Staunton, December 17 — Karelian nationalists who call for the independence of their republic and raise “unnecessary and harmful questions about additional state languages” there are being “seriously underestimated” as a threat to Petrozavodsk and Moscow, according to Sergey Pirozhnikov, a deputy in the republic legislative assembly. The reason that this small group is so […]
Tag: Crimea
Moscow’s Relations With West Will Recover If Russia Remains Capitalist
Staunton, December 16 – Mikhail Budaragin, the editor of the pro-Kremlin United Russia Party’s official website, says that Moscow’s relations with the West “will not last forever” and that Moscow can look forward to a return to normal as long as it remains committed to capitalism and does shift to another “economic model.” Budaragin’s comment […]
Six Bitter Russian Jokes About Russia’s Economic Collapse
Staunton, December 17 – Every political joke is a small revolution, Soviet dissidents often said, and consequently, the anecdotes Russians tell one another about the situations they find themselves in may provide a better indication of where they are at and what they expect than any poll. Today, Yevgeny Babushkin posts six such anecdotes about […]
Ukraine Live Day 297: DNR Begins ‘Partial Withdrawal’ of Artillery As Ceasefire Remains Tenuous
Yesterday’s live coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here. An archive of our liveblogs can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story see our latest podcast. Please help The Interpreter to continue providing this valuable information service by making a donation towards our costs. View Ukraine: April, 2014 […]
Ukraine Live Day 294: Fighting Continues On Eve Of ‘Day Of Silence’
Yesterday’s live coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here. An archive of our liveblogs can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story see our latest podcast. Please help The Interpreter to continue providing this valuable information service by making a donation towards our costs. View Ukraine: April, 2014 […]
Microsoft’s Story Highlights Why West Needs a Formal Non-Recognition Policy on Crimea Now
Staunton, December 5 – Yesterday, Ukrainian and Russian media reported that Microsoft had implicitly recognized the Russian annexation of Crimea by requiring those using its products on the Ukrainian peninsula to apply for new licenses, a story that turned out to be false but that highlights the need for a formal non-recognition policy to clarify […]
Why Tatars Are Called Tatars
Staunton, November 30 – The ethnonym “Tatar” has a long a complicated history, one that reflects both the understanding and confusions of investigators and officials and that highlights both real links and imaginary ones, according to Pavel Gusterin, a specialist on Central Asia and the Middle East at the Russian Institute for Strategic Research. In […]
Circassians, Crimean Tatars Linking Up To Oppose Moscow
Staunton, November 25 – The Circassians and Crimean Tatars are linking up as part of a broader plan orchestrated by Turkey and the West to undermine Russian influence in the Middle East and to challenge Russian control of the North Caucasus and occupied Crimea, according to Russian commentator Vladislav Gulyevich. Over the two years and […]
Russian-Ukrainian War Could Have Begun In 1991, Ikhlov Says
Staunton, November 25 – The Russian-Ukrainian war now going on could have begun in 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. The fact that it didn’t says a great deal about the attitudes of Russian political leaders then and how much they have changed in the intervening period, according to Yevgeny Ikhlov. In a post on […]
Ignoring Aksyonov, US Moves to Adopt Non-Recognition Law On Crimea
Staunton, November 21 – Sergey Aksyonov, head of the Russian occupation administration in Crimea, says that the international community will recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation after US President Barack Obama leaves office, a statement that underscores the need for a formal non-recognition policy on the part of Western governments. An important step […]