Year: 2008

November 7, 2008

Today in Russian Business – Nov 7, 2008

A new poll by VTsIOM suggests that almost half of Russians fear that the credit crisis will cause them to lose their jobs. This article praises Alexei Kudrin’s role in accumulating the stabilization fund that is now keeping Russia afloat. The Audi...
November 7, 2008

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Nov 7, 2008

TODAY: Obama ‘ignored’ Medvedev, says Russian newspaper; Bush administration to engage with Russia over anti-missile measures; lawmakers intend to amend constitution, Kasparov sets up opposition group; Svetlana Bakhmina withdraws request for pardo...
November 6, 2008

Russia’s Dead Cat Bounce

Today Sean-Paul Kelley at the Agonist writes about the Russian hijinks in Georgia and Kaliningrad, which he argues is like a “dead cat bounce” – a slight, fitful resurgence in an otherwise long, steep decline: But, in the long ru...
November 6, 2008

Adam Michnik: The Disease of State Putinism

We are going to be publishing a series of translations from the Russian press which ran following the visit to Moscow of the Polish historian Adam Michnik. This one comes from Svoboda News. Adam Michnik: “Putinism – not only a Russian ...
November 6, 2008

Don’t Fall for the Russia Test

Not that anybody here needs reminding, but we were the first source to predict that Russia would be the first to test Obama. From the Washington Post: It’s not surprising that the regime of Mr. Medvedev and his master, Vladimir Putin, would ...
November 6, 2008

Russia’s Diva Envy of Obama’s Victory

In talking with some colleagues and reviewing the text of President Dmitry Medvedev’s bombastic speech on Nov. 5th, I am struck with the impression that this government sometimes appears to be making its decisions out a ridiculous attention-...
November 6, 2008

A Tasty Sandwich of Threats and Liberal Lip Service

I thought this was pretty amusing from the Moscow Times today, “Hawkish Bread on A Liberal Sandwich.” President Dmitry Medvedev’s first state-of-the-nation speech might be best described as a club sandwich. Rather than sending ou...
November 6, 2008

Gazprom’s YugoRosGas Scandal in Serbia

There are some who unfairly complain that the Kremlin just uses its state-owned energy monopolies Gazprom and Rosneft as political instruments to threaten Western-leaning governments of Eastern Europe with supply cuts. That’s just not true! ...
November 6, 2008

Medvedev Could Resign for Return of Putin

Today Vedomosti is reporting that President Dmitry Medvedev could resign in 2009 in order to clear the way for the return of Vladimir Putin. Citing an unidentified source close to the Kremlin, it is believed that following Medvedev’s proposa...
November 6, 2008

Energy Blast – Nov 6, 2008

Russia and Venezuela begin further energy talks today, as a delegation including Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin arrives in Caracas. Sechin says that Russia will make its own rules on oil production, and Medvedev has proposed conducting oil and ...