Rusija i sve vezano za nju

Rusija je šahovskog velemajstora i političkog aktivista Garija Kasparova dodala na popis "terorista i ekstremista", navodi se u obavijesti ruske financijske obavještajne službe.Višestruki svjetski prvak u šahu Kasparov dugogodišnji je protivnik predsjednika Vladimira Putina i živi u Sjedinjenim Državama gotovo desetljeće. Godine 2013., u strahu od pravnog postupka, napustio je Rusiju i nastavlja iz SAD-a osuđivati rusku vlast i njezin rat u Ukrajini.

Ruske vlasti su 2022. Kasparova već označile kao "stranog agenta". Aktualne vlasti u Rusiji taj termin koriste za svoje protivnike, novinare i borce za ljudska prava. Većina glavnih protivnika koji su ostali u Rusiji su u zatvoru, dok su drugi u egzilu.Kasparov, rođen 1963. u Azerbajdžanu, smatra se jednim od najvećih šahista svijeta. Bio je svjetski prvak Međunarodne šahovske federacije FIDE između 1985. i 1993. godine, a do 2000. godine bio je i svjetski prvak Federacije profesionalnih šahista koju je Kasparov stvorio zajedno s Nigelom Shortom.

Prema klasičnoj Fide metodi, Kasparov je jedan od trojice šahista sa šest svjetskih naslova. Uz njega su Emanuel Lasker (1894-1921) i Anatolij Karpov (1993-1999).

Russia’s economy once again defies the doomsayers

As an election nears, Vladimir Putin now looks to have inflation under control
President Vladimir Putin visits the Solnechniy Dar greenhouse complex, part of the ECO-Culture agro-industrial holding, in Stavropol.

Mar 10th 2024

In the two years since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s economy has repeatedly defied the doomsayers. A financial collapse, widely predicted in the spring of 2022, never came to pass. The economy fell into recession, but it was less severe than expected and did not last long. Inflation was the most recent scare. Last year prices accelerated rapidly; economists believed they could spiral out of control. Even Mr Putin was worried. In February he urged officials to give “special consideration” to rising prices.

Once again, however, the Russian economy appears to be proving the pessimists wrong. Data to be published on March 13th are expected to show that prices rose by 0.6% month-on-month in February, down from 1.1% at the end of last year. On a year-on-year basis inflation is probably no longer rising, having hit 7.5% in November (see chart 1). Many forecasters expect the rate to fall to just 4% before long, and households’ expectations of future inflation have flattened. The result of Russia’s presidential election, which begins on March 15th, is a foregone conclusion. If it was competitive, these figures would do Mr Putin no harm.

Russian inflation surged last year owing to a fiscal splurge larger than the one implemented during the covid-19 pandemic. As Mr Putin doubled down on his invasion of Ukraine, he increased spending on everything from transportation equipment and weapons to soldiers’ salaries. Total government outlays rose by 8% in real terms. Demand for goods and services soared beyond the economy’s capacity to provide them, leading sellers to raise prices. Workers became particularly difficult to find, not least because hundreds of thousands were called up and tens of thousands fled the country. By October last year nominal wages were growing at an annual pace of 18%, up from 11% at the start of the year. This provoked price inflation in labour-intensive services such as health care and hospitality.

Who deserves credit for the turnaround? The finance ministry is advancing its claim. Last year its officials successfully lobbied for exchange-rate controls, which compel exporters to deposit foreign currency in the Russian financial system. The wheeze has probably supported the rouble, which has appreciated in recent months, reducing the price of imports.

Central-bank officials think that their peers in the finance ministry are economic know-nothings who mess with markets at their peril. They believe that their policy—of more than doubling interest rates since July 2023—should take the credit for the inflation slowdown, and they are probably right. Higher rates have encouraged Russians to put money in savings accounts rather than spending it. Tighter monetary policy has also curbed lending. In December retail lending grew by 0.6% month on month, down from 2% for most of 2023.

Few other central banks have been as tough. Yet Russia still seems to be heading for a “soft landing”, in which inflation slows without crushing the economy. The performance of the economy is now in line with its pre-invasion trend; gdp grew in real terms by more than 3% last year (see chart 2). Unemployment remains at a record low. And there is little evidence of corporate distress; indeed, the rate of business closures recently hit an eight-year low. The Moscow Exchange is hoping to see more than 20 initial public offerings this year, up from nine last year. The latest “real-time” data on economic activity are reasonably strong. Consensus forecasts for GDP growth this year of 1.7% look too pessimistic.

Russia’s economic resilience is in part the consequence of past stimulus. In recent years corporations and households have built up large cash balances, allowing them to continue spending even in the face of high inflation, and avoid default in the face of high borrowing costs. As in other parts of the world, falling demand for labour has mostly resulted in a decline in unfilled vacancies rather than in a lower number of people in employment. Figures from HeadHunter, a recruitment site, suggest that the ratio of open positions to jobseekers has stopped rising. Having struggled to find workers in recent months, bosses are reluctant to let people go unless they absolutely must.

Sanctions-busting has also juiced the economy. Russian production facilities formerly owned by Westerners have reopened under new management, points out the central bank in a recent report. At the start of the war, sanctions made it hard for Russian firms to source inputs, delaying production. Now, though, companies have set up durable supply chains with “friendly” countries. Well over half of goods imports come from China, twice the share from before the invasion.

As new trading relationships have bedded in, Russian exporters have dared to raise prices, supporting revenues and profits. The discount on oil Russia offers to Chinese customers, for instance, has fallen from more than 10% in early 2022 to about 5% today. And it is not just oil. Mr Putin boasts about soaring ice-cream exports to China, noting last week that he “treated my friend, President Xi Jinping”, to a lick.

As every Russian knows, inflation is never truly defeated. Central-bank officials continue to fret that inflation expectations remain too high. The biggest worry is that the rouble may depreciate, either because of lower oil prices, another round of serious sanctions or if China loses interest in supporting Mr Putin. These are serious concerns. Nevertheless, the world’s pariah economy is once again back on track. ■

On day one of three, the spectacle of Putin’s re-election is already serving up plenty of content, so here’s a thread:

— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) March 15, 2024

Just checking..

Putin's "election". pic.twitter.com/BUO8S8yWwg

— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) March 16, 2024

The incumbent Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, who is vying for the country’s top office as an independent candidate, has cast his electronic vote in the presidential election:https://t.co/q6nJSonePG pic.twitter.com/oEQGsEw2KB

— TASS (@tassagency_en) March 15, 2024

Svaka im čast!
Kada vam sledeći put bude teško da se iscimate za glasanje setite se ovog.
I to svi nasmejani, bez nervoze, a red oko dva bloka.
Rusima zaista ne možeš da se ne diviš. pic.twitter.com/SoyciTbDgd

— Nataša Buzurović (@natasavb) March 17, 2024

MNE wrote:i u Podgorici je baš ogroman red

Rusija: Najmanje 74 uhapšenih zbog protesta tokom predsjedničkih izbora
https://balkans.aljazeera.net/news/world/2024/3/17/hiljade-rusa-izaslo-ispuniti-posljednju-zelju-navaljnog

Hiljade ljudi pojavilo se u nedjelju na biralištima širom Rusije kako bi sudjelovali u, kako je istaknula opozicija Kremlju, mirnom, ali simboličnom političkom protestu protiv Putinovog reizbora.

Najmanje 74 osobe uhapšene su u Rusiji zbog sudjelovanja u raznim protestnim akcijama za vrijeme trajanja predsjedničkih izbora na kojima se očekuje pobjeda Vladimira Putina, objavila je u nedjelju nevladina organizacija.

Organizacija OVD-Info, specijalizirana za praćenje represije, objavila je da su privođenja uglavnom realizirana u Kazanju u centralnoj Rusiji i u Moskvi.

U objavi te nevladine organizacije stoji da bi broj uhapšenih mogao biti i veći, jer bi njeni članovi mogli dobiti nove informacije s novim imenima privedenih.

‘Podne protiv Putina’
Hiljade ljudi pojavilo se u nedjelju na biralištima širom Rusije kako bi sudjelovali u, kako je istaknula opozicija Kremlju, mirnom, ali simboličnom političkom protestu protiv reizbora predsjednika Vladimira Putina, prenijela je Hina.

U akciji nazvanoj “Podne protiv Putina”, Rusi koji se protive Putinu izašli su u podne na svoje lokalno biračko mjesto kako bi ili poništili svoj glasački listić u znak protesta ili glasali za jednog od troje protukandidata Putinu za kojega se očekuje da će premoćno pobijediti.

Drugi su obećali da će na svom glasačkom listiću dodati ime pokojnog opozicionog čelnika Alekseja Navaljnog, koji je umro prošlog mjeseca u zatvoru na Arktiku.

Navaljnijevi saradnici emitirali su na YouTubeu videosnimke ljudi koji su u podne čekali u redovima na različitim biračkim mjestima širom Rusije, a tvrde da su tako mirno demonstrirali.

Neki su birači uhapšeni na biračkim mjestima. U izvještaju stoji da je jedna aktivistica privedena dok je izlazila iz svoje kuće u Sankt Peterburgu.

Dio uhapšenih ubrzo je pušten na slobodu.

Politički testament Navaljnog
Navaljni je podržao plan “Podne protiv Putina” objavom na društvenim mrežama koju su omogućili njegovi advokati prije nego što je umro.

Nezavisne novine Novaja Gazeta nazvale su planiranu akciju, održanu trećeg i posljednjeg dana predsjedničkih izbora, “političkim testamentom Navaljnog”.

Unatoč demonstracijama, koji predstavljaju mali dio od 114 miliona ruskih glasača, Putin će vjerojatno učvrstiti vlast na izborima koji će mu sigurno donijeti veliku pobjedu.

Teško je procijeniti koliko je ljudi sudjelovalo na demonstracijama.

Veličina redova na svakom biračkom mjestu prikazana na kanalu Navaljnog kretala se od nekoliko desetaka ljudi do nekoliko stotina.

Blagi porast glasača u podne
Novinari Reutersa uočili su u podne na nekim biračkim mjestima u Moskvi i Jekaterinburgu blagi porast broja glasača, posebice mlađih, pa su se stvorili redovi od nekoliko stotina ljudi.

Neki su rekli da demonstriraju iako ih je bilo teško razlikovati od ostalih birača.

Leonid Volkov, pomoćnik Navaljnog u egzilu, koji je prošle sedmice napadnut čekićem u Vilniusu, procjenjuje da su stotine hiljada ljudi izašle na biračka mjesta u Moskvi, Sankt Peterburgu, Jekaterinburgu i drugim gradovima.

Na glasačkim mjestima u ruskim diplomatskim predstavništvima od Australije i Japana do Armenije, Kazahstana i Gruzije stotine Rusa stajale su u podne u redu.

U Berlinu se udovica Navaljnog, Julija, pojavila u ruskoj ambasadi kako bi sudjelovala u tamošnjem protestnom događaju zajedno s Kirom Jarmiš, glasnogovornicom Navaljnog. Ostali prisutni Rusi pljeskali su i skandirali njeno ime.

Biračko mjesto u Beogradu
Za predsjedničke izbore u Rusiji jedno glasačko mjesto otvoreno je u nedjelju i u Beogradu, a tokom prijepodneva je, prema izvještaju beogradskih medija, glasalo više od 1.000 državljana Rusije, dok ih još stotine čekaju u velikoj povorci ispred birališta.

Na tom biračkom mjestu oko podneva se okupila grupa građana iz organizacije Rusko-demokratsko društvo u Srbiji, koja se protivi Putinovoj vlasti.

Aktivisti te grupe istaknuli su rusku nacionalnu zastavu s porukom “Putin nije Rusija”, što je u jednom trenu bilo popraćeno verbalnim incidentom i naguravanjem s pojedinima u povorci, ali i pljeskom ljudi koji su čekali da glasaju, piše Hina.

Po podacima MUP-a Srbije iz maja prošle godine u Srbiji je tada boravilo skoro 30.000 državljana Rusije, evidentiranih na temelju odobrenog privremenog boravka.

Centar za zaštitu i pomoć tražiteljima azila u junu 2023. objavio je podatke da je u Srbiji boravak prijavilo 30.000 do 40.000 državljana Rusije.

Informer wrote:Ma kakav Kadirov, Putin je Bog! U Čečeniji osvojio neverovatnih 99 odsto glasova

Predsednik Rusije Vladimir Putin ubedljivo je pobedio u Čečeniji osvojivši neverovatnih 99,28 odsto glasova.
Vladimir Putin je na ruskim predsedničkim izborima u Republici Čečeniji osvojio neverovatnih 99,28 odsto glasova, potvrdili su iz Centralne izborne komisije.