Gentle reader*, People that have an itch at scribbling generally entertain their visitors with their happy projects, high flights, and wonderful publications, therefore 'tis to be supposed this blogue is in great measure the subject of many a...
Gentle reader*, People that have an itch at scribbling generally entertain their visitors with their happy projects, high flights, and wonderful publications, therefore 'tis to be supposed this blogue is in great measure the subject of many a...
With an avalanche of news about the government shutdown, DACA, CHIP and Stormy Daniels, the American news media did not have too much time to cover Putin’s nipples (this time around), even though it...
For Russia watchers Christmas always comes early (or Hanukkah comes right on time!) when Putin gives his annual presser in mid-December to the journalists from Russia and around the world. This year...
I know most of you are busy watching the all-too-real reality horror show of the 45th administration, but there has been some interesting news coming  out of Russia (sorry, no meteorites or Putin's...
Next Sunday, Russians are expected to go to the polls and overwhelmingly endorse the candidates of the pro-Putin party, Edinaya Rossiya.* What I find surprising is the level to which the government feels it needs to engage in electoral hanky-panky: all signs suggest that Edinaya Rossiya would receive a comfortable majority, even without the blatant manipulation of the system. Kommersant reports that a recent poll shows that it is very likely that no party besides Edinaya Rossiya will clear the 7% threshold for Duma representation--in that case, a "loyal opposition" may actually need to be...
I was planning to blog on the Ukrainian elections today (exit polls show a very slim lead for Yulia Timoshenko's party, but both sides claim victory), but, well, things get in the way. Like these headlines:"Putin eyes prime minister's job""Putin Says He Will Run For Parliament"United Russia (Edinaya Rossiya)--the Kremlin-approved dominant political party in Russia--kicked off its election campaign this morning with a party conference. It was widely announced that Putin would attend this meeting, which is not unusual--he has attended past United Russia conferences, though he is not...
No, I don't know what to make of this either:In a meeting with the Valdai Discussion Group, a group of academics and journalists, in the Black Sea town of Sochi (now best known for its successful Olympic bid), Vladimir Putin commented, "Now, at least five people are named who can really stake their claim to be elected president in March 2008. Well, if another real candidate appears, then the Russian people will be able to choose among several people." The only person (other than opposition candidates without a prayer) who has explicitly expressed interest in running is Viktor Zubkov (who, as...
The Duma hasn't even confirmed Viktor Zubkov as Russia's new prime minister, and already he's raising eyebrows. Early commentary on Zubkov pegged him as a quietly competent bureaucrat who was unlikely to make waves or alter the balance of the intra-Kremlin jockeying over succession.But it's so much fun to confound the pundits: today Zubkov told reporters that a run for the presidency is not off the table. So who is this mysterious fellow?Here's a summary from the various bios floating around the media. Like former president Yeltsin, he's originally from the Sverdlovsk region in the southern...
Update below the fold--Ivanov is not the new PM.Reuters is reporting that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov has stepped down. No replacement has yet been named, though Vedomosti is reporting that First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov is the most likely candidate.Prime ministers may come and go, but this is big news because of the open question: who will be the next president of Russia. While I wouldn't be entirely shocked if there was a sudden domestic crisis that necessitated a third term from Vladimir Putin, most Russia watchers believe that he wants to hand off the open reins of...
I find it difficult sometimes to adequately explain to Americans Vladimir Putin's popularity in Russia. We get media stories about Putin's tightening hold on media and political freedoms, and Americans automatically assume that the Russian people must resent this creeping dictatorship.Yet Putin is highly popular, with poll numbers achieved only by American presidents in the aftermath of a major crisis. His positives consistently rank in the high 70s--his disapproves are lower than Bush's approval rating.Some of Putin's popularity is easy to explain: Russia is a richer and less chaotic place...
I'm back in town after having been blissfully detached from the news cycle for two weeks. I seem to have missed quite a lot: resumption of long-range bomber flights, the bombing of the Nevsky Express, yet another (alleged) Russian incursion into Georgian airspace.I'm still working on catching up with everything. In the meantime, here's something for your viewing pleasure: manly man Vladimir Putin goes shirtless in the Siberian forest. Note the crucifix perched on his well-defined pecs. Oo-la-la.
Americans tend to have a very simplistic view of the world. For example: we are opposed to Evil Dictatorship. You are opposed to Evil Dictatorship. We are Liberal Democrats. Therefore you must be Liberal Democrats, too. I suspect that we are not alone in this tendency, but it has frequently gotten us into trouble. We should be careful not to assume that all those who oppose Dictatorships are George Washingtons.Foreign Policy's Passport blog has an excellent example of this fallacy at work. When I read Der Spiegel's interview with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, I was not surprised to see him praise...