To criticize the party online is a crime. The Supreme Court warned the users, that for spreading rumors anyone can get up to three years in prison. This is not just an idle threat. A Beijing TV station showed a confession by a popular blogger taken into custody. He confessed that he had committed “immoral […]
Facing a significant budget crisis, the Ministry of Finance has “found” one trillion roubles worth of spending to cut. Included in that number, however, would be funds for new mothers. As no new social programs are being announced that might help with, for instance, child care or education, this could mean cutting off an important […]
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) met in Sochi to discuss security concerns facing the former Soviet bloc. Izvestia, a pro-Kremlin outlet, highlights the discussion of Syria. According to the report, the CSTO is concerned about “gangs” from Syria endangering their borders. This is curious, as one would think that the “gangs” in Syria have […]
On May 6, 2012, a large anti-Putin protest, the “March of the Millions,” descended into chaos as it was broken up by police in Bolotnaya Square, Moscow. Since that time, Russian authorities have prosecuted 27 people, and some of the trials are still ongoing. This past Sunday there was a benefit concert for the defendants, […]
Vladimir Putin is often written about as a devisive figure, alienating and attacking his enemies and generally isolating Russia from the rest of the world. His policies towards the Ukraine are a perfect example of how he would rather punish those who don’t support Russia than pursue policies that build partnerships. And his doubling-down on […]
ITAR-TASS (the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia) is a state-owned outlet with close ties to the Kremlin. Last week they published the article below in response to the editorial written by American Senator John McCain, which was published on another pro-Kremlin outlet, Pravda.Ru. The article is called “Public Opinion: Reply to McCain,” but as we see […]
This has been the week where foreign policy battles have been waged in newspaper op-eds. First, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote an editorial in the New York Times, criticizing the Obama administration’s rush to war in Syria. In response, an indignant Senator John McCain, highly critical of both Assad and Putin, demanded to write an […]
This is an interesting, though highly technical, article published in Ria Novosti, a federally owned outlet with one of the widest circulations in Russia. It details the technical processes that are required to destroy chemical weapons. The article makes no mention of Syria, though it is clear that one of the key reasons that this […]
Alexei Navalny has announced his readiness to head the Popular Alliance party created at the initiative of his supporters. As a source in the party leadership told Kommersant, the “formal appearance” of Navalny in the post of leader increases the chances of Popular Alliance to register at the Ministry of Justice, which has twice rejected […]
On Monday, September 16th, there was a shooting at the Naval Yard in Washington, D.C., which left 13 people dead. While initial reporting of the incident was notoriously, or perhaps even hilariously, full of false information, by the following day, many of the misinformation had been cleared up. This, among other things, makes the following […]
