Page 34 - RusRPTAug21

It was an eventful day for Russian diplomacy on June 12. US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry was in Moscow to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to begin co-operation on climate change between Russia and the US. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin put the cat amongst the pigeons by releasing a 5,000-word essay on Russia’s historical ties with Ukraine, again calling them “one people.”
"The deal is to be able to deal with the climate issue separately. It’s too important, too significant, and we very much need to move together. The US is the world’s second largest emitter of greenhouse gases; Russia is the fourth. We are among that small group of 20 nations that is the equivalent of 80% of all emissions. What we do, what we decide to do is critical," Kerry said as cited by the Kremlin.
Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin that Russia would face consequences if it failed to crack down on ransomware cyber-gangs operating out of Russia that are targeting businesses worldwide during a phone call on July 9.
A delegation of top Taliban fighters travelled to Moscow on July 9 for talks with the Kremlin and said it already controls most of Afghanistan. "We came [to Moscow] to talk about the current situation in Afghanistan with the Russian side, and also to assure them that we are committed that we will not allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against Russia, the neighbouring countries and other countries," Taliban representative Mohammad Sohail Shaheen told Russian news agency TASS.
2.11 Polls & Sociology
According to a recent poll by the Levada Center, 57 percent of Russians support the return of capital punishment for certain violent crimes. In an interview with iStories, sociologist Lev Gudkov attributed this popular view to “heightened aggression” in society and Russia’s generally “primitive” public consciousness. The authorities have encouraged this “dark sentiment,” Gudkov says, and leaned on demagoguery as a form of self-preservation, pivoting to talk of the death penalty in times of crisis (like after school shootings) to shift the government’s blame.
A poll has revealed that 38% of Russians never booze at all, with just 1% saying they drink daily. Research conducted by state-owned pollster WCIOM also discovered that older Russians are less likely to drink than younger citizens, with 51% of those over the age of 60 declaring themselves to be teetotallers. The number of non-drinkers in Russia has been increasing over time. Just 10 years ago, in 2011, the percentage sat at just 28%. The new results not only show that the country has many non-drinkers but also highlight that most Russians drink rarely. A quarter of respondents said they drink just once a month, 14% once a week and 18% two or three times a week. Just 5% admitted to drinking more often than that.
34 RUSSIA Country Report August 2021 www.intellinews.com