The pandemic has highlighted just how serious the troubles in Russia’s healthcare system are. Now the Accounting Chamber has documented the way in which Vladimir Putin’s May 2012 call for the optimization of the branch, a euphemism for cutbacks, bears responsibility for this development.
OP-ED
Paul Goble: Putin’s May 2012 decrees destroyed Russia’s medical system
Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a statement on the agreement to end fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on November 10, 2020. - Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on a deal with Russia to end weeks of fierce clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, after a string of Azerbaijani victories in its fight to retake the disputed region. The announcement of a full ceasefire from 1:00 am Tuesday (2100 GMT) sparked outrage in Armenia, with angry protesters storming the government headquarters in Yerevan where they ransacked offices and broke windows. The deal would end six weeks of fierce clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian region of Azerbaijan that broke away from Baku's control during a bitter war in the 1990s. The conflict -- which simmered for decades despite international efforts to reach a peace deal -- erupted into fresh fighting in late September. At least 1,000 people have been confirmed killed, including dozens of civilians, but the actual death toll is believed to be significantly higher. (Photo by Alexey NIKOLSKY / SPUTNIK / AFP)
