Russia

June 25, 2009

Judging by Your Friends…

Garry Kasparov’s column in the Wall Street Journal today expounds on the significance of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s choice of Moscow as a good place to during the electoral turmoil to prove his international legitimacy.  He argues that...
June 25, 2009

New Report on Georgia

A recent post from our contributing editor El Maestro on a leaked EU report pinning some blame for the August invasion on Georgia has stirred up about 25 comments so far.  If I knew that’s all everybody wanted to talk about, I wouldR...
June 25, 2009

“How much is pork?”

One would think that with the confusing ban on U.S. pork imports, that Russia wasn’t really concerned with food supply or prices.  But with this news from the Moscow Times, I think Homer Simpson will be booking a ticket immediately.&nbs...
June 25, 2009

The Politkovskaya Trial Redux

Looks like the procuracy is going to have to take a mulligan on the trial of Anna Politkovskaya’s killers.  The Supreme Court issued a decision today overturning the not guilty verdict for Sergei Khajikurbanov, Ibrahim Makhmudov and Dzh...
June 25, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – June 25, 2009

TODAY: Conflicting voices on air base deal; US hits back at Shuvalov’s comments on WTO accession; fears of new Russian incursion prevalent in Georgia; Putin goes to supermarket; priests find new role in crisis; Communists present Stalin as e...
June 25, 2009

Corporate Stars of the “New Russia”

In its current issue, Global Finance Magazine lists what it calls the “Stars of the New Russia” across a variety of business sectors. A lot of the preamble will probably not come as a shocker to those watching Russia on a continuous ba...
June 24, 2009

Russia’s Energy Spies

Please believe me that I’m not just making this one up.  According to a report in Die Welt am Sonntag, Germany’s counter-intelligence agency has its hands full dealing with an influx of SVR agents from Russia targeting the energy ...
June 24, 2009

Video: Khodorkovsky Prosecutors on the Attack

It is difficult to capture the drama from a trial on film, as things can move forward so slowly and arduously, that even the most wonky observers can sometimes have their patience tested, especially in a trial that doesn’t even make sense fr...