July 13:
Intelligence leaker Edward Snowden announced plans to seek asylum in Russia while he waits for safe travel into Latin America, putting further strain on U.S-Russian relations. CNN reports that Snowden met with human rights activists and lawyers this week in a Russian airport, in his first public appearance since leaving Hong Kong at the end of June. The White House was quick to accuse Moscow of giving Snowden a “propaganda platform” by recording the meeting, and warned Russia against damaging bilateral relations further over the issue.
July 14:
The unrest in Dagestan claimed another four lives, after gunmen opened fire on a police car. Reuters reports that the attacks are believed to be the work of Islamic insurgents, who seek to create an Islamic state in Dagestan. The continuing attacks are creating a major concern over security for the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Sochi, a resort area separated from the most violent areas of the North Caucasus by only a mountain range.
Moscow continued its recent trend of military exercises, this time holding a massive “military –readiness drill” in the Far East. Ordered to “check the alert status of all forces in Russia’s Eastern Military District,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports that the drill is believed to be the largest of its type since the fall of the Soviet Union. Naval forces, strategic bomber aircraft, missile-defense teams, tactical and strategic missiles, infantry, and armored vehicles are all involved, along with over 150,000 soldiers, 1,000 tanks, over 100 aircraft and 70 navy ships. The emphasis on being prepared for deployment is reportedly the policy of the newly-appointed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
July 16:
According to the latest World Bank ranking, Russia has overtaken Germany as the world’s fifth-largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. This ranking suggests that despite the economic recession of the last few years, Russia’s economy has strengthened compared to the rest of the world, and this year it ranks above the economies of Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin lauded the announcement, RIA-Novosti reports, but cautioned that there are “a lot of areas that still need special attention.” The rankings are based on each country’s 2012 GDP performance, and it’s worth noting that the International Monetary Fund’s similar ranking listed Russia’s economy as the world’s eighth strongest.
July 17:
The announcement that NSA leaker Edward Snowden will likely be granted temporary asylum in Russia was met in the United States with calls for a boycott on 2014’s Winter Olympics in Sochi. “I would just send the Russians the most unequivocal signal I could send them,” argued South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, adding, “At the end of the day, if they grant this guy asylum, it’s a breach of the rule of law as we know it and is a slap in the face to the United States.” UPI reports that American officials were quick to downplay the Senator’s suggestion. “Why would we want to punish U.S. athletes who have been training for three years to compete in the Olympics over a traitor who can’t find a place to call home,” countered U.S. House Speaker John Boehner. Senator John McCain agreed, adding that “there’s many things we can do, but I think the experience of cancelling the Olympics the last time around wasn’t very good.” In Moscow, President Putin continues to stress his focus on strengthening Russo-American ties, noting that “we warned Mr. Snowden that any of his activities that cause damage to U.S.-Russian relations are unacceptable to us.”
July 18:
Thousands gathered to protest in cities across Russia after a Kirov court found opposition leader Alexei Navalny guilty of embezzlement and sentenced him to five years in a labor colony. More important, notes the Moscow Times, the conviction means that Navalny’s candidacy for Moscow Mayor is officially revoked. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon widely considered another political victim, posted soon after on his website, calling the verdict “predictable and inevitable.” Additionally, Khordorkovsky noted that “for Russia, there is nothing unusual in the state convicting political opponents on criminal charges – both in the times of Stalin’s terror, and in the days of Khruschev and Brezhnev.” Commenting throughout the trial on Twitter despite the judge’s protests, Navalny concluded his posts with the statement “Okay. Try not to miss me, and most of all, don’t be lazy. The toad won’t leave the pipeline by itself.” Navalny and his lawyers have ten days to file an appeal, after which the court will have 30 days to consider it.