Archive

May 19, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – May 19, 2009

TODAY: Attempts to rescue Georgia security talks following Russia and South Ossetia walkout; compulsory income declarations extended; redefining US-Russia nuclear ties; Medvedev aide launches thinly-veiled attack on Putin Russia and South Ossetia ...
May 18, 2009

Abkhazia’s Divisions with Moscow

It would be a mistake to always assume that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are both identical Russian surrogate territories.  South Ossetia, as described by some, is ruled by a group of bandits living off smuggling rents from the Roki tunnel, and...
May 18, 2009

Welcome Lenin, Goodbye Putin

I had meant to link over to this item on the Russia! blog a few days ago, but I guess I got caught up reading thousands of Twitter feeds on the elections in India (while learning nothing new). Trolling LiveJournal for the best of the best, Marina ...
May 18, 2009

Russia’s Double Exposure

Gabriel Stein, chief of research at Lombard Street Research, talks with the Financial Times about why Russia’s economic stimulus policy package has failed to produce results. Mr Stein says Russia is paying the price for its double exposure t...
May 18, 2009

Weathering the Storm in Russia, Putin Looks to Opel

Today the Russian government has announced a 16.9% drop in industrial production in the year to April, which was the sixth consecutive month of contraction, exceeding forecasts by the banks.  The slowdown in industry has the potential to be p...
May 18, 2009

Inhuman Rights

In case there were any lingering doubts left among about the morality deficit of the United Nation’s beleaguered Human Rights Council (HRC), this article by Ibn Warraq published in City Journal puts the case to rest.  Given that the UN ...
May 18, 2009

Video: Crackdown on the Slavic Pride Protest

There were few surprises this weekend over how the Russian police handled a sizable protest by gay rights activists in Moscow, who sought to take advantage of the televised Eurovision event to bring attention to their persecuted status.  As h...
May 18, 2009

Energy Blast – May 18, 2009

President Medvedev has reportedly slammed government ministers for showing ‘barely any progress’ on modernizing Russia’s energy sector.  The New York Times reports on how constructing a gas leviathan has backfired on the Kre...
May 18, 2009

Today in Russian Business – May 18, 2009

The BBC looks at the cold snap hitting Russia’s economy, which contracted by 9.5% in the first quarter, the worst shrinkage in 15 years, with GDP shrinking by 23% from the previous quarter.  Alfa bank cut its predictions for Russia̵...
May 18, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – May 18, 2009

TODAY: US disappointed with Russia’s stance on OSCE; Medvedev hopeful on Obama talks; Abkhazia’s President Bagapsh wary of Russian control; Russia suggests ruble reserve currency for G8; prognosis not good for Russia-EU meeting; gay ri...