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Conference "U.S.-Russian Relations: The Way Forward" will be held on April 27-28, 2009 at the U.S. Senate. To register please send e-mail to: Russia@RussiaHouse.org

Business

Russia’s Kudrin Signals No Alternative to Dollar

John Fraher and Joseph Richter

Bloomberg

Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said the dollar is in “good shape,” further affirming that there’s no substitute for the world’s reserve currency.

Top Official Sees End to Russia's Financial Crisis

by Andrew Osborn

The Wall Street Journal

Moscow - A top official said Russia was at or close to the bottom of the financial crisis, adding that the Kremlin was happy to see foreign creditors take stakes in major companies to claw back bad loans.

In comments to foreign media, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the government was increasingly upbeat about the Russian economy and hoped it would start growing again by the end of this year if the global economy doesn't sharply deteriorate. As oil prices have risen above $50 a barrel and the ruble has steadied against the dollar, the Kremlin says there are tentative grounds for optimism, sounding an increasingly confident note about its handling of the financial downturn.

Kremlin's Arshine For G20

Mikhail Sergeev

Nazavisimaya Gazeta

Moscow is out to put the United States and European Union under external financial control. COMMENTS ON MOSCOW'S PROPOSALS FOR THE APRIL G20 SUMMIT [The things Russia is going to offer at the G20 summit are correct but they will probably be turned down all the same.]

Book Review

“Walking on ice. An American businessmen in Russia”

Based on over sixteen years of successful business in the evolving new Russia, Fred Andresen has written a book that is mandatory for all who plan to work there, make a serious visit, or just curious. Written with insight, understanding, and a rare degree of humor, he tells us about working with and enjoying the Russians.

Breaking News

Russia-US summit a chance to jumpstart ties

Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev will likely sign a stack of agreements during their Moscow summit, but their chief goal may be for the United States and Russia to stop acting like adversaries — even if they can't be friends.

NATO and Russia resume security ties despite Georgia row

NATO and Russia on Saturday resumed formal cooperation on broad security threats but failed to bridge major differences over Georgia in their first high-level talks since the war in the Caucasus region. The deal emerged after NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the two sides recognized it was time to crank up joint efforts against Afghan insurgents and drug trafficking, Somali piracy, terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

U.S., EU reject Russian accusations over WTO bid

The United States and the European Union rejected Russian accusations Washington and Brussels were to blame for the collapse of Moscow's unilateral bid to join the World Trade Organisation.

Geopolitics

NATO and Russia resume security ties despite Georgia row

Pravda on the Hudson?

Edward LOZANSKY

President, American University in Moscow

In the eighties, lots of folks who regarded themselves as true Reaganites often said that the Washington Post should more properly bear the title of Pravda on the Potomac. Indeed, the paper’s vicious anti-Ronny rhetoric, as well as its views on some other policy issues, were stylistically pretty close to Pravda in its heyday.

False Choices For Russia

By Lev Gudkov, Igor Klyamkin, Georgy Satarov and Lilia Shevtsova

Moscow - As intellectuals and liberal Russians, we have read with great interest many recommendations American experts have compiled for President Obama regarding the U.S.-Russian relationship. While there are several constructive ideas, many of these reports reflect a serious misunderstanding of the situation in Russia and the course it is following.

Security

NATO and Russia resume security ties despite Georgia row

Izvestiya

North Korea Could Face New Round of Sanctions

NEIL MacFARQUHAR

The New York Times

UNITED NATIONS — The Security Council’s five permanent members agreed on Wednesday on a draft resolution that would ratchet up sanctions against North Korea by concentrating on its financial transactions and its arms industry, including allowing for inspections of its cargo vessels on the high seas.

The sharply worded resolution, while diluting some of the sanctions sought by the West and Japan, would still serve notice on North Korea that its nuclear and other weapons programs had created sufficient alarm to forge a rare unified front among the world’s major powers.

Will Russia Back the U.S. on Iran's Nuclear Program?

Massimo Calabresi

Time

The outcome of the standoff over Iran's nuclear program may depend less on the results of Friday's presidential elections in the Islamic Republic, than on a decision to be made between now and September 1,500 miles to the northwest, in Moscow. The Russian government has, since the election of President Barack Obama, been playing along with U.S. and European efforts to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. But the consensus in Washington is that getting Russia to back and apply tougher economic sanctions against Iran will be much harder.

Young Voices

Elections as a test of the Americans political culture

Ekaterina PREOBRAZHENSKAYA

Post-grad of the International Journalism Department MGIMO

In a way the USA has won the world hegemony some politicians like to talk about - it seems not only Americans, but the whole world is going to vote on November 4^th. Hardly anything else, apart from the recent military action in Caucasus and the financial crisis, receives as much attention in the mass media, as the presidential race between McCaine and Obama. The Big Day is nearing, but who gets the prize is still not clear.

Letting pass the Russian elections at ease, we fell for the American one.

Anastasia LAUKKANEN

student, Journalism studies, Moscow Lomonosov University

Let ’ s say we didn ’ t use to vote . Let’s say – elections are not in our tradition. After letting pass our election at ease Russian students suddenly fell for new American President Battle pretty seriously.

Saakashvili’s #1 goal was to please the West and humiliate Russia

Eugenia BABICH

American university in Moscow

On August 6^th the Georgian forces wiped out Tshinvali, the capitol of South Ossetia. That’s all there is to it. What’s left are ruins, Russian peacekeepers killed and more than 2 thousand innocent lives lost. Hearing this I went straightly to the CNN web page and what did I see on the World news? – NOTHING.

Face of the day

From European to Euro-Atlantic Security

There is no shortage of solicited and unsolicited advisors and pieces of advice for the upcoming Obama-Medvedev summit. Some of the advice is pretty reasonable; for the most part it is best ignored. One’s first instinct is to stay away from this cacophony and try to moderate one’s expectations so as not to be hugely disappointed later.

PERSONS

Medvedev Dmitryi

Russian Federation President

Barack Obama

President of the United States

Putin Vladimir

President of Russian Federation

Hillary Clinton

Secretary of State

PERSONS AND CENTERS