A Soviet-era joke need only be slightly tweaked to describe Vladimir Putin’s grip on power: “They pretend to rule us, and we pretend to support them.”
Russia
Putin’s Willing Helpers: The Apparatchik
Gennady Zyuganov was once seen as the greatest threat to Russia’s fledgling democracy. The fact he’s still around is more a testament to the Communist Party’s inertia than to any leadership traits such as intelligence, eloquence or charisma.
Putin’s Willing Helpers: The Buffoon
I distinctly remember when Vladimir Zhirinovsky appeared in my parents’ living room 20 years ago. There was nothing soft and cuddly about this liberal democrat.
Putin’s Willing Helpers: The Geologist
Nobody knows why Sergei Mironov wants to be Russia’s next president. It seems he himself isn’t quite sure.
Fear and Loathing in Moscow
About a dozen opposition demonstrators were detained in Moscow today. The participants in an anti-government protest near Red Square this afternoon were bundled into police buses without being informed of the reason for their detention.
The Disposable President
Poor Dmitry Medvedev. As if being the world’s first voluntary lame-duck president wasn’t bad enough, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has indicated he will rescind the only Medvedev reform that had any effect on the lives of ordinary Russians.
The Syrian Connection
Russian liberals may find their government’s embrace of Assad disgraceful, but they know better than to bring up Syria, or any other Arab revolution for that matter.
A Hot Winter’s Day in Moscow
Biting cold and visible cracks in the motley protest movement dampened expectations. But the massive turnout gave the demonstrators new momentum in the run-up to the presidential election.
Putin vs. Putin
Vladimir Putin is campaigning in a large part against himself – with all the contradictions and pitfalls that entails.
Putin vs. Russia’s New Nationalists
Vladimir Putin isn’t a man who usually acknowledges his mistakes, but on Monday he confessed that his government had failed to propagate tolerance and understanding among Russia’s more than 100 ethnic groups.
