Decline of Putin's Russia - My Comment

posted by Nikolai Tagarov on August 23, 2016 - 11:10am

Review and commentary on Putin's (and Russia's) dilemma:

"Very good analysis of Putin's predicament. On the one hand, he is forced to maintain a smoldering conflict in the Donbass region for fear of otherwise losing his popularity. On the other hand, due to sanctions he has fewer and fewer resources to buy support among oligarchs and local political elites. It also seems he is having problems with the FSB - Ivanov's recent dismissal is indicative of that. Will he rely more and more on his newly formed National Guard?

We are reminded of Russia's basic problem. It has always lacked institutional stability, and the death or removal of one leader, no matter how popular, may bring about not only radical changes in the country's direction, but also lots of instability and suffering for its population."