Ethnic Intermarriage Declining in Non-Russian Republics of Russian Federation

June 6, 2015

Staunton, June 6 – Approximately one in four marriages in the Russian Federation involves people of different nationalities, but the number of ethnically mixed marriages varies widely among the country’s ethnic communities and between those living in their ethnic homelands and those living elsewhere. That pattern is not surprising given that the number of ethnically […]

Economic Crisis Accelerating Russian Flight from North Caucasus

Staunton, June 6 – The economic crisis is leading to the de-industrialization of parts of the North Caucasus and that in turn is contributing to the flight of ethnic Russians from the region, a departure that is fundamentally changing the ethnic balance in many republics in that region. That trend can be clearly seen in […]

Kremlin’s Success in Blaming Foreign ‘Enemies’ for Domestic Problems Why No Maidan Likely in Russia Soon, Kirillova Says

Staunton, June 6 – The Kremlin’s remarkable ability to blame foreign “enemies” for the problems is a major reason that no one should expect a Maidan in Russia anytime soon, Kseniya Kirillova says. And this is not so much a reflection of any “imperial consciousness” among Russians as the identification Russians make between the state […]

Kremlin’s Support for Refugees from Ukraine but not for Circassians from Syria Intensify Anti-Russian Feelings in North Caucasus

Staunton, June 5 – The contrast between the support Russian officials are giving to refugees from Ukraine and the complete absence of such support for Circassians fleeing from Syria is leading to the intensification of anti-Russian nationalism among the Circassians in the North Caucasus, according to Irina Babich. Babich, a senior scholar at the Moscow […]

Three Reasons Why Russia Should Be Stripped of 2018 World Cup

June 5, 2015

Staunton, June 5 – Even before the upcoming trials of former FIFA staffers confirm, as seems likely, that Moscow corruptly secured the hosting of the 2018 World Cup, a finding that would make it unthinkable to allow the competition to occur in Russia, there are already three compelling reasons why the international community should insist […]

Despite Ukraine, Obama Normalizing Moscow Ties to Boost Hillary Clinton’s Chances, Russian Senator Says

June 3, 2015

Staunton, June 3 – Yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia and the United States, despite their continuing differences over Ukraine and other matters, “are returning to normal relations” and are doing so because they each have interests that can be advanced only by cooperation. Igor Morozov, a member of Russia’s Federation Council […]

West Still Approaching Conflict in Ukraine Tactically Rather than Strategically, Shevtsova Says

June 2, 2015

Staunton, June 2 – The West has been far more united and tougher about Russia’s intervention in Ukraine than anyone would have expected only a year ago, but “one must understand that the West having adopted a tactic about this conflict all the same has not yet elaborated a strategy,” according to Liliya Shevtsova. As […]

Moscow’s Actions Mean Soon There Will Be No Crimea to Return to Ukraine Peacefully or Otherwise

Staunton, June 1 – Many Ukrainians and their supporters abroad talk about the possibility of the peaceful return of Crimea to Ukrainian control at some point in the future, but such talk, while possibly understandable ignores the fact that Moscow is changing Crimea so dramatically that there will soon be no Crimea to return, according […]

Moscow’s Top Five Myths, Fakes and Stupidities About Ukraine This Week

June 1, 2015

Staunton, June 1 – As he does each week, Dmitry Bukovsky of Kyiv’s Delovaya Stolitsa surveys Russian propaganda concerning Ukraine and picks out what he identifies as “the top five propagandistic myths, fakes, and stupidities of the Kremlin” for the last seven days. The past week’s list, which highlights some of the rich variety of […]

New Regional Policy Draft Pushing Russia Toward Hyper-Centralized ‘Post-Federalism,’ Shtepa Says

Staunton, June 1 – Vladimir Putin is launching a new regional policy, one so deeply centralist that “the regions will in fact lose their title of subjects of the Federation and be converted into only objects of administration from the center,” according to Vadim Shtepa, one of Russia’s leading regionalist writers. In today’s Gazeta, Shtepa […]