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Russia’s Mistral Deal: Where the Wind Blows

Details: 18 July 2014; Elena Servettaz

Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the West has been increasingly concerned about the delivery of two French Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia. With the third round of sanctions on the way, Paris’s continued insistence on delivering the carriers has brought a note of discord to the West’s general strategy of countering Russian aggression in Ukraine. Paris-based journalist Elena Servettaz discusses the controversial deal.

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Political Prisoners

The Bolotnaya Case: Another Guilty Verdict

Details: 25 July 2014; Julia Polukhina

On July 24, two activists from the Left Front, Sergei Udaltsov and Leonid Razvozzhaev, were found guilty of organizing mass disorder on May 6, 2012. The defendants in this politically motivated case were sentenced to terms of 4.5 years each. Julia Polukhina, the Novaya Gazeta correspondent who covered this trial, summarizes the results of the latest episode of the Bolotnaya cases specially for IMR.

Details: Nation

Ukrainian Refugees: Between Propaganda and Reality

Details: 15 July 2014; Tatiana Stanovaya

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees fled to Russia as a result of military operations in the southern and eastern Ukraine. As the Kremlin manipulates the refugees factor in its propaganda campaign against Ukraine, the real scale of the problem remains unclear. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya discusses the current situation.

Details: Politics

New Russian Laws: Can a “Like” Really Send You to Prison?

Details: 14 July 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

On June 30, president Vladimir Putin signed a law introducing several legislative amendments directed at toughening Russia’s laws on fighting extremism. These include imprisonment for funding extremist activities and calling for extremism via the Internet. Analyst Alexander Podrabinek argues that this law is hardly new, and that its goal is to instill nervousness in the public.

Details: World

Russia Approves New U.S. Envoy

Details: 11 July 2014; Donald N. Jensen

On July 9, the Kremlin formally approved the appointment of John Tefft as the next U.S. ambassador to Russia. In an atmosphere of crisis between Russia and the West not seen since the end of the Cold War, Tefft faces a hard task. However, as Donald N. Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, argues, no ambitious new campaign to improve the U.S.-Russia relationship is on the horizon. On the contrary, the United States is likely to seek to minimize cooperation with Russia.

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