Russian International Affairs Council
Andrey Kortunov is director general of the Russian International Affairs Council. He is a formerly president of the New Eurasia Foundation in Moscow. He also formerly served as a foreign policy advisor to President Boris Yeltsin and to the Committee on International Relations at the Russian Parliament.
Presidential tweetstorms and the Russian connection President Trump is reportedly outraged at his staff because the political flap over false statements about Russian officials just won't go away. At the same time, he's added to all the drama with early-morning tweets of unverified charges that former President Obama "wiretapped" Trump Tower. FBI Director James Comey has raised the ante by asking the Justice Department to refute that claim—by the new President who's kept him in office. Today, cabinet members unveiled the amended version of his controversial travel ban. But the Trump agenda faces stiff competition for public attention.
Ukraine: More Dangerously Divided than Ever Riot police used clubs, shields and tear gas to attack lines of hand-holding demonstrators early this morning in Kiev, Ukraine's capital city. Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed " disgust " at the use of force against a peaceful protest. It started almost three weeks ago when President Viktor Yanukovych spurned a deal with the European Union, apparently under pressure from Russia. Now it's about civil rights and demands for him to step down. We update today's action, the role of billionaire oligarchs and the international fallout.
Oil, Democracy, and Russian Tanks in Georgia The most obvious lesson from these days of fighting is that the U.S. and Russia look at the same events with utterly different emphases and interpretations, whether they’re talking about historical background, diplomatic objectives or even who fired first. One of the reasons for Russia’s current sense of power is the vast wealth it’s accumulating from oil and natural gas. Georgia does not have oil resources of its own, but there is a major pipeline running through it to the Middle East. There also are plans afoot for a pipeline running in the other direction…toward China.
Oil, Democracy and Russian Tanks in Georgia Saying that neighboring Georgia has been punished enough, the President of Russia has ordered a halt to military operations. But there's still no formal ceasefire, and the President of France, current leader of the European Union, is shuttling between Moscow and Tbilisi. The US says it's reviewing humanitarian actions and that Russia needs to make good on its promise . Is Russia testing the US and Europe and their support for an emerging democracy? Is it trying to reconstitute the former Soviet Union? We get the latest on the confrontation that threatens to destabilize an already volatile part of the world, and hear about new international realities, including the role of oil.
Russian Democracy and Putin's Power Politics He's seen in the West as a throwback to the days of the Soviet Union: centralized power, control of the media, stifling of political opposition. But since Vladimir Putin was elected President , the economy has been booming and his combative behavior has persuaded Russians they're back as a world power. Putin has turned this weekend's parliamentary elections into a referendum on his two terms as President. Opposition rallies have been broken up, and leaders have been jailed. Former chess champion Gary Kasparov was sentenced to five days for protesting the conduct of the election. With the Kremlin determined to boost the turnout, many Russians say they're being pressured to vote at work, with the implicit threat of losing their jobs if they don't support Putin's party, United Russia . Will this weekend's parliamentary elections consolidate Putin's power, even as the Constitution requires him to step down? Will US and Russian relations continue to deteriorate, while both countries undergo political transitions?
Global Warming and the Rush to Claim the Arctic's Riches CNN calls it "an irony that even Al Gore might appreciate." As global warming causes the polar icecaps to recede, frozen oceans become navigable and undiscovered oil and natural gas becomes accessible. Russia's most famous Arctic explorer, Artur Chilingarov , has placed a flag on the seabed beneath the North Pole. Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper is out on the Arctic Ocean making plans for an Army training center and a deep-water port. Melting ice may free up both the Northwest Passage and one quarter of the world's undiscovered oil and natural gas. It's the Wild, Wild West all over again. Will the US assert its national interests? What are the prospects for international conflict?
Can the US and Russia 'Just Get Along?' Condoleezza Rice has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of squelching democracy. Putin's accused the US of behaving like Germany's Third Reich during World War II. Today, hard on the heels of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has gone to Moscow . After initial talks with Putin, Russia's Foreign Minister said they've agreed to "tone down" the public rhetoric and focus on "concrete issues." We look at the roller-coaster relationship between the superpower and a resurgent Russia overflowing with oil money. Will a US anti-missile system in Eastern Europe threaten Russia's security? Is Russia reverting to the days of the Cold War or just getting stronger?
The Asian American voter in OC In Orange County the population is changing. While the numbers of most ethnic groups have grown slowly over the past 10 years, the number of Asian Americans is up 41 percent since 2010. And don't think the politicos haven't noticed. What kind of impact will Asian American voters have on Orange County's representation in Congress? Will they help keep the county Republican, or could they turn Orange County blue?
And now, tax issues Adding a new area of law to the list of President Trump’s legal issues...
What you need to know about the Gas Tax Last year, California legislators increased California’s gas tax by 12 cents a gallon. The revenue raised from the increases, over $5 billion a year, is supposed to be spent on improving transportation in the state. But there’s been a backlash to the gas tax increase, resulting in Proposition 6 on the November ballot. If passed, it would roll back the tax and require all future fuel tax increases to get voter approval.
The Kavanaugh Factor and the Midterm Elections Republicans have secured their long-term goal: a right-wing majority on the U.S. Supreme Court. There are conflicting expectations for rulings on abortion, immigration, voting rights--and the powers of both the White House and Congress. In this divided nation, public trust in the rule of law is also at stake. How will the bitter battle over Brett Kavanaugh impact next month’s midterm elections?