From Russia With News

This week on the program we have the latest on how Russia is dealing with the coronavirus, with experts on the line to take us through the latest developments and assess how Russia’s health system and economy will cope with the pandemic. — The Moscow Times reporter Evan Gershkovich joins us to go over the steps Russia has taken in recent days. — We discuss concerns over the capacity and quality of Russia’s hospitals and medical facilities to deal with the coronavirus from Judy Twigg, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and Senior Associate and Center for Strategic and International Studies — And finally, ING’s Chief Russia Economist Dmitry Dolgin explains how the massive global economic disruption caused by the coronavirus will affect Russia.

This week on the podcast: — In a televised statement to Russia’s parliament, Vladimir Putin backed a constitutional shake-up that could see him remain President for another two full terms. The plans would mean Russia’s cap of two six-year presidential terms for presidents would be re-set when a batch of high-profile constitutional amendments come into force later this year, thereby allowing Putin to run for office again in 2024 and 2030 — should he wish to of course. To dig into the developments and look at what happens now, Professor Sam Greene, head of the Russia Institute at Kings College London joins us on the line. — Last week, Russia rejected a proposal from Saudi Arabia to cut oil production in response to the economic fallout of the coronavirus, kicking off an “oil price war” and sending global energy prices tumbling. In the studio to weigh up those claims and assess the real damage, Natasha Doff, Economy and government editor at Bloomberg News here in Moscow.

This week on the podcast: — The leaders of Russia and Turkey meet in Moscow on Thursday in a bid to de-escalate fighting in Syria which has brought the two countries to the brink of direct military confrontation. It is the latest episode in a fraught nine-year civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands, created millions of refugees and reshaped geopolitics in the Middle East. Financial Times Bureau Chief Henry Foy joins us in the studio to discuss what is at stake for both countries. — Following Super Tuesday in the United States, it is shaping up to be a two-way fight between Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former vice president Joe Biden to secure the Democratic nomination and go head-to-head with Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. On the line to discuss where the candidates sit on Russia, journalist Ben Judah, author of “Fragile Empire: How Russia fell In and Out of Love with Vladimir Putin”, and who is now on the campaign trail in the U.S. reporting on Bernie Sanders’ bid for the White House.

This week on the podcast:  — China has complained that Moscow’s response to coronavirus is discriminatory and risks damaging relations with Beijing. Associated Press correspondents Francesca Ebel and Dasha Litvinova looked at how Moscow authorities went into great lengths to track down Chinese nationals. Francesca joins us to explain Russia’s increasingly heavy-handed measures to contain the outbreak. — The battle for the Arctic is heating up — literally — as countries, companies and citizens wrangle to protect and advance their interests in the region. We’ll speak to American journalist Alec Luhn about the effects of climate change on the Arctic, and Russia’s political and economic strategy for its icy north.

From today — that’s Thursday the 20th of February — most Chinese citizens will be temporarily blocked from entering Russia as part of Moscow’s latest moves to contain the spread of coronavirus. The ban covers all Chinese citizens traveling to Russia on employment, tourist and student visas. On the line to discuss Russia’s latest moves to stop the coronavirus spread is Alexander Gabuev chair of the Asia-Pacific program at Carnegie Moscow Centre. And later. Vladimir Putin fired his long-time advisor Vladislav Surkov this week — the Kremlin’s so-called “grey cardinal” who was, until a few weeks ago, Russia’s chief negotiator over the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. On the phone to explain a bit about the man behind the reputation and explore whether Surkov leaving the Kremlin will mean anything for Russia-Ukrainian relations, Mark Galeotti of Honorary Professor at UCL’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies and author of ‘We Need to Talk about Putin’. From Russia With News is hosted by Jake Cordell and produced by Pjotr Sauer. The episode was recorded and edited at CM Records Studio in central Moscow.

— On Monday, seven members of a Russian anti-fascist activist group were jailed for up to 18 years on terrorism charges in a case that observers have compared to a Soviet-era show trial. We speak to NYT correspondent Ivan Nechepurenko about how Russian society has reacted to the case. — New Yorker correspondent Joshua Yaffa joins us in the studio to discuss his new critically-acclaimed book “Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia,” a fascinating portrait of modern Russia and the inner struggles of the people who sustain Putin’s rule.

— Five years after it was expelled for annexing Crimea, Russia has been admitted back onto the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. And not everyone is happy about it. We speak to Bloomberg columnist Leonid Bershidsky about how the decision has divided European allies and delighted Russia. — A decade after Russia and Georgia fought a 5-day war, ties between the countries are at a historic low following a dramatic week of protests, resignations and sanctions. We talk to Thomas de Waal of the Carnegie think tank about why Vladimir Putin is lashing out at Georgia.

— Vladimir Putin put on display his ability to rattle off facts about Russia’s success during his annual phone-in on Thursday. But just how impressed was his audience? We talk to Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie think tank. — On Wednesday, Dutch prosecutors charged three Russians and one Ukranian with murder in the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014. The three Russian men have various links to their country’s intelligence services and all of them served in the military. Their trial, which they are unlikely to attend given that Russian law prohibits its citizens from being extradited, begins in March next year. Joining us on the line is Dutch journalist Gert-Jan Dennekamp a reporter at Nieuwsuur television program.

The shock arrest of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov — and his even more unexpected release — is revealing the unpredictability of late Putinism. We speak with Alexei Kovalev, Ivan’s editor, about what it took to get him free, and with Daily Beast reporter Anna Nemtsova about how authorities tried to manage the outcry.

— Russia’s flagship economic conference, kicking off in St. Petersburg on Thursday, has been overshadowed by the detention of U.S. investor Michael Calvey. We speak with Ann Simmons of the Wall Street Journal about what Russia is doing to shore up its image and find new trading partners. — HBO’s roaring hit Chernobyl has sparked some uncomfortable conversations in Russia. We talk to writer Michael Idov about why the show has struck a chord in the U.S. and a nerve in Russia

— Russians are learning the hard way what happens when you take Putin’s name in vain. We speak with Moscow Times editor, Daniel Kozin, about a new law against insulting the authorities. — If it's demonstrations against trash disposal, then it’s against new churches, restrictions or internet censorship. We’ve covered them all on the podcast, and now, doctors are protesting. We speak to Andrew Kramer from the New York Times about how doctors in rural Russia are speaking up against low wages.

— The entire politics desk of the Kommersant business newspaper, 11 people in total, handed in their resignations this week. The mass departure was a protest against a decision by the editor in chief and the oligarch owner to fire two journalists for a scoop in April. We speak with one of the Kommersant reporters who was fired for the scoop, and to Russian journalist Alexei Kovalev about how this latest incident fits into the worsening media landscape in Russia. — On April 25, Russia halted oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to Eastern Europe and Germany because the deliveries had been contaminated with organic chloride, leading to frictions between Russia, Belarus and the West. We speak to Bloomberg reporter Jake Rudnitsky to discuss the fallout.

— Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city has been rocked by protests, as thousands of residents continue to defend a riverside park from plans to build a church on its grounds. We speak with Matthew Luxmore, a Radio Free Europe reporter on the ground and with Yekaterina Schulmann, a political scientist about the larger forces at play. — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Russia this week for direct talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Putin. We speak to Fyodor Lukyanov, a Kremlin focused foreign policy analyst, about whether the visit represents the beginning of a new chapter. — And finally, we have New Yorker correspondent Joshua Yaffa in the studio to discuss his recent profile of Maxim Osipov, a village doctor and writer whose work seems to capture the nuances and peculiarities of life in Russia.

This week on From Russia With News, Moscow Times columnist and political consultant Max Hess explains why the Kremlin is going all in on Nicolas Maduro, the embattled leader of Venezuela who recently fended off a coup attempt backed by the United States. And it’s Victory Day. We speak with Washington Post bureau chief Anton Troianovski about why the Kremlin is obsessed with celebrating the Soviet Union’s role in World War II.

Kim Jong Un arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday for a three-day visit in an armored train. He was greeted with flowers, and bread and salt. We talk to Mikhail Korostikov, the Kommersant journalist who broke the news of the meeting about what the two leaders want from the summit. Regular Moscow Times columnist and author of two new books, “We need to talk about Putin” and “Vory: Russia’s super mafia,” Mark Galeotti is in town. We speak to him about life after the Mueller report, the recent elections in Ukraine, and what it’s like teaching transnational crime at Russia’s most elite university.

A record 70 percent of Russians approve of Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s role in Russian history, according to a recent poll. We speak to Denis Volkov from the Levada Center that conducted the poll about why the Soviet dictator is more popular than ever in Russia. In 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the foundation of Yunarmia — or Youth Army — a “youth military-patriotic movement” backed by Russia’s Defense Ministry. But what exactly does the Kremlin want with nearly half a million children and teenagers steeped in military and patriotic sentiment? We speak with Moscow Times reporter Evan Gershkovich who recently met some of its members and its critics.

Kirill Serebrennikov, one of Russia’s most acclaimed artistic figures has been released from house arrest on Tuesday. This week on From Russia With News we speak to Oliver Carroll, the Moscow correspondent for the Independent about the controversial case and what to expect next. Libya is again on the brink of civil war. A Russian-linked warlord, who controls swaths of the oil-rich country has announced a campaign to take the country's capital, Tripoli. We speak with Max Suchkov, Editor at Al-Monitor about Russia's role in the Libyan conflict.

This week on From Russia With News, we discuss the growing demonstrations in Russia's smallest republic Ingushetia, where locals have been up in arms over a land swap that is carving out even more of their territory. We speak with Liza Fokht, a journalist working for the BBC’s Russian service, who has been covering the fallout from Moscow and Ingushetia. What happens when an alleged Russian assassin, arrested in Ukraine after barely trying to conceal a murder, starts talking? We speak to Michael Swirtz of the New York Times whose story about Oleg Smorodinov offers a closer look at how Russia’s foes abroad end up dead.

This week on From Russia With News, we discuss the dramatic arrest of former Russian minister Mikhail Abyzov who is suspected of embezzling 4 billion rubles ($62 million). We’ll speak with Nikolai Petrov, a political science professor at the Higher School of Economics about the implications of the arrest. Voters across Ukraine will go to the polls on Sunday to vote for a new president. We'll talk to Economist correspondent Noah Sneider about the main candidates running, and who Russia is rooting for.

This week on From Russia With News, we discuss the shock resignation of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev with Joanna Lillis, a journalist in Kazakhstan and author of the acclaimed book on the country: “Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan.” We'll also talk to journalist Marc Bennetts about the trial of Gaylen Grandstaff, an American who has already spent two years in a Russian pre-detention cell on dubious drug smuggling charges.

This week on From Russia With News, we discuss the five year anniversary of the hugely controversial referendum in Crimea with Elena Chernenko, the deputy foreign editor at the Kommersant newspaper. We'll also talk to Moscow Times correspondent Evan Gershkovich about his investigation that revealed how rich Russians dodge taxes and move court cases to a southern Russian region where their lawsuits are heard by friendly judges.

This week on From Russia With News, we discuss the explosive Troika Laundromat investigation with Paul Radu, the executive director of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which revealed the scheme. We'll also talk to Guardian correspondent Andrew Roth on why the return of hundreds of women and children from Iraq and Syria has become a major problem for Russia

This week on From Russia With News, we speak with New York Times journalist Andrew Kramer about the sentencing of two Russian cyber-security experts this week, handed decades behind bars for treason. We'll also talk to veteran journalist Artemy Troitsky about the life and legacy of Igor Malashenko, the media executive and political consultant found dead in Spain on Monday.

This week on From Russia With News, Financial Times Bureau Chief Henry Foy joins us in the studio to talk about the arrest of Michael Calvey, the U.S. founder of Baring Vostok, Russia’s biggest independent private equity firm. We'll also talk with Coda journalist Simon Ostrovsky to discuss the new Duma law that bans Russian soldiers from taking selfies or sharing information online. In 2015, Ostrovsky tracked Russian soldiers in Ukraine using data pulled from their social media accounts in a now-famous documentary for Vice News.

This week on From Russia With News, investigative journalist and security services expert Andrei Soldatov tells us why Russia is moving closer to give the authorities the power to unplug the country's internet from the outside world. And Greenpeace Energy Head Vladimir Chuprov has the latest on the polar bear invasion in Russia's Far North that has captivated the world. We'll also hear from distinguished journalist Julia Ioffe on the state of U.S-Russia relations and her personal experiences covering both countries.

This week on From Russia With News, Middle East expert Alexei Khlebnikov tells us why Russia hosted their former foes, the Taliban, in Moscow this week. And Bloomberg columnist Leonid Bershidsky talks about why Rosstat’s new economic prognosis looks too good to be true. We’ll also hear from religious affairs commentator Roman Lunkin about what’s next for religious minorities in Russia after a Danish Jehovah’s Witness was handed a six-year sentence for extremism.

This week on From Russia With News, Wall Street Journal correspondent Anatoly Kurmanaev joins us in the studio to talk about why Russia is kicking out North Korean laborers and how businesses are fighting back. We also speak with producer and director Albina Kovalyova about a new Russian film project, which has amazed and unsettled many on and off the set.

This week on From Russia With News, Telegraph c orrespondent Alec Luhn has the backstory on Nastya Rybka, the escort who claimed to have proof of Russian election meddling. And we speak to Alexander Gabuev, an expert on Russia's relations with Asia, about why Moscow and Tokyo still can’t resolve a decades-old territorial dispute.

Yekaterina Sokirianskaya of the Conflict Analysis and Prevention Center explains why Ramzan Kadyrov’s crackdown on the LGBT community in Chechnya is unlikely to be stopped. And following a series of fatal gas explosions in apartment buildings this year, Maxim Trudolyubov explains what the authorities should be doing to shore up aging Soviet-era infrastructure.

Washington Post reporter Amie Ferris-Rotman has the latest on the espionage scandal unfolding in Moscow. And religious affairs columnist Christopher Stroop explains what’s likely to come of the rift between the Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches.

Moscow Times editors Eva Hartog and Jonathan Brown discuss the ups and downs of 2018 with former MT editor Nabi Abdullaev, Guardian correspondent Andrew Roth and Reuters reporter Polina Ivanova.

Tanya Lokshina of Human Rights Watch remembers the life and work of Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the matriarch of Russia's human rights movement. And Moscow Times reporter Evan Gershkovich describes how Russia's ailing waste management system could be a political time bomb.

The United States has issued Russia an ultimatum: start complying with the INF missile treaty, or we’re out. Russian military expert Alexander Goltz explains why this could come as a relief to Moscow. And we speak to journalist Natalia Vasilyeva about how Ukraine's recent ban on Russian men has complicated life along the border.

Journalists Elena Chernenko and Christopher Miller discuss escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine following a dramatic naval skirmish. Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina tells us why Russian rappers might have become a little too political for the Kremlin's liking.

This week on the program, outspoken Kremlin critic Bill Browder describes his last-minute campaign to stop a Russian general from becoming the president of Interpol. Dutch journalist Tom Vennink tells us how pears from Belgium and the Netherlands circumvent a Russian import ban to end up on supermarket shelves in Moscow.

Henry Foy of the Financial Times discusses the questionable impact of sanctions and Yevgenia Albats describes crowdfunding to pay off the largest fine in Russian media history.