The Week: Most Recent russia

Why America shouldn't panic over Putin

The Week — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:10:00 -0400

Contrary to what many Americans expect, Vladimir Putin's return to the Russian presidency need not cause a deterioration of relations between the United States and Russia. Many assume that Putin benefits politically from indulging anti-Americanism, and that in his new presidential term, he'll pursue increasingly adversarial policies. This underestimates Putin's willingness to strike pragmatic deals with Western governments. Putin has had a longstanding interest in cooperating with America — so long as Russian interests are respected and acknowledged. It would be foolish to ignore this in...

Vladimir Putin's third term as president: 6 ominous signs

The Week — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:17:00 -0400

Vladimir Putin took the oath of office to begin his third term as Russia's president on Monday, returning to the job after sitting out four years as prime minister. Outside the Kremlin, the streets were empty, as police hauled away opposition activists who were attempting to thwart the president's inauguration. Putin tried to defuse public anger with a series of decrees, vowing to eliminate waiting lists for nursery schools, and promising all Russians access to new housing every 15 years. But many observers warned of trouble ahead. Here, six concerning signs as Putin returns to the presidency:...

Vladimir Putin: Russia's once and future president

The Week — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:51:00 -0400

Was Putin fairly elected?
Not remotely, but that's not to say anyone could have beaten him. Since he first took the helm in Russia, in 1999, Vladimir Putin has ruled with a modified form of Soviet-style authoritarianism that he calls "managed democracy." The idea is that weakened state institutions, including the electoral system, yield to the designs of a strong leader. That entails some outright fraud; monitors found evidence of "carousel voting," in which busloads of voters travel around casting ballots under different names, and in Chechnya, more pro-Putin votes were counted than there were...

Vladimir Putin: Russia's 'greatest leader' in centuries?

The Week — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:48:00 -0500

As expected, Vladimir Putin easily won Russia's presidential election on Sunday, securing a fresh six-year term to bolster his 12-year reign at the country's helm. (Putin first served as president from 2000 to 2008, before assuming the role of prime minister in 2008.) Putin's opponents accuse him of rigging Sunday's vote, and a newly emboldened pro-democracy movement will inevitably protest the Russian autocrat's election. Still, Putin continues to enjoy widespread support in Russia's provinces, where many credit him with pulling Russia out of the chaos that followed the collapse of the Soviet...

The imminent return of President Putin: What will it mean for Russia?

The Week — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:13:00 -0500

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is widely expected to win his country's presidential election on Sunday, reclaiming the job he held for eight years before term limits forced him to step aside — at which point he became P.M. Despite massive anti-corruption protests, polls show that Putin still has the backing of 60 percent of his constituents, suggesting that he could win a majority in the first round and avoid a run-off. What can we expect from another Putin term? Here, four predictions:

1. The protests will grow
This election's outcome isn't in doubt because it's all been "choreographed...

The alleged Putin assassination plot: A campaign trick?

The Week — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:45:00 -0500

Russian and Ukrainian intelligence services say they have foiled a plot to kill Vladimir Putin, just days before a March 4 election that's expected to return Putin to the presidency after four years as prime minister. Although heavily favored, Putin is facing the biggest threat to his authority since he came to power in his first presidential term 12 years ago, as thousands of Russians demonstrate in the streets to protest corruption under Putin and his United Russia party. Is somebody really trying to kill Putin — or is this just a trick to make voters sympathetic and seal Putin's victory...

Could Vladimir Putin really face a 'Russian Spring'?

The Week — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:51:00 -0500

In the largest protests Russia has seen since the fall of the Soviet Union, tens of thousands of people flooded Moscow's streets in recent days demanding fair elections and the end of Vladimir Putin's "corrupt" government. Putin was president from 2000 to 2008. Barred from a third consecutive term, he has spent the last four years serving as prime minister while his hand-picked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, held the presidency. Putin is widely expected to reclaim the presidency in March elections, a scenario which one opposition leader warns could trigger "Russian Spring" protests. Is that realistic...

Will Vladimir Putin be pushed out?

The Week — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:16:00 -0500

Tens of thousands of people filled the streets of Moscow over the weekend — chanting "Russia without Putin!" — in the biggest opposition demonstrations since Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rose to power 12 years ago. The protest movement has been building since early December, when rival parties accused Putin's United Russia of cheating to win parliamentary elections. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet-era premier, joined the protesters' call for a re-vote, and now says Putin, who has already twice served as president, should get out of politics instead of running for the presidency...

Mikhail Prokhorov: The NBA owner who wants to oust Putin

The Week — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:28:00 -0500

With anti-corruption protesters filling Moscow's streets, the billionaire owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team, Mikhail Prokhorov, announced Monday that he is going to run against Vladimir Putin in next year's presidential election. Does he really stand a chance against Putin, who is now the country's prime minister and has twice served as president? Here, a brief guide:

Who is this guy?
Prokhorov, 46, is the third richest man in Russia. Forbes magazine estimates his fortune at $18 billion. Nicknamed "Giraffe" in school — he's 6 feet 8 inches tall — Prokhorov started his career...

4 ways Putin could prevail over Russia's protesters

The Week — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:52:00 -0500

Tens of thousands of Russians protested in the streets over the weekend, accusing Vladimir Putin and his ruling United Russia party of cheating in parliamentary elections to hold onto power. President Dmitry Medvedev, the official head of United Russia, promised an investigation, but critics insist that the results be thrown out. Putin, who has already served as president twice, wants to run again and replace his protege Medvedev next year. Are Putin's plans unraveling? Not necessarily. Here, four ways Putin can survive:

1. Loosen up a little
"Russia is not stable. It is rigid," says The Economist...

Is Russia on the verge of an 'Arab Spring'?

The Week — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:43:00 -0500

Vladimir Putin's United Russia party was embarrassed in Sunday's parliamentary elections, claiming just under 50 percent of the vote for the State Duma, compared to 67 percent in 2007. And it might have been even worse if not for alleged electoral fraud that seems to have bolstered Putin's party. Now, as angry demonstrators gather in Moscow and other cities to decry the election results, Russia is dealing with some of its biggest protests in years. Already, hundreds have been arrested, and there's even talk of a Russian "Arab Spring." Is Putin the next Mubarak, or is that just wishful...

Are Russians getting sick of Vladimir Putin?

The Week — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:27:00 -0500

Russian voters delivered an unexpected blow to longtime leader Vladimir Putin on Sunday, slashing his United Russia party's majority in parliament. Putin is hoping to win the presidency for a third time next year, but with his party claiming just under 50 percent of the vote for the State Duma, down from 67 percent in 2007, his political strength may be waning. Putin was even booed at a mixed martial arts event last month, a once unthinkable embarrassment. Are Russians finally tiring of their aspiring president-for-life?

Yes. Voters are fed up: There's no mystery here, says Ben Johnson at Slate...

Putin's comeback: Proof Russia's democracy is a sham?

The Week — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:04:00 -0400

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin confirmed over the weekend that they plan to swap jobs next year, just as they did in 2008 when the constitution barred Putin from serving a third consecutive term as president. Putin, who led Russia from 2000 to 2008 and has continued to wield considerable power as prime minister, is expected to easily win another presidential term. If he does, and serves two six-year terms (as allowed by a revised constitution), he could rule until 2024, marking a quarter century as the Kremlin's strong-armed leader. Is this a sign that Russia...

Russia's 'KGB-style,' lie-detecting ATMs

The Week — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:00:00 -0400

Sberbank, the biggest retail bank in Russia, is testing a "KGB-style" ATM at branches around the country. The machine aims to prevent fraud and theft, while allowing customers to conduct complicated banking transactions with no human interaction at all. So what's the story behind this new ATM that "the old KGB would have loved?" Here, a brief guide:

What exactly do these ATMs do?
A lot more than merely dispense cash. They are equipped with built-in lie detectors, passport scanners, finger print sensors, and facial recognition software, which combined will allow consumers — including those with...

Dmitry Medvedev's 'awkward' solo dance party

The Week — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:25:00 -0400

The video: A short video of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev shaking his hips has quickly become a viral smash. (Watch it below.) In the 52-second clip, Medvedev "somewhat awkwardly wiggles his hips and kicks up his heels," says Reuters, to the blaring sounds of "American Boy" (a 1990 hit by the Russian group Kombinatsia) as his compatriots bust similarly strange moves. An unidentified cameraman uploaded the footage to YouTube on Tuesday night, and it became an immediate hit, inspiring hundreds of comments. Medvedev took to the internet and explained, "We're rocking out last year at a reunion...

Russia's tycoon 'show trial': Is Putin abusing his power?

The Week — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:00:00 -0500

After a trial described as "Kafkaesque," a "farce," and a "show," one-time Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been found guilty of stealing 350 million tons of oil from his own companies, a crime some say would be all but impossible to carry out. The verdict handed down by a Russian court has been heavily criticized by the U.S., with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying it would have a "negative impact on Russia's reputation." Khodorkovsky — already in jail after a 2003 conviction for fraud and tax evasion — was an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, the former president...