UK-Russia Crossviews

Henry Kissinger speaks about Andrei Gromyko

December 15, 2009 RBTH, Henry Kissinger, special to Russia Now

In an event at the Russian Embassy in Washington, Henry Kissinger discussed his long friendship with Andrei Gromyko and commented on the current state of U.S-Russia relations

Are Medvedev’s actions starting to match up<br>with his words?

Medvedev’s slow burn

December 15, 2009 RBTH, Graham Stack, Special to Russia Now

Presidency: following an ambitious state of the nation speech, Medvedev takes a stand on foreign policy

Closer to China

December 15, 2009 RBTH, Ralph Winnie, special to Russia Now

During President Barack Obama’s recent trip to the People’s Republic of China, he strongly urged China to strengthen its currency as tensions escalate between the United States and China over exchange rates

Eastern promises

December 15, 2009 RBTH, Andrei Tsygankov, special to Russia Now

China’s influence in Russia continues to expand. Even routine domestic economic decisions in Russia are increasingly made with a consideration of China. For instance, Beijing sent a delegation to Moscow in July to negotiate the conditions of a large group of ethnic Chinese affected by the Moscow government’s decision to close the large Cherkizovsky Market following multiple violations of labor and immigration law. Headed by Beijing’s deputy trade minister, the delegation negotiated restoration of the trading area on the condition that China invest $1 billion. The influence exacts a price: In recognition of the growing need for China’s investments and export markets, Russia is unwilling to press environmental claims against its neighbor for polluting the Amur River.

Behind poker faces

December 15, 2009 RBTH, Kevin M.F. Platt, special to Russia Now

I first ran into the problem of explaining Russian humor to Americans while in graduate school. When I would tell family and friends that my master’s thesis was about laughter in Russian literature, they would laugh at me. Typically, in the American collective imagination, Russians are somber people, who live in cold places, dress in gray or brown, drink vodka in shots without mixers and rarely smile, much less laugh. I’ve found that much of this image is easy to dispel as an outdated Cold War stereotype. (Granted, Moscow has long winters. And Russians do drink a lot of vodka. In shots, even. But on the issue of clothes, at least…) Yet the idea of an innate Russian deficiency in the humor department seems to stick.

The Dagestan Five

December 14, 2009 RBTH, By Sergei Markedonov, Special to Russia Now

The volatile largest republic in the North Caucasus could face a change in leadership in February, but it is unclear what that might mean.

A wish list for Santa Putin

December 13, 2009 Tom Balmforth, Russia Profile

Vladimir Putin’s longest-ever question-and-answer session was the usual combination of politics and conspicuous munificence

Crossing the divide

December 10, 2009 Natalia Rulyova, Russia Now

Yekaterinburg sits on the border of Europe and Asia, but that’s only one of the reasons to pay the city a visit.

START pact expires as negotiators press on

December 9, 2009 RBTH, By Nikolaus von Twickel, The Moscow Times

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, expired Saturday after Russian and U.S. negotiators in Geneva failed to reach an agreement on a replacement.

Hong Kong execs join RusAl's board

December 9, 2009 RBTH, RIA Novosti

RusAl adds new directors to its board as the company prepares Asia's first Russian IPO.

Revised oil prices drive up GDP forecast

December 8, 2009 RBTH, Anatoly Medetsky, The Moscow Times

The economy is likely to grow by 2.5 percent next year, says Economic Development Minister Andrei Klepach.

Not common criminals

December 7, 2009 RBTH, Sergei Markedonov, Special to Russia Now

The terrorists responsible for recent attacks in both central Russia and the North Caucasus have ideological motivations much deeper than the authorities seem to understand.

Putin promises to get tough on terror

December 3, 2009 RBTH, Anna Arutunyan, Moscow News

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has pledged to act "in a tough way" against the terrorists who attacked the Nevsky Express last week

The happy couple: Irina Fedotova-Fet and Irina<br>Shipitko wanted their relationship to be officially<br>sanctioned, but were refused a ceremony in the<br>Moscow registry office

Pride and prejudice

December 2, 2009 RBTH, Anna Nemtsova, special for Russia Now

Minorities: Moscow slowly opens its heart to its gay community

There’s a proverb for every occasion

December 2, 2009 RBTH, Allison Quinn, Russian Translation Company

If, as Churchill said, Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma (and I think many foreigners would agree), a sign of this is the plethora of Russian proverbs and sayings. Some are simple, some perplexing, others leave beginners in the

Afghan soldiers showed termendous courage<br>and resilience when defending their homeland

Jelalabad lessons

December 2, 2009 RBTH, Vladimir Snegiryov, special For Russia Now

Courage: The Afghanistan army has proved itself in the past, particularly when fighting the Mujahideen

Europe and Russia after Lisbon

December 2, 2009 RBTH, Vyacheslav Nikonov, political expert

The European Union is becoming something qualitatively different – with an overall president and foreign minister. A new, more united Europe is emerging, and Russia will have to work out new principles for relations with it

Climate change barriers

December 2, 2009 RBTH, Mikhail Gorbachev, former USSR president

The German people, and the whole world alongside them, recently celebrated a landmark date in history: the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not many events remain in the collective memory as a watershed that divides two distinct perio

A master writer at his peak

December 2, 2009 RBTH, Alexander Melikhov, Russia Now

In the hungry and chilly Moscow autumn of 1921, a poorly dressed young man knocked on the door of the daughter of a former tsarist general-turned-communist. The stranger asked the young woman, a typist, whether she would work for him on credit, promising to pay as soon as his book was published. It was called Notes on the Cuffs, and the author dictated it from scraps of paper and notebooks.

President Medvedev has to prove his ability to<br>consolidate the ruling elite around his reform<br>proposals

Recruiting the elite for the future

December 1, 2009 RBTH, Based on materials from Expert magazine

Modernisation: In times of change, a new strategy is essential

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