Russia Reform Monitor: No. 1918

August 5:

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to pay another state visit to Moscow later this month to cement the warming strategic ties between his government and the Kremlin. Citing Egyptian sources,London's Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reports that the planned visit will serve as "an opportunity to sign a number of strategic and economic cooperation agreements between Moscow and Cairo, and... bolster the relationship between the two states." The announcement comes just months after a February trip to Russia by Sisi, during which the Egyptian leader inked deals worth a reported $2 billion for Russian arms.

August 6:

In a move that is being depicted as "protecting Russia's national interests," Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree banning the importation of foodstuffs from the United States and Europe. The "special economic measures" are a response to Western sanctions levied against Russia in the aftermath of the July 17th downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17. Putin's edict calls for the Russian government to "define the list" of products that are heretofore to be restricted.

August 7:

Russian-backed separatists are making political inroads — in Moscow. USA Today reports that activists affiliated with the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" have established a recruiting office in Moscow. From there, the separatists are "openly recruiting fighters, raising money and collecting combat gear," according to the paper — and doing so even as the Russian government formally denies that it is supporting anti-government forces in Ukraine's east.

August 8:

A Moscow court has ordered the independent TV channel Dozhd to compensate two St. Petersburg pensioners for emotional damage caused by a poll broadcast in January. Viewers in the poll voted on whether or not the city of Leningrad should have surrendered during the 3-year World War II siege, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The Moscow Times reports the poll received criticism for "showing disrespect to war veterans" and caused Dozhd to lose 15-20 percent of its potential audience.

The economic costs of the crisis in Ukraine continue to mount for Russia. The Moscow Times reports that the ruble has ended the week close to an all-time low amid a massive retraction of capital on the part of skittish investors. Dmitry Polevoy, a Russian economist at ING, tells the Times that, due to escalating tensions in Eastern Ukraine, "people who just want to get out of the country, out of Russian assets, are trying to do it." He also warned of the negative consequences of further escalation, saying that "another round of more hawkish actions and rhetoric could put additional pressure on the ruble."

Meanwhile, the Kremlin is grappling with growing signs of unrest in Siberia. "Moscow has moved to block the March for the Federalization of Siberia because of its fears that its own 'federalization' campaign in Ukraine will provoke similar demands inside the Russian Federation," writes Paul Goble in Window on Eurasia, citing Siberian independence activist Artem Loskutov.