Archive

November 4, 2010

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – Nov 4, 2010

TODAY: Other Russia members face extremism charges; Russia rejects Japan warning over Kuril trips; Russia sees Republican Party as ‘dark force’, Clinton says START will pass; calls for Khodorkovsky acquittal; UN permits Russia’s ...
November 3, 2010

Russia, Georgia, and the WTO

Paul J. Saunders writes about the difficulties Washington will face in convincing Georgia to go along with Russia’s ascension to the World Trade Organization. In the narrow sense, Russia needs to be a WTO member more than America needs Russi...
November 3, 2010

Grigory Pasko: Khodorkovsky and the Chimera of Law and Order

In his final words before the court, Mikhail Khodorkovsky stated: “I want for the court in my country to become independent, so we would not leave the traces of totalitarianism as an inheritance for our children and grandchildren. Everybody ...
November 3, 2010

Microsoft Feels the Kremlin Backlash

Following up on some coverage in CSM that Russia was planning to drop Microsoft Windows as the national operating system, Tai Adelaja has an in-depth report in Russia Profile on the software giant’s perplexing investment experience.  It...
November 3, 2010

Shots that Ring Across the World

Somehow I missed this interesting review by Max Boot of C.J. Chivers’ book on the Kalashnikov rifle, the only gun in history to be included on a country’s flag (Mozambique) and even home furnishings. What made the Kalashnikov the winne...
November 3, 2010

Energy Blast – Nov 3, 2010

Global oil prices are at a six-month high.  In conversation with Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, the EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said he wanted Russia to take part in developing an energy strategy with Europe.  Sechin sug...
November 3, 2010

Today in Russian Business – Nov 3, 2010

The headquarters of Alexander Lebedev’s National Reserve Bank in Moscow was raided yesterday by ‘masked police officers […] many of them carrying semi-automatic weapons‘. ‘We don’t see any reason to or...
November 3, 2010

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – Nov 3, 2010

TODAY: Lebedev raid; Medvedev will return to the Kuril Islands, says Lavrov; ties with Norway on the mend; bomb at Athens’ Russia Embassy?  Census, Soviets, NATO meeting today.  Sobyanin continues shuffling; Lake Baikal; Medvedev a...
November 2, 2010

Into the Darkness: Khodorkovsky’s Last Speech

As many readers are well aware, today Mikhail Khodorkovsky delivered his final comments at the last sessions of his second show trial, marking the very last words we will likely hear from him for quite some time.  The verdict, a foregone conc...
November 2, 2010

Alexander Lebedev and the New Legal Nihilism

Just a week ago, the well known media owner Alexander Lebedev was launching new publications in the UK (at a moment when few others are supporting print media), releasing high-minded missives across YouTube denouncing Russian corruption, and lobby...