themoscowtimes--2020-04-25--Four Weeks Into Russia's Economic Quarantine, Confusion Reigns

At the end of March , the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a week-long paid holiday to keep Russians at home and slow the spread of the coronavirus , he and a few advisors explained to a handful of business owners how the government was going to help them foot the bill .
The curiously-named “ non-working week ” would see all non-essential businesses shuttered , Putin had said , while employers would be legally required to carry on paying staff .
Chief among the new measures to help them do that would be a salary loans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s largest lenders would be launching it within a matter of days , businesses were told .
Three weeks later , after repeated complaints that banks were delaying or rejecting loan requests , Russia ’ s Economy Minister decided to test the program himself .
Pretending to be an entrepreneur in need of support , Maxim Reshetnikov called two of Russia ’ s largest lenders .
“ In one case , the hotline operator said the government had not yet signed the relevant decree , and at the other , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... in May , ” he posted on Instagram following the experiment .
Criticizing the banks for not acting faster , he added : “ The stabilization of the economy now largely depends on how decisions made by the Russian government are implemented in the real economy.
” That message was echoed almost word-for-word by Putin himself in another televised meeting Thursday where he told the country ’ s top banks directly : “ It largely depends on you now to ensure that the support measures work effectively and reach everyone who needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has played its part in the economic response , giving banks or governors the tools to help businesses and households , that feeling is not shared on the ground .
Instead , after four “ non-working weeks , ” confusion surrounds Russia ’ s economic response to the coronavirus , as hard-pressed households and closed businesses continue to come up against the same problem as Reshetnikov : How can they get hold of the support promised by the president on national television ?
“ The measures are selective and the conditions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of them are rolled out in the regions at the same time , ” said Platforma sociologist Maria Makusheva .
“ People started asking for support straight after the president ’ s address , but the mechanisms were not in place then .
So they face rejection , which then creates a sense of injustice and strengthens the perception of problems around red tape.
” A survey conducted by Platforma found that only one in six people who fit into a so-called “ preferential category , ” such as pensioners , families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received extra support from the government so far .
Just 20 % of people who are out of work said they were officially registered unemployed , while twice as many had tried but failed to join the system .
A legal helpline set up by Agora — a small group of independent lawyers who usually deal with human rights issues — are still overwhelmed with hundreds of queries from businesses over a string of issues , including who can stay open , who must close , labor rights during the lockdown , rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working , lawyer Airat Kamalov told The Moscow Times .
The speed with which new regulations are being introduced also adds to the confusion , with local administrations engaged in a continuous exercise of rolling out new orders , seeing how they work in practice , and then issuing clarifications if they don ’ t go to plan , lawyers say .
Some businesses which initially closed following Putin ’ s first address have discovered they can stay open .
Sberbank closed some branches and cut hours , but now says it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects , meanwhile , remain caught in a tussle between national and regional diktats .
The Moscow mayor has put all building work on hold until the end of April , yet at a recent meeting with industry bosses , Putin told officials and regional governors it was crucial not to “ slow down construction or freeze projects , ” and added the sector to the Kremlin ’ s list of seriously affected industries — inclusion onto which opens up the top tier of government support and cheap loans .
The fundamental confusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown is most visible on city streets .
Despite Moscow having one of the strictest isolation regimes in the world , requiring digital passes and prohibiting outdoor exercise , the Russian capital is far from locked down and still significantly more active than nearly every other major city in Europe and the U.S. , a string of mobility indicators shows .
Passenger numbers on Moscow ’ s metro network are running at 16 % of usual levels , but that compares to 7 % in New York City and just 5 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and private cars are still at over 40 % of pre-crisis levels .
Outside Moscow , isolation and quarantine measures are even looser , with the Kremlin ’ s decision to give regions the power to decide on the extent of the lockdown another source of confusion .
“ Putin does n't like to take responsibility for tough decisions , so in his addresses , he basically said ‘ let regional governors decide how to implement lockdowns , ’ ” said economist Sergei Guriev , who has been vocal in his criticism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
“ There are too many governors and mayors who are , on paper , pretending to follow the orders , but de facto are weakening the measures and making concessions in terms of lockdowns , ” he added , giving the example of the Mayor of Sayansk , who said his region could not afford the lockdown .
He eventually closed restaurants , but kept barber shops open .
“ He was too public about it , but many smaller places are doing the same.
” Fuad Aleskerov , a professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economics told a similar story about regional disparity in Russia ’ s lockdown measures .
“ In some places , they do not follow these restrictions very seriously .
Around 45 of Russia ’ s regions have strict restrictions , and the other 40 don ’ t .
And even in Moscow , where there are strict restrictions , not many people are well-disciplined , ” he said .
For businesses , this patchwork creates new layers of difficulties at a time of already unprecedented challenges .
“ Everything depends on the local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , ” Vadim Ivkin , general director of Vesko Construction told The Moscow Times .
He recalled how some administrations temporarily banned heavy goods vehicles entering their regions , meaning he had to break up orders from suppliers into smaller batches to physically move them .
“ That particular issue is resolved now , but in general , we are waiting for the authorities to set some clearer rules.
” Political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya , says the confusion comes from the top .
“ The main problem with the coronavirus situation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy … The government continues to make one big mistake : publicly underestimating the critical nature of the situation and staying silent about the most pressing problems , ” she told The Moscow Times .
Putin himself has “ belittled the scale of the crisis ” and struck a tone which is “ radically different from the mood of those who have lost their income , ” she added , pointing to his recent video address to mark Orthodox Easter .

At the end of March, the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a week-long paid holiday to keep Russians at home and slow the spread of the coronavirus, he and a few advisors explained to a handful of business owners how the government was going to help them foot the bill. The curiously-named “non-working week” would see all non-essential businesses shuttered, Putin had said, while employers would be legally required to carry on paying staff. Chief among the new measures to help them do that would be a salary loans scheme of state-backed interest free credit. Russia’s largest lenders would be launching it within a matter of days, businesses were told. Three weeks later, after repeated complaints that banks were delaying or rejecting loan requests, Russia’s Economy Minister decided to test the program himself. Pretending to be an entrepreneur in need of support, Maxim Reshetnikov called two of Russia’s largest lenders. “In one case, the hotline operator said the government had not yet signed the relevant decree, and at the other, they promised to issue a loan, but ... in May,” he posted on Instagram following the experiment. Criticizing the banks for not acting faster, he added: “The stabilization of the economy now largely depends on how decisions made by the Russian government are implemented in the real economy.”
news Russian Banks Reject Most Applications for Emergency Coronavirus Loans Read more
That message was echoed almost word-for-word by Putin himself in another televised meeting Thursday where he told the country’s top banks directly: “It largely depends on you now to ensure that the support measures work effectively and reach everyone who needs them.” While the Kremlin insists that it has played its part in the economic response, giving banks or governors the tools to help businesses and households, that feeling is not shared on the ground. Instead, after four “non-working weeks,” confusion surrounds Russia’s economic response to the coronavirus, as hard-pressed households and closed businesses continue to come up against the same problem as Reshetnikov: How can they get hold of the support promised by the president on national television? Red tape “The measures are selective and the conditions are not clear to everybody, while not all of them are rolled out in the regions at the same time,” said Platforma sociologist Maria Makusheva. “People started asking for support straight after the president’s address, but the mechanisms were not in place then. So they face rejection, which then creates a sense of injustice and strengthens the perception of problems around red tape.” A survey conducted by Platforma found that only one in six people who fit into a so-called “preferential category,” such as pensioners, families with young children or the unemployed have received extra support from the government so far. Just 20% of people who are out of work said they were officially registered unemployed, while twice as many had tried but failed to join the system. A legal helpline set up by Agora — a small group of independent lawyers who usually deal with human rights issues — are still overwhelmed with hundreds of queries from businesses over a string of issues, including who can stay open, who must close, labor rights during the lockdown, rules around salary cuts, redundancies and remote working, lawyer Airat Kamalov told The Moscow Times.
Moscow's restaurants and cafes are closed to customers, but can stay open for deliveries. Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency
The speed with which new regulations are being introduced also adds to the confusion, with local administrations engaged in a continuous exercise of rolling out new orders, seeing how they work in practice, and then issuing clarifications if they don’t go to plan, lawyers say. Some businesses which initially closed following Putin’s first address have discovered they can stay open. Sberbank closed some branches and cut hours, but now says it is back operating at 100%. Construction projects, meanwhile, remain caught in a tussle between national and regional diktats. The Moscow mayor has put all building work on hold until the end of April, yet at a recent meeting with industry bosses, Putin told officials and regional governors it was crucial not to “slow down construction or freeze projects,” and added the sector to the Kremlin’s list of seriously affected industries — inclusion onto which opens up the top tier of government support and cheap loans. Busy streets The fundamental confusion over the nature of Russia’s lockdown is most visible on city streets. Despite Moscow having one of the strictest isolation regimes in the world, requiring digital passes and prohibiting outdoor exercise, the Russian capital is far from locked down and still significantly more active than nearly every other major city in Europe and the U.S., a string of mobility indicators shows. Passenger numbers on Moscow’s metro network are running at 16% of usual levels, but that compares to 7% in New York City and just 5% in London. Meanwhile, journeys in taxis and private cars are still at over 40% of pre-crisis levels.
Outside Moscow, isolation and quarantine measures are even looser, with the Kremlin’s decision to give regions the power to decide on the extent of the lockdown another source of confusion. “Putin doesn't like to take responsibility for tough decisions, so in his addresses, he basically said ‘let regional governors decide how to implement lockdowns,’” said economist Sergei Guriev, who has been vocal in his criticism of the government’s response to the crisis. “There are too many governors and mayors who are, on paper, pretending to follow the orders, but de facto are weakening the measures and making concessions in terms of lockdowns,” he added, giving the example of the Mayor of Sayansk, who said his region could not afford the lockdown. He eventually closed restaurants, but kept barber shops open. “He was too public about it, but many smaller places are doing the same.” Fuad Aleskerov, a professor at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics told a similar story about regional disparity in Russia’s lockdown measures. “In some places, they do not follow these restrictions very seriously. Around 45 of Russia’s regions have strict restrictions, and the other 40 don’t. And even in Moscow, where there are strict restrictions, not many people are well-disciplined,” he said. For businesses, this patchwork creates new layers of difficulties at a time of already unprecedented challenges. “Everything depends on the local administration, and the situation changes every day,” Vadim Ivkin, general director of Vesko Construction told The Moscow Times. He recalled how some administrations temporarily banned heavy goods vehicles entering their regions, meaning he had to break up orders from suppliers into smaller batches to physically move them. “That particular issue is resolved now, but in general, we are waiting for the authorities to set some clearer rules.” Image problems Political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya, says the confusion comes from the top. “The main problem with the coronavirus situation in Russia is the complete failure of information policy … The government continues to make one big mistake: publicly underestimating the critical nature of the situation and staying silent about the most pressing problems,” she told The Moscow Times. Putin himself has “belittled the scale of the crisis” and struck a tone which is “radically different from the mood of those who have lost their income,” she added, pointing to his recent video address to mark Orthodox Easter.
Vladimir Putin delivering his Easter message. Kremlin.ru


themoscowtimes--2020-04-25--Putin and Trump Hail Trust and Cooperation on WWII Anniversary

Russia and the United States on Saturday commemorated a historic meeting of U.S. and Soviet forces during World War II @ @ @ @ @ their countries can `` build trust and cooperate . ''
The meeting of Soviet and @ @ @ @ @ river in Germany on April 25 , 1945 is seen as a milestone in World @ @ @ @ @ defeat of the Nazis .
A joint statement by Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. @ @ @ @ @ 75th anniversary said the Elbe meeting illustrated how the two countries could work together .

Russia and the United States on Saturday commemorated a historic meeting of U.S. and Soviet forces during World War II as an example of how their countries can "build trust and cooperate."
The meeting of Soviet and American forces at the Elbe river in Germany on April 25, 1945 is seen as a milestone in World War II, foreshadowing the defeat of the Nazis.
A joint statement by Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on the 75th anniversary said the Elbe meeting illustrated how the two countries could work together.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-26--Russia Sees Record One-Day Rise in Coronavirus Cases, Bringing Total to Over 80k

The majority of Russia 's cases are in Moscow , although Covid-19 patients have been confirmed in every one of @ @ @ @ @ the spread is accelerating outside the capital .
Since March 30 , all of Moscow @ @ @ @ @ been ordered to stay in their homes with few exceptions .
Moscow Deputy mayor Anastasia @ @ @ @ @ `` will face difficult weeks '' ahead .
`` The peak in morbidity should arrive @ @ @ @ @ three weeks , '' she said in a video released on social media Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ have to observe until at least May 1 , they are only allowed to leave @ @ @ @ @ work , walk their dogs , take out trash or visit their nearest shop .
@ @ @ @ @ the lockdown by introducing a digital permit system , requiring that anyone travelling by car @ @ @ @ @ pass .
Russia has carried out more than 2.8 million coronavirus tests , though there @ @ @ @ @ reliability .
Worldwide , the virus has infected over 2.9 million people .

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Russia's fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures.
Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms that now allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.
Both events were initially postponed due the epidemic.
Moscow opened cinemas and theaters on Aug. 1. In the capital, masks are mandatory in stores and on public transport but not in the streets.
Several institutes in Russia are working on a coronavirus vaccine.
The Russian Defense Ministry has said it developed a "safe" vaccine following clinical trials on a group of volunteers.
The trials are ongoing, and the Defense Ministry expects clinical trials to be fully completed in the coming weeks.
AFP contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-26--Belarusian Football Wins Fans Abroad as Locals Boycott Matches

As Belarus resists imposing a lockdown to combat the coronavirus , its football league has stumbled into the international limelight as Europe 's only remaining top-flight competition .
But players are worried about the health risks and only diehard fans are braving matches .
FC Slutsk fan Yahor Khavanski , 26 , is `` a bit afraid '' but could not imagine quitting his weekend football fix .
On Sunday he intends to don a surgical mask and an FC Slutsk scarf and `` try not to touch anything '' at a clash against rivals Belshina Bobruisk .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 came to the last match .
You can sit anywhere you want and keep your distance , '' he told AFP by phone .
Khavanski says he will keep attending matches , regardless of the risk .
In his view , he faces `` the same odds of being infected on public transport or in shops '' .
Life has continued as normal in Belarus , whose authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed World Health Organisation recommendations to impose a virus lockdown .
With a population of nearly 10 million , Belarus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine , with four times the population , has registered fewer cases .
The Belarusian Football Federation ( BFF ) has followed the government 's lead , saying it will not stop matches under the current guidelines .
The BFF even announced this week its women 's league will kick off on April 30 following a two-week delay over fears players had come into contact with people infected with the virus .
On paper , the decision to allow matches is a huge boon to a struggling league .
Russia 's largest sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March , a move followed by 11 other countries including India and Israel .

As Belarus resists imposing a lockdown to combat the coronavirus, its football league has stumbled into the international limelight as Europe's only remaining top-flight competition.
But players are worried about the health risks and only diehard fans are braving matches.
FC Slutsk fan Yahor Khavanski, 26, is "a bit afraid" but could not imagine quitting his weekend football fix.
On Sunday he intends to don a surgical mask and an FC Slutsk scarf and "try not to touch anything" at a clash against rivals Belshina Bobruisk.
"The stadium holds 2,000 people, but only 300 came to the last match. You can sit anywhere you want and keep your distance," he told AFP by phone.
Khavanski says he will keep attending matches, regardless of the risk. In his view, he faces "the same odds of being infected on public transport or in shops."
Life has continued as normal in Belarus, whose authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed World Health Organization recommendations to impose a virus lockdown.
With a population of nearly 10 million, Belarus has registered 9,590 coronavirus cases. Neighboring Ukraine, with four times the population, has registered fewer cases.
The Belarussian Football Federation (BFF) has followed the government's lead, saying it will not stop matches under the current guidelines.
The BFF even announced this week its women's league will kick off on April 30 following a two-week delay over fears players had come into contact with people infected with the virus.
International exhibition
On paper, the decision to allow matches is a huge boon to a struggling league.
Russia's largest sports network bought the rights to air matches in March, a move followed by 11 other countries including India and Israel.