Russia

July 27, 2009

Foreign Policy in the Pressure Cooker

Though this paper bears a date of “June 2009,” I have just now come across it.  Stanislav Secrieru of the excellent Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) has a piece which considers whether or not the economic crisis and lower...
July 27, 2009

Russia Still Unhappy after the Bruising from Biden

It looks like this hasn’t gone away yet, as the Russian newspapers opened the week with several front page stories on the Biden comments (though not so much about the Hillary response): From the Associated Press: Some newspapers and commenta...
July 27, 2009

Legislating Lawlessness

Somebody from Freedom House wrote an op/ed in the Moscow Times about Russia’s moves to water down its responsibilities before the European Court of Human Rights. Georgy Matyushkin, Russia’s representative to the European Court of Human...
July 27, 2009

Alleged Gas Mobster Released

We have written a number of blog posts about the arrest of Semyon Mogilevich, his alleged ties to the natural gas trade, and the subsequent trial.  Today, we are shocked to read of his release from jail. From the Financial Times, which also n...
July 27, 2009

The Russian Teddy Bear

President Dmitry Medvedev has made some sensible comments over the weekend about what he envisions as Russia’s image: The Russian bear needs to be attractive to be respected by the rest of the world and it cannot become stronger without good...
July 27, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – July 27, 2009

TODAY: Biden’s comments on ‘withering’ Russia cause consternation; Clinton steps in to smooth over reset cracks.  Medvedev interview; ‘bear’ needs to appear more friendly.  Russia threatens sanctions on firm...
July 27, 2009

Hillary Clinton Cleans Up after Biden

My apologies for the Sunday silence – I’m told that spending a day away from the internet in the summer is good for my health.  At any rate, as many readers already know, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton spent an hour on Meet the Pre...
July 25, 2009

Sergei Kovalev: Judicial Pillaging at Khodorkovsky Trial

The following is a letter from the human rights advocate Sergei Kovalev in support of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The letter was also published on korpunkt.com and khodorkovsky.ru. With the YUKOS trial, the power is engaging not only and not so much in ...
July 25, 2009

Biden: Russia is Shrinking and Pragmatic

The interview with Vice President Joseph Biden in today’s Wall Street Journal makes for fascinating reading, though there are certainly some quotes that are bound to ruffle feathers, such as his comments about Russia’s “withering...
July 25, 2009

Riot Police Break Up Estemirova Funeral

There are some things that should be sacred.  A funeral, no matter who it is for, should not be disturbed like this.  Hasn’t the Kremlin sent enough messages to their people that they should be afraid?  From the New York Times...