Dmitry Medvedev

One of the great problems caused by the US’s ‘colour revolution/regime change’ policy is that it is sometimes difficult to separate a genuine political crisis and real protests from US confected ones.
Recent events in Armenia provide a good example.
Over the last week Armenia’s has been hit by a massive wave of protests following the ruling party’s attempt to appoint Armenia’s longstanding leader and former President Serzh Sargsyan to the post of executive Prime Minister.

Originally appeared at RussiaFeed.com
GORKI (Russia) (Sputnik) – A number of European banks will join the financing of Russia’s liquefied natural gas project in coming months, the board chairman of Russia’s Novatek gas producer said Thursday.

“A number of European banks, of countries that are also participating in this project, will join the financing,”

Originally appeared at RussiaFeed.com
PITSUNDA (Abkhazia), (Sputnik) – Russia intends to continue guaranteeing the security and independence of Abkhazia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

Originally appeared at RussiaFeed.com
According to a study released on Thursday by the state-run pollster VTSIOM, 83.5 percent of Russians approve of Vladimir Putin’s work as president as of the end of July.
This is slightly down on 84.1 percent reported in the middle of the month, but still far ahead of other major Russian politicians.
Here is the distribution of the respondents’ reported votes among the parties:

Though the new sanctions law which has just been passed by the US Congress will have little actual impact on the Russian economy, no one should be in any doubt about Russian anger on this issue.
That anger has expressed itself in a number of ways.
Firstly there are the stiff comments from President Putin himself made on the eve of the passage of the new sanctions law

Originally appeared at RussiaFeed.com
The Ministry for the Development of Eastern Regions:

“Receiving an electronic visa will be simple and easily available – visitors will only have to submit an application on a special website four days ahead the planned date of visit and if their request is fulfilled, they can start their travel.”

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has made a statement about the implications of America’s recent missile attack on Syria. He called the attack ‘military aggression’ according to the standards of international law.
Medvedev has said,

The allegations of corruption made against Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev by the opposition activist and blogger Alexey Navalny have been given short shrift in – of all places – an article in the Washington Post.
In an unusual flurry of objective reporting, the Washington Post also admits that the turnout at follow on opposition rallies in Moscow on 2nd April 2017 was derisory and that Navalny – the individual the Western media regularly touts as the leader of Russia’s opposition – is widely disliked and has little support.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has spoken optimistically today about the current state of the Russian economy, predicting stable growth for 2017.
He is right to do so.  As previously reported, Russia exited recession midway through 2016, and its economy appears to have been growing steadily in the second half of the year, especially in the final quarter.  GDP contraction in 2016 for the whole year is now put at just 0.2%, significantly better than forecast.

Observing Russian practice, Russian President Putin has been careful to avoid making any personal comments about Barack Obama, now no longer President of the United States.
I would add that it is a courtesy that was not reciprocated.  Obama on occasion personally, and his officials frequently – including especially Vice-President Biden – spoke of Putin, and did so in the most offensive terms.