Russia This Week is a weekly review by the MEMRI Russian Media Studies Project, covering the latest Russia-related news and analysis from media in Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Cartoon Of The Week
Vk.com/13studiya, June 27, 2016.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to emerge from the sewage and calls Kremlin. The answering machine: Mr. Erdogan, you have reached the Kremlin. In order to apologize please dial 1, in order to pay compensations please dial 2.
Zakharova Dixit
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova is one of the most-quoted Russian officials. She is known for using colorful language when describing Russian foreign policy in her weekly press briefings. The following are Zakharova's quotes of the week:
(Mid.ru,
June 28)
"Russia is prepared for a full-scale resumption of tourism ties with Turkey."
(Mid.ru, July 1)
Commenting a Washington Post's article, titled "Russia is harassing U.S. diplomats all over Europe" (June 27, 2016), Zakharova said:
"U.S. authorities constantly come up with new restrictions for Russian diplomats. They have to deal regularly with provocations by the FBI and the CIA who are not concerned about using unacceptable measures, including psychological pressure in the presence of family members. There have been cases where such incidents have involved the staff members of Russian foreign missions when accompanied by their pregnant wives. Unfortunately, there seem to be no limits anymore... The main conclusion that should be drawn in this respect is that by contributing to deteriorating relations with Russia (unfortunately the author of the article failed to grasp this), Washington creates complications for the work of its own diplomats abroad...Again: by pursuing a path of deteriorating relations with Russia using these and other methods, Washington makes life harder for its own diplomats abroad."
On June 29, the Washington Post published another article, titled "Russian FSB guard attacked U.S. diplomat outside Moscow embassy." This time, Zakharova said: "The Washington Post has been actively used by the U.S. State Department and special services for spreading distorted or clearly false information about the alleged harassment of US diplomats in Russia."
(Mid.ru, June 28; Mid.ru, June 30)
"I believe we need a system of Russian-EU relations that will not be subject to personal or national views on relations with Russia."
(Mid.ru, June 28)
"I don't watch the Game of Thrones. To be honest, I don't have enough time. Are you disappointed with me?"
(Mid.ru, June 28)
In The News:
Russia-NATO Relations
NATO Summit in Warsaw And The NATO-Russia Council Meeting
The NATO Summit will be held in Warsaw Poland on July 8. The NATO-Russia Council meeting is scheduled for July 13, 2016.
The NATO Summit And Activities Along Russia's Borders
Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu said he did not rule out the possibility that after the Warsaw summit, NATO will significantly increase its activities and military buildup along Russia's borders. Shoigu added that in order to deter NATO, Russia's Western command is being reinforced. Shoigu said: "We pay a great deal of attention to supplying the command's units with modern arms and armored and special vehicles. This year alone we will provide the Western command with more than 2000 units of new and modernized hardware." According to the official daily newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Russian ministry of defense has already recruited more than 10000 servicemen for the Western Command.
(Rg.ru, June 29)
"Russophobic" Statements To Increase With The Summit's Approach
Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said that with the approach of NATO's Warsaw Summit, anti-Russian pronouncements are going to increase. Konashenkov said: "Like we have warned, with the approaching NATO Warsaw summit, which is expected to decide on deployment along the Russian borders of four battalions, the number of Russophobe shouts from 'political retirees' in the west would only grow. Let me reiterate, the purpose behind all these attacks is to persuade the NATO countries' taxpayers to part more easily with their assets for deployment and defraying the expenses of primarily the American military in Europe."
(Tass.ru, June 27)
During a visit to Greece, Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU, Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov, said that "wild stories" against Russia will probably be broadcast at the NATO summit in Warsaw, in order to give "fresh breath to the outdated raison d'être of the Alliance." Chizkov added: "Our opponents within the EU and NATO know very well that Russia poses no military danger to their countries. For this reason they have resorted to speculations about a supposedly invisible 'hybrid challenge' from the East, which in other circumstances might have even been amusing."
(Russianmission.eu, June 24)
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Brexit And NATO
Russia's permanent representative to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko, said: "I don't think Brexit may have any immediate impact on the alliance. But in any case, it is obvious that it means a rather serious geopolitical change not only in the European, but also in the Euro-Atlantic architecture which will entail serious consequences for both NATO and the entire system of coordinates of Western institutions. Of course, it is difficult today to assess all possible impact but, nevertheless, we would like to draw attention to the fact that many NATO officials in their statements call on Great Britain to keep on as a pillar of NATO unity."
(Tass.ru, June 28)
NATO Missile Defense System
Russian permanent representative to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko, said: "Today, we see that despite serious changes in the sphere of security, the United States' plans of establishing a European segment of the global missile defense shield continue being implemented, including the recently commissioned facility in Romania and opening of another facility in Poland in 2018. The United States has also completed its naval component. I would like to remind - four US warships equipped with the Aegis combat system are based in Spain's Rota Naval Station." He then added that "there are no signs that NATO is ready to reckon with Russia's legitimate security interests." He also stressed: "Everything necessary will be done to preserve the strategic balance and strategic stability. In this case, I am speaking about the reliability of our nuclear potential which is the pillar of strategic stability."
(Tass.ru, June 28)
Russia To Respond If Finland Joins NATO
During a visit to Finland, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia will respond accordingly if neighboring Finland joins NATO. Putin said: "The Finnish president [Sauli Niinisto] came up with the proposals today on the first steps aimed at enhancing confidence and preventing conflicts [in the Baltic airspace]. I have already said that I agree with this... We welcome the Finnish President's proposal [to ban flights over the Baltics with transponders off]. Upon my arrival back in Moscow I will order the Foreign and Defense Ministries to raise this matter at the upcoming Russia-NATO Council meeting, which is to take place after the Russia-NATO summit in Warsaw." He then added: "Do you think we will continue to act in the same manner [if Finland joins NATO]? We have withdrawn our troops 1,500 [km from the border]. Do you think they will stay there?"
(Rt.com, July 1)
The President of Finland,
Sauli Niinisto, with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Source: Kremlin.ru,
July 1)
Accusations That The New NATO Headquarters Are Inspired By The Nazis
The Russian government-owned news agency Sputniknews.com wrote that the new NATO headquarters features a design pattern eerily reminiscent of the Nazi "SS" lightning bolts. The article also states: "The Nazi imagery comes in the footsteps of Germany leading the massive Anaconda War Games. Involving over 30,000 NATO troops, the drills will take place in Poland on the 75th anniversary of the German invasion of the Soviet Union."
(Sputniknews.com, June 28)
U.S. Elections And NATO
Russia's state-operated news agency Ria.ru published an article by Russian columnist Vladimir Lepehin, titled "The US and NATO are at the fatal line." In the article, Lepehin argues that if Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton wins the elections, the possibility of Pentagon's and NATO's active actions on the southern frontier against Russia cannot be ruled out.
(Ria.ru, June 27)
Russia-Turkey Relations
At Russia's initiative, Putin held a telephone conversation with Turkish President Erdogan, after the latter apologized for downing a Russian military aircraft in November, 2015. The Kremlin's website reported: "Putin said that the letter [of apology] he received from the Turkish President opens the road for overcoming the crisis in bilateral relations and beginning the process of renewing joint efforts on international and regional issues and developing the two countries' relations in different areas. In this context, Putin said that he hoped the judicial inquiry underway into the Turkish citizen accused of responsibility for the Russian pilot's death would be objective.
Putin said that he would instruct the Russian Government to begin negotiations with the relevant Turkish agencies to restore mutually advantageous bilateral cooperation in trade, the economy and other sectors. Putin also said during the conversation that Russia could lift the restrictions on Russian tourists visiting Turkey but also noted that it would be good if the Turkish government took extra measures to ensure Russian citizens' safety on Turkish soil...Overall, the conversation was business-like, constructive, and focused on restoring the traditionally friendly nature of the two countries' broad-ranging bilateral relations."
(Kremlin.ru, June 29; See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6492, Russia This Week - June 20-27, 2016, June 27, 2016)
Commenting on Erdogan's letter to Putin, Russian Vice-Premier Alexander Khloponin said: "This process is complex...I believe that the Turkish side must find very serious and weighty arguments for Russia so that we can review our long-term relations for the better."
(Tass.ru, June 28)
Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko said that Russia is ready to resume inter-parliamentary relations with the Turkish parliament. She also added that "the possible format of such a dialogue" is being discussed. Matviyenko said: "Even my spirits have risen, as we have finally overcome the serious obstacles to the development of Russian-Turkish relations, and we will develop them, also remembering the lessons we learned from the tragedy, the crime that was committed when our military plane was downed and our pilot was killed." Matviyenko stressed that although the apologies "are seven months late," it is "the most important event in the normalization of Turkish-Russian relations."
(Tass.ru, June 29)
On July 1, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, at the meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers in Sochi. The two ministers discussed renewing tourism and stressed the need to restore cooperation in the settlement of regional conflicts, above all the Syrian crisis. The officials agreed to resume the activity of bilateral mechanisms of anti-terrorist cooperation with the participation of their countries' foreign services and intelligence agencies.
(Mid.ru, July 1)
Vitaly Podvitsky, Ria.ru, June 27, 2016.
Erdogan: Hello! Hello! Moscow? Hello?
On the broken walls: Perspectives, Relationships, Economy
Russia's Defense
Commanders Of Russia's Baltic Fleet Fired
Russian Defense Minister and Army General Sergei Shoigu fired Baltic Fleet Commander Viktor Kravchuk, his chief of stuff Rear Admiral Sergey Popov and more than fifty high-ranking fleet officers, including other admirals and First Class Captains. According to the Russia media outlet, Fotanka.ru, this is the first time that a massive firing of officials has been made public. According to the official statement Kravchuk and Popov were penalized for "serious shortcomings in organizing combat training, daily activities of their units, poor care of their subordinates as well as misrepresenting the real situation in their reports."
Fotanka.ru reported that in April 2016, a Baltic fleet submarine collided with a Polish intelligence ship and was seriously damaged, which could have led to Kursk-similar accident (i.e. to the submarine's sinking). Reportedly, the Baltic fleet chain of command sought to deny the accident, which indeed happened. However, other sources quoted in Fotanka.ru said that the Baltic Fleet command was apparently engaged in embezzling budget funds for personal use. The Baltic Fleet is supposed to be the Western Command's spearhead deterrent force against NATO in the. However, the auditors apparently discovered that funds allocated to the Baltic Fleet to build infrastructure were appropriated for personal use. Moreover, it was found out that the Baltic fleet faced naval equipment technical problems on a massive scale, which led to the inevitable conclusion that the fleet command "doctored" the operational readiness results and actually "lied" to the Russian president during demonstration drills.
(Fotanka.ru, June 29)
Russia-EU Relations
Commenting on the extension of EU sectoral sanctions against Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry published the following statement: "We perceive the EU's further extension of sectoral economic sanctions against Russia until January 31, 2017 as a continuation of Brussels' short-sighted policy. These sanctions are illegal from the point of view of international law. We consider it absurd to link these discriminatory measures against Russia - which is not a party to the Ukrainian domestic conflict - to the implementation of the Minsk agreements, all the more so now that Kiev is obviously unprepared to abide by its commitments. In effect, the European Union has made Russian-EU relations a hostage of the irresponsible game being played by the Ukrainian authorities. It is worth recalling that the degradation of trade and economic ties with Russia as a result of sanctions has failed to produce tangible political results for the EU. It is myopic, at the very least, to expect us to change our foreign policy because of sanctions. In the meantime, both sides have sustained heavy losses..."
(Russianmission.eu, July 1)
Russia-US Relations
Speaking to the working group on Ukraine, Chairman of the State Duma Sergey Naryshkin accused The U.S. administration of using propaganda to keep Ukraine and Europe under its influence. Naryshkin said: "Pay attention to the rhetoric of U.S. politicians and administration officials'... These statements are neither honest nor intelligent. It's just about the lies, badly performed propaganda and the will to keep foreign territory in their hands, in Ukraine and in Europe in general. It's no less than flaunting US imperial ambitions". Naryshkin also added: "It's hard to understand why the European governments constantly follow the tail of US policy instead of standing for their own populations' interests? The EU bureaucracy does not want to listen to the Europeans, but it is sensitive to the suggestions and commands from Washington..."
(Vz.ru, June 29)
Russia-Japan Relations
The Russia Defense Ministry is considering the construction of a base for Pacific Fleet unit on the Matua islands in the Kuril Chain, a territory disputed between Russia and Japan that was demilitarized in 2001. Earlier in April, 2016, the largest state-owned construction company, SpetzStroi Rossiya announced the plan to build about 500 military infrastructures in the islands of Iturup and Kunashir, in the Kuril Chain. The military buildup is supposedly a counterweight to the US Pacific doctrine and may cause tensions with Japan.
(Sputniknews.com, June 30, May 27; Vz.ru, April 14)
State Duma Elections
Russian Prime Minister and the chairman of the ruling United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev recommended that first deputy head of the presidential administration Vyacheslav Volodin be returned to the State Duma. Medvedev also recommended the inclusion of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Crimean prosecutor Natalya Poklonskaya, and Crimean head Sergei Aksyonov in the party's slate of candidates in the State Duma elections.
(Themoscowtimes.com, June 27)
Russia's Economy
Russia's leading financial newspaper Vedomosti reported that the Russian Ministry of Finance recommended a three-year freeze on budgetary spending . According to Vedomosti, the Russian budget will be frozen at a level of 15.78 trillions of rubles- effectively. a 20% budget cut in real terms in comparison with the 2016 budget. The cuts will influence the social-economic development program for the Far East and Baikal regions. Crimea will sustain a funding cutback twice as deep until 2019. The Defense budget is expected to contract by 15%. In 2016 the budget deficit may rise to 3.66% of GDP according to deputy finance minister Aleksey Lavrov.
(Vedomosti.ru, June 29)
Strange But True
The "Fair Russia" party State Duma deputy Oleg Mikheev wants to introduce a bill criminalizing offenses against Russia and its authorities. The law against discrediting the Russian Federation will encompassthe dissemination of false, inaccurate or distorted information about the country's political, economic, social, military or international situation.
The lawmaker added: "The current international situation is characterized by a wide influence on the masses - the so called 'war for a worldview.' Economic stability, security against external threat and internal moods depend to a great extent on such a worldview."
(Ria.ru, June 28)
Russia's young Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov was accused of extensive plagiarism in writing his doctoral thesis in economics. According to the online Dissernet project, "30% of Nikiforov's text has been plagiarized, including 12 consecutive pages of appropriated material." Despite these serious charges On June 22, the Dissertation Council of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration withheld recommending that Nikiforov be stripped of his degree.
(Tass.ru, June 22; Khodorkovsky.com, June 29)
