RussiaGate #Digest

2022-04-22 17:48:42 Looming economic disaster - that's how Branko Milanovic from London School of Economics evaluates the effect of operation in Ukraine and Western sanctions on Russia. Open / Comment

2022-04-22 13:22:15 "King Dollar is in no danger of losing its world financial crown" - a good piece of writing from FT.

There is kind of religious belief in the inevitable fall of dollar among some Russian "experts". It is a wide-spread irrational belief among millions of Russians due to state propaganda.

To be clear and precise, there won't be any replacement of dollar in global finances any time soon. There might be only alternatives (Euro), nothing more. Open / Comment

2022-04-21 17:45:15 Russian gas oligarch Sergey Protosenya of Novatek, his wife and daughter were found on Tuesday, April 19, at their home in the seaside resort in Catalonia.

A couple of days ago Vladislav Avaev of Gazprombank has also been found dead with his wife and daughter in Moscow.

Both cases are referred to as possible suicides, but they look more or less the same: Protosenya and Avaev were probably only the custodians of assets.

Real owners could get rid of them and their heirs. Open / Comment

2022-04-21 15:15:54 Russian Central Research and Development Institute of Aerospace Defense Troops is on fire. There is a feeling that everything is starting to fall apart. Open / Comment

2022-04-21 14:49:32 Branko Milanovic on lessons learned form seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs

"The first and the most obvious lesson that we can draw from the confiscation of Russian oligarchs’ assets is that the pre-February 24 Russia was not an oligarchy, as many believed, but an authoritarian autocracy.

When US government spoke of the seizure of oligarchs’ assets, it was with the expectations that the oligarchs, faced with the prospect of losing most of their money, will exert pressure on Putin not to invade Ukraine.

We can assume that 99%, or perhaps all, targeted oligarchs realized the stakes and must have been against the war.
But their influence was, as we know, nil. Ironically, they were punished because they were not powerful.

Billionaires were treated as custodians of assets that the state may, by political decision, take from them at any point in time.

It happened –unexpectedly—that it was not the Russian state that took their assets, but the American state". Open / Comment

2022-04-21 12:39:08 Vagit Alekperov is leaving Lukoil. Last days of Lukoil as a private company, perhaps. Open / Comment

2022-04-20 15:58:33 It's kind of funny to watch how Kremlin and its media are complaining about cancelling Russia in the West (which we find absolutely unnecessary) and at the same time are trying to cancel everyone who opposes Kremlin's actions in Ukraine themselves.

Natalia Poklonskaya said yesterday that letters Z and V symbolize tragedy. Her words drew an outrage in state-financed and "patiotic" media.

Poklonskaya is not afraid though and clearly knows what she is doing.

We see no difference between cancel culture in the West and in Russia. Open / Comment

2022-04-20 12:53:28 Alekhin's reply is also a mix of Russian messianism with bad romanticism. Russians have some genetic cultural leverage over others because they are always seeking the truth.

There were theories like that in one European country not so long ago. Didn't end well there, won't end well for Russia either.

Amazingly Alekhin is proud of the fact that Russian army suffers from the lack of food and warm clothing, so people are actually raising funds to support Russian soldiers.

This is not a cultural advantage and "mysterious Russian soul", dear Alekhin. In normal world it is called corruption and a total disgrace.

By the way, Americans are much more religious than Russians. Thanks for a feedback. Open / Comment

2022-04-20 12:45:19 Our text about some cultural features of Russian ressentiment drew a predictable reaction from some Russian telegram channels, namely "Noviy Vek" and "Alekhin".

Noviy Vek religiously believes that West is hysterical because sanctions do not work and Russia is great.

Of course it is. There is only one question: why people are leaving Russia for Western countries? Why is nobody moving from the US to Russia?

Another idea of Noviy Vek is "American racists" trying to lecture a country with a "thousands years of history". This is made us laugh.

We do not know what is Noviy Vek counting, but as a modern state America is older than Russia. Our Constitution is older, so are our institutions.

It's amazing how in the 21st century one think in terms of ressentiment and political romanticism of this quality, with no knowledge of the world around.

Thanks for a feedback though. Open / Comment

2022-04-19 17:52:08 Two Russian businessmen - Oleg Deripaska and Vladimir Lisin - have softly spoken out against the Russian operation in Ukraine so far.

It was nothing like Oleg Tinkov's today's outburst against the actions of Kremlin. For whatever reason Tinkov condemned the operation in Ukraine with almost explicit words.

The banker believes that 90% of Russians do not support what's happening in Ukraine on behalf of Russia. He urged the West to give Putin a chance to save his face.

We know that Tinkov expressed the thoughts and attitude of the vast majority of Russian businessmen.

Their "deal" with Putin in the early 2000s was a mistake. If you don't get involved in politics, then politics gets involved with you.

That's exactly what happened with Russian businessmen and society. Open / Comment