Russia Reform Monitor: No. 1834

May 25:

Thirty pro and anti-gay activists were arrested in central Moscow as police enforced the city’s ban on gay rights demonstrations. Activists expressed outrage at the arrests, Aljazeera reports, but the event remained largely peaceful, unlike rallies that took place in Georgia and the Russian city of St. Petersburg earlier this month, which quickly became large-scale violent clashes. The Moscow protest coincided with the first ever gay rally in Ukraine, where the demonstration was permitted by the authorities and protected by police.

May 28:

In reaction to the EU’s decision not to renew an arms embargo on Syria, the Kremlin announced plans to go ahead with deliveries of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria. Russian officials called the missiles a “stabilizing factor” to deter “some hotheads” from entering the conflict. Without the embargo, the BBC reports that EU member states will be able to determine their own policies regarding arms sales, although the EU leaders agreed not to “proceed at this stage” with arms deliveries. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the EU of directly harming the prospect for the international peace conference encouraged by Russia and the United States. Some analysts, however, suggest that the S-300 delivery will make any U.S.-Russian talks “meaningless,” and risks dragging Israel into the Syrian conflict.

May 29:

Kyrgyzstan is poised to join the Russian-led Eurasian customs union, while Ukraine raised some eyebrows by gaining observer status. The moves were announced at a recent meeting of the organization, which is viewed as a precursor to a Eurasian Union, similar to its European counterpart. The United States, however, has expressed opposition to the group in the past, fearing a rebirth of the Soviet bloc in some form. “It’s not going to be called the U.S.S.R.,” said then-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in 2012. “It’s going to be called customs union, it will be called Eurasian Union and all of that.” Ukraine surprised many with the announcement, given its pro-European policies since the mid-1990s. An advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Ukraine’s Eurasian integration “cannot be carried out” along with its EU bid. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports that Kyrgyzstan is expected to join the customs union by 2015, while Ukraine could be ready to join as an observer by this fall.

May 30:

According to a report published by opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, Russian businessmen and officials have stolen as much as $30 billion from the state, amidst preparations for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The price tag for the upcoming Games currently totals $50 billion – more than five times the original estimates, and the most expensive in Olympic history. Also included in the report is an accusation that the most expensive complexes built for the Games were commissioned without competition or public tenders, and awarded to those closest to President Putin. Reuters notes that Putin staked his reputation on a successful Winter Games, despite the challenges presented not only by the construction costs, but by the extremist groups that operate in the area.

May 31:

An unpopular smoking ban in public places is due to come into effect in the next week. The new law, reports the BBC, will ban smoking in workplaces, housing block stairwells, buses, and commuter trains, as well as within fifteen meters of train stations and airports. The ban is a first step toward larger restrictions which will take effect in 2014, banning smoking in restaurants, bars, ships, and trains. This year’s bans will also restrict cigarette sales and ban ads and sponsorship of events by tobacco companies. The bill was first introduced by President Putin in February in an effort to improve public health, and given that nearly forty percent of Russia’s population smokes, the unpopularity of the bill is hardly surprising. Experts say the key to the law’s impact will be enforcement. The next restrictions are scheduled to take effect in June next year.

Officials admitted that the Syrian Peace Conference originally planned for June will be postponed, only days after the Kremlin announced plans to ship S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria. “It is not helpful to have the S-300 transferred to the region while we are trying to organize this peace conference and create peace,” said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking after the Kremlin’s announcement. “We ask them again not to upset the balance within the region with respect to Israel,” he added, concluding with a hope that the conference will still be held later this summer. The Guardian reports that Kremlin officials later announced plans to send "at least" ten fighter jets to Damascus.