Month: June 2009

June 24, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – June 24, 2009

TODAY: Medvedev meets Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and LAS in Cairo; supports idea of Middle East peace talks before year’s end; Lavrov says Russian security idea is not anti-NATO; European report launches stinging attack on Russian just...
June 23, 2009

The Khamovnichesky Court Circus

The following is an exclusive translation from Novaya Gazeta, published on Monday, describing the pandemonium and absurdity which occurred during the Khodorkovsky trial on days 35-38. “Your honor, why is the public laughing?” Significa...
June 23, 2009

Russia’s Politicized Legal System

Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, a former German minister of justice and an observer at the first trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has released a very important report on the politically motivated abuses of courts in members of the Council of Eur...
June 23, 2009

Russia to Raise Carbon Emissions

President Dmitry Medvedev has unveiled a rather curious environment plan to put greenhouse gas emissions back to the level they were at in 1990 – which essential means a 30% increase.  At least they are talking about the issue, point ou...
June 23, 2009

Kyrgyzstan Double Dipping on U.S. and Russia

Remember back when the Russians bribed the Kyrgyz government with a $2 billion aid package in order to kick the Americans out of the Manas airbase, severely hampering the U.S. government’s ability to operate in Afghanistan?  Well it loo...
June 23, 2009

Energy Blast – June 23, 2009

During his trip to Africa, President Medvedev will attempt to secure energy deals in Egypt, Nigeria, Namibia, and Angola.  Gazprom Neft may issue up to $1 billion in bonds and is considering possible acquisitions in Russia, Kazakhstan and Slo...
June 23, 2009

Today in Russian Business – June 23, 2009

Bloomberg reports that rising oil prices will not encourage economic growth without a recovery in lending and the slump may therefore increase in the second quarter.  The head of the Bank of Russia has said that in June inflation will not exc...
June 23, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – June 23, 2009

TODAY: Yevkurov stable, investigation into assassination attempt opened; Medvedev about to take on Africa; US and Kyrgyzstan broker new deal on transit at Manas base; lack of OSCE monitors in Georgia may allow tension to boil over; Russia marks Da...
June 23, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – June 23, 2009

TODAY: Yevkurov stable, investigation into assassination attempt opened; Medvedev about to take on Africa; US and Kyrgyzstan broker new deal on transit at Manas base; lack of OSCE monitors in Georgia may allow tension to boil over; Russia marks Da...
June 22, 2009

Making History with Russia

I liked this line from Shevtsova’s MT article: Nevertheless, Obama might try to pull off something in Moscow that no other U.S. president has succeeded in doing: reaching an agreement with the Kremlin on issues of common interest and at the ...