Category: United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

RUSSIALINK: “U.S. magazine’s call for bombing of Crimean Bridge reflects opinion of part of U.S. political elite – Aksyonov” – Interfax

Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

SIMFEROPOL. May 17 (Interfax) – The article published in a U.S. weekly calling for the bombing of the Crimean Bridge is a reflection of the opinion of the U.S. political elite, Sergei Aksyonov, the head of Crimea, said. “Essentially, the U.S. media outlet is disseminating calls for terrorist activities under the guise of freedom of speech. Unfortunately, it is not […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Kara-Murza Jr. to face criminal liability if Duma adopts law on punishment for sanctions – Isayev” – Interfax

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Memorial Flowers and Photo of Sergei Magnitsky

MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax) – Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., deputy chairman of the movement Open Russia, may fall under the bill criminalizing actions leading to the introduction of foreign sanctions against Russia if the bill is adopted, Andrei Isayev, first deputy chairman of the United Russia faction, said. “Among the people I know who are doing it is Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Ambassador Huntsman views strengthening of business ties as basis for improvement of Russian-U.S. relations” – Interfax

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) – Business ties between Russia and the United States should serve as the foundation for the improvement of bilateral relations, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said. “There of course remain profound disagreements between our governments on a number of policy issues, thankfully relations between our people, and that includes business relationships, remain strong. It is […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Differing approaches to Korea crisis may jeopardize N. Korea-U.S. summit – Kosachyov” – Interfax

North Korea, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
North Korea Map and Flag, adapted from .gov image

MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax) – The differing approaches of Washington and Pyongyang to the settlement process on the Korean Peninsula and the bilateral summit may jeopardize the very fact of the summit and its outcome, Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov said on Facebook. “The problems that emerged shortly before the pivotal meeting between the U.S. and North […]

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‘Not Their Business To Bomb Voronezh’: Russian Lawmakers Gut Sanctions Bill Targeting U.S.

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian State Duma Building file photo

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Carl Schreck – May 11, 2018 – article also appeared at rferl.org/a/russia-sanctions-bill-gutted-bomb-voronezh/29221812.html) The phrase “bomb Voronezh” has become a staple of the Russian political lexicon, a reference to what Kremlin critics call Russia’s penchant for responding to Western sanctions with punitive measures that end up harming its own citizens. […]

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‘Thank You, Donald’ for Sending Oil Prices Up, Russian Commentator Says

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Oil Wells File Photo

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, May 13, 2018) As a result of rising petroleum prices and projections that they will go even higher as result of instability in the Middle East, the Russian Federation is projected to earn five times as much from the sale of oil and gas this year than last and have a budget […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Over 400 companies, about 200 individuals in Russia fall under U.S. sanctions – Volodin” – Interfax

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Portion of U.S. Treasury Department Building Facade, North Side, with Sculpture of Alexander Hamilton

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) – The United States’ sanctions now apply to more than 400 Russian companies and about 200 individuals, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told reporters on Tuesday. “The U.S.’ sanctions are absolutely unfriendly. They’ve been applied to more than 400 legal entities and about 200 citizens of our country, and we should do everything we can to […]

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NEWSLINK: “See Which Facebook Ads Russians Targeted to People Like You” – New York Times/Keith Collins

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Montage of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Logos, adapted from image at nps.gov

“Congress last week released thousands of Facebook ads linked to Russia that ran through the 2016 presidential election, the most comprehensive look to date at the misinformation campaign mounted on the social network. Choose from the options below to see which ads were targeted to people like you or those you know, down to age, location and interests. …”

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NEWSWATCH: “Russia to Soften Plan for Retaliation Against U.S. Sanctions” – Bloomberg/Stepan Kravchenko

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Truck at Russian Border Crossing

“… Russia’s parliament plans to adopt a bill on counter-measures to U.S. and European Union sanctions this month after softening the initial draft to remove language that had targeted specific sectors and products ranging from medication to aerospace. * * * … the Kremlin put the brakes on the plan, hoping to prevent another round of escalation in tensions with […]

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Richard Sakwa: RE: Keith Gessen’s article [“The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio”]

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of White House with South Lawn and Fountain

Subject: RE: Keith Gessen’s article Date: Mon, 14 May 2018 From: Richard Sakwa <R.Sakwa@kent.ac.uk> [Richard Sakwa is a Professor of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent and Associate Fellow of Chatham House] Keith Gessen’s fascinating account of the inner workings of the US foreign policy establishment provides real insight into how policy is formulated and implemented. Of […]

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NEWSWATCH: “John McCain: ‘Vladimir Putin Is an Evil Man'” – Wall Street Journal/The Saturday Essay/John McCain

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
John McCain file photo

[note from JRL web editor: warning, contains mild profanity] “… Sir Andrew Wood, a retired British diplomat … told me he knew a former MI6 officer … Christopher Steele ….  * * * I agreed to receive a copy of … ‘the dossier.’ …. The allegations were disturbing … I had no idea which if any were true. I could not […]

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NEWSWATCH VIDEO: “Cohen vs. McFaul – Is Russia or America to blame for the New Cold War?” – Meduza/Kevin Rothrock & Embedded YouTube Video

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations, Videos
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

“Living in New York City, retired from academia, and unencumbered by the Washington consensus on Russia, Professor Stephen Cohen does not keep a low profile. In recent years, he has been one of America’s most vocal ‘dissidents’ when it comes to the nation’s Russia policies. On Wednesday, May 9, Cohen visited the Harriman Institute at Columbia University to debate Stanford […]

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NEWSLINK: “Michael McFaul: The smear that killed the ‘reset’; Putin needed an American enemy. He picked me.” – Washington Post/Michael McFaul

Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Michael McFaul Standing and Barack Hussein Obama Sitting at Desk, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“Michael McFaul, the director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a Hoover fellow at Stanford University, was the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014. He is the author, most recently, of ‘From Cold War to Hot Peace.’ …”  

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Putin: Russia Looks To Get Free Of U.S. Dollar ‘Burden’ In Oil Trade

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Offshore Oil Rig file photo

(Oilprice.com – Tsvetana Paraskova – May 9, 2018) Russia is mulling over ways to ‘get free’ of the U.S. dollar burden in oil trade as part of a plan to boost its national economic sovereignty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “Oil is traded in dollars on the exchange,” TASS news agency quoted Putin as saying. “Certainly, we are thinking about […]

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Jerry Hough: “re Gessen’s article [‘The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio’]”

History, Soviet Union, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of White House with South Lawn and Fountain

Subject: re Gessen’s article Date: Thu, 10 May 2018 From: Jerry Hough <jhough1935@gmail.com> [Jerry Hough is James B. Duke Professor of Political Science at Duke University. Author of How the Soviet Union is Governed; Soviet Leadership in Transition; The Struggle for the Third World; Soviet Debate and American Options; Democratization and Revolution in the USSR 1985-1991; and The Logic of […]

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Mary Dejevsky: “re Gessen’s article [‘The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio’]”

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of British Parliament Building, Big Ben, Thames, adapted from image at loc.gov

Subject: re Gessen’s article Date: Wed, 9 May 2018 From: Mary Dejevsky <marydejevsky@gmail.com> [Mary Dejevsky is a writer and broadcaster. She is a former foreign correspondent in Moscow, Paris and Washington, and a special correspondent in China and many parts of Europe.] Who makes US Russia policy and why is it in such a mess is the question Keith Gessen […]

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Stephen Blank: “Re: Keith Gessen’s ‘The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio'”

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

Subject: Re: Keith Gessen’s “The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio” Date: Wed, 9 May 2018 From: Stephen Blank <traininblank@aol.com> [Stephen Blank is a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council.] [nytimes.com/2018/05/08/magazine/the-quiet-americans-behind-the-us-russia-imbroglio.html] Having read Gessen’s article, I must say that it is tendentious, simplistic and unconvincing. He only solicited the view of a few people who appear to share […]

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More comments on Keith Gessen’s “The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio.” – Richard Hofer, James Carden, Nicolai Petrov, Hank Gaffney

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

[DJ: More comments on Keith Gessen’s “The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio.” With Richard Hofer, James Carden, Nicolai Petrov, and Hank Gaffney.] Subject: Re: 2018-#82-Johnson’s Russia List Date: Tue, 8 May 2018 From: Richard Hofer <richofer@yahoo.com> Richard Hofer Central Asia Consultancy Ltd Canada Very thoughtful of course and quite alarming. One must have a sense of sympathy for those […]

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NEWSWATCH EVENT VIDEO: “[Stephen Cohen and Michael McFaul Debate:] THE NEW U.S.-RUSSIAN COLD WAR – WHO IS TO BLAME? [Live Streamed, Wednesday, May 9, 5-7p.m. ET, from New York City]” – Columbia University, Harriman Institute/NYU Jordan Center

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

“THE NEW U.S.-RUSSIAN COLD WAR-WHO IS TO BLAME? Columbia University, Harriman Institute/NYU Jordan Center Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 5:00pm – 7:00pm Teatro, Italian Academy (2nd Floor, 1161 Amsterdam Ave) [harriman.columbia.edu/event/new-us-russian-cold-war] … Registration is SOLD OUT. … “ Live stream: harriman.columbia.edu/event/new-us-russian-cold-war It can also be accessed directly through YouTube, here: youtube.com/watch?v=jUWAsTij9yg  “Please join The Harriman Institute and New York University’s […]

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Putin Hits Out At U.S. In Red Square Parade Speech

History, Soviet Union, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russia Map

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – May 9, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/russia-marks-end-of-world-war-ii-with-military-parade-on-red-square/29216745.html) Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued veiled criticism of the United States in a speech before a Red Square parade marking the anniversary of Germany’s defeat in World War II, listing “pretentions to exceptionalism” as a factor that drove Nazi aggression and […]

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NEWSWATCH: “The big chill: the alarming decline in U.S.-Russian relations; A candid expert account suggests little will change under the current leadership” – Financial Times/Mary Sarotte

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Michael McFaul Standing and Barack Hussein Obama Sitting at Desk, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“Soviet-era jokes are fashionable once again in Russia. … a man walks into the headquarters of … the FSB … and says, ‘My pet parrot is missing.’ An agent responds, ‘Why are you wasting my time? Complain to the police or animal control!’ Man adds hastily, ‘Sorry, I told them already. I’m informing you because, if they find my parrot, […]

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NEWSLINK: “Russians Posed as ISIS Hackers to Threaten U.S. Military Wives; ‘Bloody Valentine’s Day!’ they wrote” – AP

Cybersecurity, Military, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

“Army wife Angela Ricketts was soaking in a bubble bath in her Colorado home, leafing through a memoir, when a message appeared on her iPhone from hackers threatening to slaughter her family. … the women were targeted not by jihadists but by … [a] Russian hacking group ….”

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NEWSLINK: “Senators: Extent of Russian election intrusion still unknown” – Washington Post/AP, Mary Clare Jalonick, Christina A. Cassidy

Cybersecurity, Newslinks, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Multilingual Polling Place Sign from U.S. Election Polling Place

“The United States still doesn’t know — and may never know — the extent of Russian interference in state election systems in 2016, according to bipartisan findings released Tuesday by the Senate intelligence committee. … The committee found that in at least six states ‘Russian-affiliated cyber actors’ conducted ‘malicious access attempts on voting-related websites’ that went beyond routine scanning previously […]

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NEWSLINK: “U.S. trains troops for front line in ‘hybrid war’ with Russia” – CBS

Military, Newslinks, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… The U.S. is supporting its ally Ukraine in a war against Russian-backed militants. The rebels have seized swathes of territory in eastern Ukraine since 2014, in a conflict that’s killed 10,000 people by some counts. … Ukraine says thousands of Russians are fighting in the east, alongside the rebels. Moscow has repeatedly denied it’s involved in the conflict ….”

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NEWSLINK: “The Quiet Americans Behind the U.S.-Russia Imbroglio; Can Washington’s ‘Russia hands’ help explain why the post-Cold War relationship has gone off the rails?” – New York Times Magazine/Keith Gessen

Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of White House with South Lawn and Fountain

“The strangest Russian political scandal so far this year – a year that hasn’t lacked for them – revolves around a Belarusian escort named Anastasia Vashukevich, who goes by the name Nastya Rybka. Rybka, whose pseudonym means “little fish,” is a prolific Instagrammer, a teacher of “sex workshops” and the author of a how-to book, “Who Wants to Seduce a […]

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NEWSLINK: “The Navy is resurrecting a fleet to protect the East Coast and North Atlantic from Russia” – Washington Post/Alex Horton

Military, Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Aerial Photo of Pentagon and Environs

“The U.S. Navy has reactivated a fleet responsible for overseeing the East Coast and North Atlantic — an escalation of the Pentagon’s focus on a resurgent Russia and its expanding military presence. …”

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NEWSWATCH: “Putin launches another term as Russia’s president. It might even be his last.” – Washington Post/Anton Troianovski, Amie Ferris-Rotman

JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Russia & the West, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Putin Descending a Staircase

“… Putin, already the longest serving leader of Russia since Stalin, launched a fourth presidential term on Monday in which he has promised to improve Russian lives at home while showing no sign of backing down in his confrontation with the West ….” Click here for: “Putin launches another term as Russia’s president. It might even be his last.” – […]

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NEWSWATCH: “McFaul: Putin is disappointed in what Trump has delivered to Russia directly, but very satisfied with the damage he has done to American unity domestically and American leadership abroad. For more, listen in: NPR Politics …” – @McFaul on Twitter

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Michael McFaul – @McFaul – Twitter – May 5, 2018) Putin is disappointed in what Trump has delivered to Russia directly, but very satisfied with the damage he has done to American unity domestically and American leadership abroad. For more, listen in: NPR Politics @nprpolitics “The disarray inside the United States, that’s a giant victory for Vladimir Putin,” ex-Ambassador Michael […]

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NEWSLINK: “Popular Putin prepares for Cold War 2.0; As US-led Western hostility against Moscow mounts, Vladimir Putin’s new government is bound to be a war cabinet” – Asia Times/Pepe Escobar

Military, Newslinks, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

“… Putin is expected to announce a new government. And a bombshell is in the making. The new cabinet is bound to be a Stavka: that is, a war cabinet. …”

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NEWSLINK: “From Cold War to Hot Peace” – Medium/Michael McFaul

Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Michael McFaul Standing and Barack Hussein Obama Sitting at Desk, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“… What happened? How did we go from toasting the Reset in Prague in 2010 to lamenting its end in Moscow just two years later? Nothing fundamental had changed in our policy toward Russia. Nor had Russia done anything abroad that might trigger new animosity — that would come later. The one obvious change between these two meetings was Russia’s leadership. Medvedev […]

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NEWSWATCH: “After a week of Russian propaganda, I was questioning everything” – PBS Newshour/Elizabeth Flock

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Satellite Dishes

“… Enter Radio Sputnik. Like its sister outlet RT … a Russian government-funded media outlet, widely seen by Russia experts as a vehicle to disseminate disinformation for the Kremlin, and, like its space-dwelling namesake, to make the West look bad. … RT is television[ …] Sputnik lives on the radio, a wire service and website. Both RT and Sputnik are […]

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Russia, Despite Military Ventures, Cut Defense Spending By Most In Decades

Budget, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Soldiers Marching

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – May 2, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/russia-despite-ventures-syria-ukraine-cut-military-spending-last-year-most-since-1998-economic-collapse-western-sanctions-recession/29203634.html) Western sanctions and a long recession forced Russia’s military to slash spending by 20 percent last year, its first drop in nearly two decades, a closely followed think-tank report said. Despite Russia’s flexing of its military muscle around the world, with its […]

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EVENT: “The New U.S.-Russian Cold War – Who is to Blame?” – A debate between Stephen F. Cohen and Michael McFaul [New York City Wednesday, May 9, 2018]

Events, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

Subject: Stephen F. Cohen and Michael McFaul debate the “New U.S.-Russian Cold War” REGISTER NOW: The New U.S.-Russian Cold War – Who is to Blame? a debate between Stephen F. Cohen and Michael McFaul Wednesday, May 9, 2018 5:00pm – 7:00pm Teatro, Italian Academy (2nd Floor, 1161 Amsterdam Ave) New York Please join The Harriman Institute and New York University’s […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Defying Russia, Trump provides Javelin anti-tank busters to Ukraine” – Financial Times/Roman Olearchyk

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Soldier Firing Javelin Shoulder-Mounted Anti-Tank Missile

“The U.S. has delivered …Javelin anti-tank busters to Ukraine … the first provision of lethal weaponry to Kiev despite warnings from Moscow …. [T]he handheld fire-and-forget precision Javelin systems stand to help Ukraine’s army repel future attacks by Russian-backed militants who seized control over Far Eastern breakaway regions in 2014 after Moscow occupied Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. U.S. and Ukrainian officials […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Bondageddon” – bne Intellinews/Ben Aris

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Portion of U.S. Treasury Department Building Facade, North Side, with Sculpture of Alexander Hamilton

“Russian assets are nuclear toxic waste again. On April 6 the U.S. Treasury Department … released a new set of targeted sanctions aimed at some of Russia’s biggest businessmen and their companies, and unleashed chaos on the markets. Russian assets were hot until the new sanctions, with foreign investors piling into Russia’s sovereign ruble-denominated debt as one of the best […]

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Russians Not Turning on Kremlin Even as Latest US Sanctions Bite

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(Voice of America – voanews.com – Jamie Dettmer – April 30, 2018) The latest U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia earlier this month targeting two dozen Kremlin insiders and oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin and their companies are proving more painful than had been expected, say analysts. But they’re doing nothing at this stage in turning ordinary Russians against the Kremlin […]

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NEWSLINK: “Q&A: Ukraine’s Got Javelins Now. So What?” – Atlantic Council/Melinda Haring

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Military, Newslinks, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Soldier Firing Javelin Shoulder-Mounted Anti-Tank Missile

“On April 30, the U.S. Department of State confirmed … the delivery of Javelin antitank missile systems to Ukraine. This issue has been long-standing: the Obama administration refused to send the weapons to Kyiv, while President Donald Trump changed course. Some experts warn that giving Ukraine lethal defensive weapons will only enrage the Russians and escalate the war, while others, […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Exeter author: U.S., Russia relations spiral into second Cold War” – SeacoastOnline (New Hampshire)/Alex LaCasse

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladirmir Putin and Donald Trump Sitting in Chairs with Flags Behind, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“… deteriorating relations between United States, its western partners and Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin have already spiraled into a second Cold War. * * * Despite … ongoing animosity between Russia and the United States, Straus believes there is a deal to be struck … over global security issues like Syria. However, he said that would likely […]

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West, Russia ‘Share Interest’ In Afghan Stability, Top U.S. Commander Says

Afghanistan, Central Asia, Military, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. NATO Troops Atop Ridge in Afghanistan

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – April 28, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/afghanistan-west-russia-share-interest-in-stability-top-u-s-commander-says/29197663.html) The West and Russia have a shared interest in Afghanistan’s stability, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has told RFE/RL. “We both share an interest in countering the terrorists who threaten our country and threaten Russia and threaten Central Asia,” General John […]

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The Anti-Russia Surge in U.S. Politics: Finding Context

History, Soviet Union, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of White House with South Lawn and Fountain

(PONARS Eurasia – Ivan Kurilla – April 2018 – ponarseurasia.org/memo/anti-russia-surge-us-politics-finding-context) Ivan Kurilla is Professor at the European University at St. Petersburg. (PONARS Policy Memo) Donald Trump’s triumph in the 2016 presidential election discharged an unprecedented political and media movement linking his victory to Russian interference in the U.S. political system. The president’s defenders called this a “witch hunt” but they […]

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NEWSWATCH: “I will say once again: 1) There is not a shred of evidence for the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. …” – Leonid Bershidsky/Twitter

Cybersecurity, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Montage of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Logos, adapted from image at nps.gov

(Leonid Bershidsky (Bloomberg) – Twitter @Bershidsky – April 27, 2018) [embedded tweet should load below] I will say once again: 1) There is not a shred of evidence for the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. 2) There are few Americans who know anything about how Moscow works, who’s important and who’s connected to whom, and these few have largely kept out of […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANCRIPT: “Excerpts from Dmitry Medvedev’s interview with the Vesti v Subbotu (News on Saturday) programme” – GovernmentRu

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Dmitri Medvedev file photo

(Government.ru – April 28, 2018) The Prime Minister answered the questions of Sergei Brilyov, the programme’s host. Dmitry Medvedev: In the past six years, the Government has worked in unprecedented conditions, which include unfavourable changes in the global economy and on the hydrocarbons market, as well as sanctions, starting with those imposed on Russia in 2014. All of this taken […]

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NEWSLINK: “Forgotten Truths: On the Imperative of Cooperating With – Not Criminalizing – Russia; Cooperation with Moscow remains vital for American national security, but ‘Russiagate’ allegations, now codified in a DNC lawsuit, are making that decades-long pursuit a crime” – The Nation/Stephen F. Cohen

Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladirmir Putin and Donald Trump Sitting in Chairs with Flags Behind, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“… Nearly two years of “Russiagate” allegations, which still remain unproven, have more than implied that “contacts” or “ties” with anyone “linked to” Russian officialdom, directly or indirectly, are inherently suspicious ….”

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NEWSLINK: “Time to show Russia a military parade – In Syria” – Brookings Institution/Shalom Lipner

Military, Newslinks, Syria, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Syria Map

“Editor’s Note: Nowhere are Russia’s footsteps more pronounced today than in the Middle East, its old Soviet stomping grounds, where the locals are increasingly deferential to Putin. The question is what Trump intends to do about the situation, writes Shalom Lipner. This piece originally appeared in The National Interest. …”  

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RUSSIALINK: “Kremlin cool on U.S. cooperation overtures” – Interfax

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Interfax – April 24, 2018) The Kremlin has responded coolly to US statements about President Donald Trump’s reported readiness to cooperate with Russia. Commenting on US ambassador to Russia John Huntsman’s recent statement that Trump is “aiming to lessen tensions” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “As of now, the reality, the real state of affairs, real steps which we see […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Midwestern Democrats Want The National Party To Stop The Trump-Russia Talk; ‘The only ones who want to do this are Democratic activists who are already voting Democratic.'” – BuzzFeed/Molly Hensley-Clancy

JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
United States Map, adapted from image at epa.gov

“In battleground states in the middle of the country, some Democrats watched with frustration … a splashy new lawsuit alleging a vast conspiracy between … Trump and Russia.  The Democratic National Committee’s drumbeat … is wearing thin with some Democrats … particularly in the Midwest, where people on the ground say voters are uninterested and even turned off by the […]

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NEWSWATCH: Five Reasons Democrats Are Suing Over Their Russia Collusion Narrative; The Democratic National Committee just filed a civil suit in the Southern District of New York against the Russian government, members of the Trump campaign, and WikiLeaks” – The Federalist/Willis L. Krumholz

Cybersecurity, JRL NewsBlog, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
U.S. Courthouse for Southern District of New York in Manhattan

“The … DNC[], still trying to cope with Hillary Clinton’s defeat, just filed a civil suit … [against] the Russian government, members of the Trump campaign … and WikiLeaks. The [66-page] complaint … contains nothing you haven’t heard from the media …. The lawsuit … extensively recount[s] Democrats’ conspiracy-theorist and still-unproven version of the 2016 election. … the mainstream press […]

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NEWSWATCH: “The Soviet roots of invoking fears about World War III” – Brookings/James Kirchick

History, Soviet Union, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“Editor’s Note: Dire predictions about foreign intervention leading to ‘World War III’ aren’t merely the most predictable and laziest form of anti-interventionist ‘logic,’ argues Jamie Kirchick. They’re also an insidious echo of Soviet propaganda, routinely deployed to undercut the West’s defense of democracy and important international norms. …” Click here for: “The Soviet roots of invoking fears about World War […]

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NEWSWATCH: “The Rusal Case Is a Failure of U.S. Sanctions; There are ways to hit Putin’s shadowy cronies without hurting top Russian firms” – Bloomberg/Leonid Bershidsky

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“… Most of the $1 trillion that has fled Russia to the West since the Soviet Union’s collapse isn’t owned by the old-school ‘oligarchs.’ It was the corrupt officials and the little-known regime clients who moved it overseas. The West is still doing little to track that wealth and its owners; it’s looking under the lamp, not in the shadows where […]

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NEWSLINK: “Russia likely targeted all 50 states in 2016, but has yet to try again, DHS cyber chief says” – ABC News/Mike Levine

Cybersecurity, Newslinks, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Multilingual Polling Place Sign from U.S. Election Polling Place

“… even with the campaign season underway the U.S. government has yet to detect any new cyber activity from Russia targeting election systems … Nevertheless … it’s likely every single U.S. state was targeted by Russian hackers during the 2016 presidential election – far more states potentially impacted than the public may have realized. …”

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