... leader’s mind. However, the few times that it was mentioned, I got the sense that, quite untypically for the Russian narrative, he was not dwelling too much on the countless slights that the United States and the European Union had inflicted upon Russia. Vladimir Putin touched briefly upon the senseless steps of the western partners in Syria, praised Donald Trump for conducting an active dialogue with North Korea, reminded those in attendance of the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and generally avoided ...
... policy, Centre for European Reform
Igor Yurgens, Chairman of the Management Board, Institute of Contemporary Development, RIAC Member
Putin has dominated Russia since 1999. He now faces many problems, including how to transfer power, if at all. The West should prepare for change – or for no change.
Vladimir Putin has dominated the Russian political scene since 1999. But he is now in what should be his final term as president. He faces economic, social and foreign policy problems; and he has to decide what will happen at the end of his term of office....
... ideological underpinnings for it. That Western weariness — as well as the changing global balance of power, reinforced by the growing Sino-U.S. confrontation — will eventually open up a window of opportunity for Moscow to achieve a normalization with the West without relinquishing any of its key holdings (such as Crimea and the Russian sphere of influence in the former Soviet republics).
In the eyes of the Russian people, Vladimir Putin is the ideal leader to steer their country during such a period of confrontation.
Source:
DefenceNews
... — for example, oil-rich states. They can meet the demands of the people without representation.
Someday liberal democracy will be popular again. Sooner or later, Russia will be part of the common European market. In his first two terms as president, Vladimir Putin very much shared this vision: He was very keen to consider a Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok. But the West was not welcoming. It wasn’t ready. I’m not saying that the European Union shouldn’t have expanded into Eastern Europe, but it was quite clear at the time that the expansion would hurt relations because of all the historical problems between ...
... thaw relations with Europe and explore new routes in Asia. Successe abroad is key to improving the situation at home.
If Vladimir Putin wins in the Russian elections in March, few will be surprised in Russia or abroad. The incumbent president remains ... ... make unilateral concessions or to deviate from a consistent pursuit and defence of its national interests.
Relations with the West will remain one of the most important dimensions of Russian foreign policy. Here, one can foresee a cautious relaunch of ...
Should the West be concerned about the Eurasian Economic Union? Is it a disguised attempt to resurrect the Soviet Union?
Does Vladimir Putin want to restore the Soviet Union? Nobody can irrefutably prove that he does not. However, nobody can prove either that Barack Obama does not want to turn the United States into amonarchy or that Bill Bailey has no wish to become the new ...
... into chaos as its institutions – reasonably effective in the last century, but unable to adapt to new-century realities – eroded. Attempts to create a ‘centralized’ or unipolar global system of governance simply failed.
In 2005, Vladimir Putin described the disintegration of the Soviet Union as a major geopolitical catastrophe. The West viewed this statement as evidence of Putin’s nostalgia for the days of Soviet – and with it, Russian – superpower status and of his desire to revive or restore it. And yet there is nothing in that particular Presidential Address ...
... settling the Syrian crisis. And this vision appears to reflect Russia’s overall approach to creating a new world order. It has to be said that against the backdrop of the numerous declarative, ambiguous and at times contradictory statements that our Western partners have made with regard to Syria, Vladimir Putin’s words were to-the-point, logical and consistent. There is no reticence in Russia’s position, no omissions or gaps; you can argue with it, not agree with it, add to it or even amend it. But the one thing you cannot do is ignore ...
... be continued as well as the list of Russia’s steps towards the West.
In a sense, the Sochi Speech is similar to that of Munich. In it, the President shows the very same concern for the future of the planet, the very same disappointment with our Western partners. But to call Vladimir Putin’s speech in Sochi “Munich 2” would be an oversimplification – after all, seven-and-a-half years have passed since then. We live in a completely different world now. A number of trends that only started to appear ...