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Press Release

Russia in Review

Published:

Russia in Review: a digest of useful news from U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism for the week of November 2-9, 2012

I. U.S. and Russian priorities for the bilateral agenda.

Nuclear security agenda:

  • A key White House official suggested that the changes Russian officials are looking to make to a bilateral agreement that allows the United States to help secure and dismantle Soviet-era weapons of mass destruction are not unreasonable. Laura Holgate, senior director for weapons of mass destruction terrorism and threat reduction at the National Security Council, said: “They talk about the desire for a more balanced agreement and I’m optimistic that such exists in our common negotiating space.” (GSN, 11.08.12).
  • The Pentagon would move $35 million from the Strategic Offensive Arms Elimination-Russia initiative to the Proliferation Prevention Program. $30 million would be moved from the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program to the Global Nuclear Security effort. (GSN, 11.02.12).

Iran nuclear issues:

  • Chairman of Duma’s international committee Aleksei Pushkov said: “If Iran is attacked, then Iran will have all the reasons to make such a bomb as a means of defense. And as no country in the world will be able to occupy Iran for a long period, I think that once Iran will redress itself after those strikes, if they happen, then it will take a clear path for arming itself with nuclear weapons,”  (CNN, 11.08.12).

NATO-Russia cooperation, including transit to and from Afghanistan:

  • Russia’s leadership has long been asking NATO to agree to stop drafting military plans against each other, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said. (Interfax, 11.08.12).
  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to meet NATO counterparts on December 4 for the first time in more than 6 months. (DPA, 11.05.12).

Missile defense:

  • Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said: “We hope that President Obama after his re-election will be more flexible on the issue of taking into the account the opinions of Russia and others regarding a future configuration of NATO’s missile defense.”  (AP, 11.07.12).
  • U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul sought to explain why the Obama administration was unable to provide Moscow with a legally enforceable promise on missile interception activities. “We don't know how the [ballistic missile] threat in Iran will develop. That has nothing to do with Russia. We can't constrain our military forces against a threat because the threat is variable, it is not a constant,” he said. (GSN, 11.08.12).
  • “We would like to believe that, following his reelection, President Obama will realize that it is necessary to heed Russia's concerns,” Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said of missile defense. “The Russia-NATO Council has proved unable to cooperate on the European missile defense shield for mutual benefit. We have so far been unable to agree upon the results of recent European missile defense exercises,” he noted.(Interfax, 11.08.12).

Nuclear arms control:

  • Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that an antimissile dispute with the United States and several other issues are affecting the potential for additional negotiations on eliminating atomic armaments. (GSN, 11.09.12).
  • “Dismantling the infrastructure of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe and deploying them in the U.S. is the condition for efficiency. These aspects should be discussed within the multilateral format,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. (GSN, 11.08.12).
  • Russia and the United States have made over 60 inspections under the New START Treaty, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said. (Interfax, 11.08.12).

Counter-terrorism cooperation:

  • No significant developments.

Cyber security:

  • No significant developments.

Energy exports from CIS:

  • No significant developments.

Access to major markets for exports and imports:

  • More than 500 trade associations and businesses joining under the umbrella of the Coalition for U.S.-Russia Trade called today on Congress to “move quickly” in the days ahead to approve legislation enacting Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia. (PRNewswire, 11.08.12).

Other bilateral issues:

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory telegram to President Obama on what he termed “an ever so weighty victory gained with such a wide margin.” Putin also invited Obama to visit Russia next year.  (AP, 11.07.12).
  • Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said: “In general, the Kremlin took the news about Barack Obama’s victory in the elections very positively.” (Washington Post, 11.07.12).
  • Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that he was “happy that the man who considers Russia (its) No. 1 geopolitical foe won’t be the president of this very large and important country.” “Obama is easy to understand and a predictable partner. Whether we like America or not, every Russian family depends on how the [U.S.] dollar is doing,” he said. (AP, Los Angeles Times, 11.07.12).
  • Chairman of Duma’s international committee Aleksei Pushkov said: “[Obama’s reelection] is definitely better for Russia and the U.S.-Russian relations, especially after Mr. Romney uttered his famous notion that Russia is the geopolitical foe number one of the United States.” Pushkov said he believes Obama could show flexibility in the MD issue in a second term.”That's what Mr. Obama suggested. And personally, I tended to think that he was sincere.”  (CNN, 11.08.12).
  • Deputy Chairman of Duma’s international committee  Vyacheslav Nikonov said: “Romney’s foreign policy team consisted of people who subconsciously hate Russia. Romney more than once during the campaign declared Russia a geopolitical adversary No. 1. That is why the fact that Obama has won is already a good thing.” (Los Angeles Times, 11.07.12).
  • A Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs source said Russia would “much prefer” John Kerry to Susan Rice as the next  U.S. Secretary of State. (Kommersant, 11.07.12).

  1. II. Russia news.

 

Domestic Politics, Economy and Energy:

  • The decline in confidence ratings for President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, which started after the March presidential election in Russia, has slowed. Their confidence ratings stood at 42-44 percent and 36-38 percent,respectively, in September-October, the Public Opinion Foundation reported on Thursday. (Interfax, 11.08.12).
  • The current crisis has boosted the Russian State’s stake in economy to almost 50 percent, compared to the world’s average of 30 percent. (Russia Today, 11.06.12).
  • Thousands of nationalists marched through Moscow on Sunday chanting slogans such as “Russia for the Russians” to protest President Vladimir Putin’s government, which they accuse of lavishing privileges on migrants and minorities while ignoring ethnic Russians. (AP, 11.04.12).

Defense:

  • President Vladimir Putin fired Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov on Wednesday amidst a corruption scandal in the Oboronservis company affiliated with the ministry. The Governor of the Moscow region Sergei Shoigu was appointed as the new defense head. Prior to becoming a governor in May, Shoigu worked as a minister of emergency situations. On Friday Putin also relieved the chief of the armed forces General Staff Nikolai Makarov and the first deputy defense minister Alexander Sukhorukov of their duties. He appointed Commander of the Central Military District Valery Gerasimov as the new Chief of General Staff and Commander of the Western Military District Arkady Bakhin as the first deputy defense minister. Putin also promoted Commander of the Air Space Forces Oleg Ostapenko to the position of deputy defense minister and relieved several dozens of Serdyukov's advisors of their duties.  “[The] resignation of Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has been effected to ensure the objectivity of the investigation of the violations in the Defense Ministry,” Putin told Shoigu during a meeting following the appointment. Putin stressed that the newly appointed minister “must continue further dynamic development of the army to ensure the fulfillment of the state arms order and the immense plans of re-equipment of the army.” While Putin linked the ouster to a probe into the alleged military corruption, most experts believe that Serdyukov was sacked because of an intensifying behind-the-scenes battle for the distribution of 20 trillion rubles ($635 billion) that the Kremlin plans to spend on buying new weapons through 2020. (Russia Today, 11.06,12, RFE/RL, AP, Xinhua, 11.09.12).
  • Russia has major development plans for its navy, seeking to make it a secure sea-based shield to guard against potential nuclear and non-nuclear attacks by 2030, according to the navy's commander in chief. (Interfax, 11.03.12).

Security and law-enforcement:

  • Russia has conducted a practice response to a mock extremist strike that produces the escape of dangerous chemical and biological substances from a railcar. (GSN, 11.07.12).
  • The military prosecutor's office said Wednesday that Oboronservis officials had illegally sold a Navy fuel terminal in the Murmansk region. Last month, investigators opened five criminal cases in connection with illegal sales of military property, including sanatoriums, guest houses and land worth $95.5 million, by Oboronservis, which was chaired by then-Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov until last year. (Moscow Times, 11.08.12).
  • City police have raided a fly-by-night firm used to steal more than $18 million in state funds intended to develop the Glonass satellite navigation system. (Moscow Times, 11.08.12).
  • Investigators raided Regional Development Ministry offices in Vladivostok and Moscow on Thursday after $5.6 million paid to insure unfinished buildings at the Far Eastern Federal University was allegedly embezzled. (Moscow Times, 11.08.12).
  • Ivan Moseeev, leader of the Pomor movement in the White Sea area and director of the Institute of Indigenous Peoples and Minorities at the University of Arkhangelsk, is accused for high treason in favor of the neighboring country of Norway. (Barents Observer, 11.09.12).
  • Security forces have killed two militants and a woman in a special operation in the city of Khasavyurt in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan. (RFE/RL, 11.07.12).
  • Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was killed for her criticism of Russian officials, an investigator who led the murder probe says. (AP, 11.09.12).

Foreign affairs:

  • After meeting former Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday urged the Syrian opposition to abandon its precondition that President Bashar Assad step down before any talks can be held on ending the conflict. (Reuters, 11.07.12).
  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia and the United States never held secret discussions about regime change in Syria.  (RFE/RL, 11.05.12).
  • The Syrian authorities have assured Moscow that there will be no use of chemical weapons against rebel forces, Russia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. (RIA Novosti, 11.06.12).
  • Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has hosted his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres for talks focusing on economic ties and international crises. (AP. 11.08.12).
  • Poland has obtained a significant price reduction on the gas it imports from Russia, ending a legal dispute that had escalated to international arbitration, officials said Tuesday. (AP, 11.06.12).
  • The first consignment of natural uranium from Australia has arrived in Russia five years after the two nations signed a bilateral agreement enabling such trade to take place. (WNN, 11.08.12).
  • Iraq’s Oil Ministry says it has finalized a deal with a consortium led by Russian oil giant Bashneft to search for oil in the country’s south.(AP, 11.08.12).

Russia's neighbors:

  • Georgia's armed forces chief of staff Giorgi Kalandadze and Georgian Army brigade commander Zurab Shamatava were released on bail. Georgia’s former interior minister, Bacho Akhalaia, was ordered to be kept in pretrial detention for two months. The three were arrested and charged with abuse of office earlier this week. (RFE/RL, 11.09.12).
  • Political tensions are rising in Ukraine as the country's opposition presses its demands for a partial recount of last month's parliamentary elections. (RFE/RL, 11.06.12).
  • Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko has reportedly applied for a U.S. residency permit. (RFE/RL, 11.08.12).
  • Armenia's president is increasingly concerned about what he sees as neighboring Azerbaijan's willingness to engage in armed conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, he said in an interview, warning that Armenian forces would deliver a disproportionate blow should conflict erupt between the neighbors. (Wall Street Journal, 11.09.12).