Posts Tagged ‘Washington’
Posted on October 1, 2009 - by Venik
War in Georgia: Reviewing EU Findings
As some of you may have heard, the international fact-finding mission (IIFFMCG) organized by the EU to investigate the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia has finally released its final report. As was expected, most of the blame for starting the war went to Georgia. Russia’s “fault”, according to the investigators, for the most part [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
Iran’s Ahmadinejad dismisses claims of election fraud
Multimedia Photo: Photo tour with RIA Novosti. Iran Video: Iran campaigning heats up MOSCOW, June 14 (RIA Novosti) – Iran’s newly re-elected president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, dismissed on Sunday allegations of election fraud, and called his victory a blow to the “oppressive system” ruling the world. Tehran has been hit by a second day of protests [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
World Russia Forum 2009 Summary and Assessment
“Don’t bother pushing the ambiguous Reset Button; just replace the whole operating system.” That’s the advice offered President Obama and President Medvedev at the 28th Annual World Russia Forum that took place 27-28 April in Washington. Since 1981 the Forum has been organized by Edward Lozansky’s American University in Moscow (AUM). Of late, Discovery Institute [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
World Russia Forum 2009 Photo Report
View of the Capitol dome in the sunrise from room 902 of the Hart Senate office building. Due to extended travel I only recently had the chance to go through pictures taken during the World Russia Forum 2009 in Washington D.C. on April 27 and 28. Please enjoy the overdue photo report from the annual [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
What Can Save Russia's Liberals?
An afternoon at the Moscow’s Victory Park (photo by Yuri Mamchur) Yesterday, The Washington Post published Mr. Lev Gudkov’s article “False Choices For Russia” (see below). This article is more an attitude than a program. It doesn’t really say what Russians or Americans should do to promote “democracy” in Russia. But I have an idea [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
Russia Blog: 1,050 Original Posts, 7,000 Readers’ Comments, and Counting!
After a brief break in posting new articles, we’re back to offer you unique and exciting commentary on Russia’s politics, economy, and culture. Russia Blog proudly notes that since 2005 we have published over 1,000 original posts and 7,000 original reader comments. We sincerely welcome your readership and your financial support. Thank you for reading [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
Follow-up on the Former Moldavian SSR Commentary
Michael Averko addressing the guests of the World Russia Forum in Washington D.C. Last month’s parliamentary election and political demonstration in Moldova led to greater attention focused on that country. A few relatively high placed articles on the subject have been followed up on. Appearing shortly before the vote and protest, Vlad Spanu’s March 20 [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
Is NATO Disrupting Russia 'Reset'?
This article originally appeared in The Washington Times Only a couple of short months after the United States and Russia exchanged encouraging remarks about resetting troubled relations, the two countries find themselves again at odds over Georgia. Last week, NATO began monthlong military exercises in Georgia that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called an “open [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
A ‘Reset’ Is Not Enough
By E. Wayne Merry This article originally appeared in The New York Times. E. Wayne Merry was a speaker at the World Russia Forum which was recently held in Washington, D.C. by Discovery Institute and the American University in Moscow. The Obama administration has offered to “reset” relations with Russia. But what is really needed [...]
Posted on June 15, 2009 - by Venik
The Atlantic Monthly Asks: "Is the U.S. Becoming Russia?"
The new U.S.-Russia arms race…bailouts and printing money? In its May 2009 issue The Atlantic Monthly published an article featuring the provocative title, “Is the U.S. Becoming Russia?”. The author, Simon Johnson, is an academic economist at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and former director of the International Monetary Fund from 2007 to 2008. Prof. [...]
Posted on November 15, 2008 - by Venik
Russian Missiles: the Minsk Option
A number of times over the past months and even years various Russian government officials mentioned a possibility of a ballistic missile deployment in Belarus. The independent-minded Lukashenko kept Putin at an arm’s length, while managing to achieve a seemingly impossible task: to annoy Moscow, Brussels, and Washington all at the same time. Lately, however, [...]
Posted on November 7, 2008 - by Venik
Saakashvili’s Endgame
As waning wartime patriotism in Georgia gives way to realistic assessments of the facts, Saakashvili can now see the end of his political career rapidly approaching. As predicted, the situation in Tbilisi is developing rapidly and Saakashvili may be expected to make his endgame early next year, probably soon after Obama’s inaugural speech in Washington. [...]
Posted on October 17, 2008 - by Venik
On the State of Our Bernanked Economy
Yesterday Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the US economy faces a “significant threat”. Dr. Bernanke was not optimistic, not optimistic at all: “Stabilization of the financial markets is a critical first step, but even if they stabilize as we hope they will, broader economic recovery will not happen right away…” This “even if” [...]
Posted on August 23, 2008 - by Venik
Old Dogs, Old Tricks.
Just finished reading “How to Deter Russia”, by William Courtney and Kenneth Yalowitz (The Washington Post, August 23, 2008, p. A15). Courtney is the former US Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Georgia. Yalowitz is the former US Ambassador to Belarus and Georgia. It is absolutely astonishing how two diplomats with so much relevant experience can misinterpret [...]
