I had to force myself to watch Dmitry Medvedev’s interview with TV journalist Vladimir Pozner. The sincerity with which Medvedev defends completely cynical decisions doesn’t make him sincere – or the decisions any more defensible.
Russia
Faraway, So Close
Vladimir Putin arrived in Berlin an hour late after first visiting Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko. The symbolism was clear: Angela Merkel, Germany and the West can wait – and not just an hour but two whole weeks.
We Were Victims Too: The Rediscovery of German Civilian Suffering in World War II
For decades, the Third Reich could be reduced to the most basic formula: Germans = perpetrators, Jews = victims. Two bestsellers published in 2002 allowed Germans to recognize World War II victims among their own.
Love in the Time of Cynicism
In March I attended a reception at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Moscow. When a certain, not unknown Russian-American gentleman noticed me, he smiled dryly and exclaimed: “Ah, the anti-Putin blogger!”
Inauguration in a Ghost Town
Vladimir Putin is not a loved president, he’s a default president. Just because he has managed to check off the boxes “nomination,” “election” and “inauguration,” doesn’t mean he’s home free.
The Cracks in Kremlin Inc.
“Gazprom is not a state company; it’s the president’s personal company,” says Vladimir Milov. “It’s a bunch of people from St. Petersburg enjoying the windfall.”
Russia’s Approaching Nonelection
If all goes according to plan, the Kremlin candidate will sweep the election as the standard-bearer of strength and stability. Whatever the next president’s name, the winner will be Putin.
Putin’s Bag of Tricks
Kremlin politics is so opaque that it functions like a sort of personality test. Optimists glean just enough hope to justify their wishful thinking, while pessimists find hints of the most monstrous conspiracy theories.
Putin’s Shadow Looms Over Mayoral Race in Olympic City of Sochi
Vladislav Funtyakov, a member of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, is losing the faith. When the Sochi city councilman tried to enter the mayoral race in his hometown, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, his application was rejected.
Putin’s China Visit Helps Russia Become Global Energy Supplier
Russia agreed to supply China with oil for 20 years in return for a $25 billion credit. The total value of oil deals signed with Chinese companies this year is about $100 billion.
