponents: […]
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“As Russians go to the polls, the economy is booming and the public feels hopeful about the future. But the politics of Putinism still depend on the absence of any means to challenge it.” “… Putin has ruled … for nearly a quarter century, just a few years shy of Stalin’s epoch-spanning grip …. No genuine opposition candidates have been […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – RM Staff – March 15, 2024) Russia’s presidential election, whose outcome is near certain to grant Vladimir Putin a fifth term, got underway on March 15. Given the inevitability of Putin’s victory in what one Kremlin-connected insider has described as a “well-designed simulation,” one might wonder what impact the Russian election has on the U.S. […]
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“Russia hopes its stock market will benefit from a scheme … where Russians who own frozen foreign securities will be able to apply to sell them to foreigners with frozen assets in Russia …. Moscow presents the plan as a way for … Russian and foreign investors to free up assets … blocked by Western sanctions and Russian counter-measures …. […]
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“Raising specter of nuclear confrontation allows Russian leader to keep his population on edge and convinced of need for militarism, analysts say.” “… Putin warned publicly … of the possibility of nuclear confrontation with the West, a saber … [Putin was] rattling with increasing frequency ahead of presidential elections this weekend. The comments — part of an interview with a […]
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(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Mar. 11, 2024) Many of the mistakes Western elites have made about Russia and that Moscow elites have made about their own county arise from misconceptions each has about Russia’s future, Vladimir Pastukhov says. The West has mistakenly assumed Russia is in terminal decline while Moscow elites think they can restore the […]
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(Moscow Times – Lucy Birge – March 15, 2024) The killing of Alexei Navalny four weeks before the Russian presidential election appears to portray an increasingly brazen and self-assured Kremlin. Yet its treatment of ultra-nationalist Igor Strelkov tells a different story, that the Kremlin is afraid of ultra-nationalism as a political force. On Jan. 25, 2024, Ukraine and Russia became […]
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“Wages are soaring, unemployment falling amid labor shortage Budget deficit, dwindling reserves pose long-term challenges” “… Though the war has left hundreds of thousands killed or wounded, and long-term challenges continue to build with officials still wrestling [with] inflation … , for now, [Putin] is pointing to the economy and claiming success. The government is spending massively on social support […]
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(Moscow Times – March 14, 2024) [Complete list: mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1938555/] Russia has banned entry to 227 U.S. citizens, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow announced Thursday. The Foreign Ministry accused the banned individuals of playing a role in steering Washington’s “Russophobic policies” and being directly involved in “anti-Russian actions.” The latest additions to Russia’s “stop list” include State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, […]
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“… [Russian] voting … conclud[ing] … Sunday is all but certain to allow Putin to remain in office until 2030, giving him a full three decades of leading Russia as either president or prime minister. … [T]hat long tenure and the thorough suppression of effective domestic opposition voices gives Putin a very strong — and perhaps unrestrained — hand … […]
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“[Russia’s] presidential vote … begins Friday and lasts through Sunday … but is more of a predetermined, Soviet-style referendum. … Putin, 71, will undoubtedly win a fifth term, with none of the three other candidates … permitted on the ballot presenting a real challenge. The main opposition figure who worked to spoil the vote, Aleksei A. Navalny, a harsh critic […]
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“… Early-stage Putinism was marked by … public complacency and indifference. Complacency flourished when the Russian economy expanded between 2000 and 2008 … enabling the rise of a Russian middle class. Indifference, which the Kremlin inculcated in part by discouraging public participation in politics, assisted in the regime’s creeping authoritarianism. One need not love Putin; it was sufficient to merely […]
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“Russia’s presidential election appears largely a rote exercise, as a popular, unchallengeable leader faces only nominal competition from three ‘systemic’ opponents. The Kremlin has worked for years to make it this way.” “… ‘[M]anaged democracy’ … under … Putin used to offer plenty of opportunities … to … members of various ‘loyal opposition’ parties, [including the chance to] get elected […]
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“What survives of the mainstream press prides itself on delivering the anti-Trump message. … Anti-Trumpism is the gift that briefly arrested their decline, though the holiday may be running out for the Washington Post. … The media … can no longer be trusted to give a skeptical, realistic account of what [Trump] might do as president, preferring to put words […]
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“The government may feature new names and responsibilities, but there’s no sign Putin plans to alter the direction of policy.” “The Kremlin elite is feverishly jostling for position in [anticipation of] … Putin’s new term as the president surrounds himself with loyalists to pursue his war in Ukraine. Putin [reportedly] may carry out a significant government shake-up for the first […]
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“A false narrative is being peddled by the Kremlin and its Western friends.” “… Russia has never been a major market for EU firms, with Russian businesses buying just 4 percent of EU exports in 2021. [A]bout half of EU exports to Russia fall under sanctions … [so] only 2 percent of EU exports are affected …. [S]anctions do not […]
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“The Russian leader struck a softer tone in an interview with state television than in last month’s state-of-the-nation address. He is aiming to project stability before this weekend’s vote.” “… Putin … tried to play down fears of nuclear war in [a Russian state television] interview … and denied having considered using weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine …. Putin […]
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“Before the French Parliament debates support for Kyiv on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president, in an interview with Le Monde and BFMTV, reacts to Macron’s statement about sending troops: ‘We’re only talking about training.’” “In an interview … on Monday, March 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of a “pause” in the fighting, which would only give Vladimir Putin […]
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