Vladimir Putin is no fan of the “Arab Spring”, evident by his address to the UN. Putin, who is allies with Assad, and Russia who has interests in Syria as a strategic location, has moved his military to the Syrian border. His speech pointed out his take on the Arab spring, and he believes the Obama “doctrine” in the Middle East has left a vacuum that ISIS is filling. Surprisingly, his take on the Arab Spring is much aligned with how many American conservatives view it.
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During his first term in office, Putin moved to curb the political ambitions of some of the Yeltsin-era oligarchs, resulting in the exile or imprisonment of such people as Boris Berezovsky, Vladimir Gusinsky, Mikhail Khodorkovsky; other oligarchs soon joined Putin’s camp.[citation needed]
To ordinary people, the fruit of Putin’s foreign policy is bitter. Russians feel increasingly sealed in, both by a week ruble and by bans on vacations in Egypt and Turkey, as well as the cancellation of all direct flights between Russia and Ukraine. The three countries used to be Russia’s three most popular destinations before Putin’s muscular policies made them unsafe or hostile. Imported delicacies such as European cheeses and meats are still banned under Putin’s food embargo against the EU, and starting next year, Ukrainian food, too, will be off-limits. All that Russians have gotten from Putin’s international activity is a boost to their pride, delivered by the Kremlin’s propaganda channels — not a tangible benefit as the economy continues to buckle under the weight of falling commodity prices.
Increasingly, both Russian and Western commentators suggest that Russia may be on the verge of deep instability, possibly even collapse. Crimea and the Donbas are economic hellholes and huge drains on Russian resources. The war with Ukraine has stalemated. Energy prices are collapsing, and the Russian economy is in recession. Putin’s punitive economic measures against Ukraine, Turkey, and the West have only harmed the Russian economy further. Meanwhile, the country’s intervention in Syria is poised to become a quagmire.
Putin has effectively condoned corruption among his friends, and it is hardly an exaggeration to say that everything is for sale in Russia. People pay bribes to enter university, to escape military service, to stay out of prison, and to land a good job. Until the late 1990s, the selling of top offices was not an issue, but by 2004 it had become endemic.
Oboma is a traitor, liar,Muslim extremists, sempathizer, murderer, mistake, all the reasons he says you should abort your baby!
Exactly!
Since you seem to love Putin and his corrupt ideas, I suggest you move to Russia. That is where your adoration of Putin belongs.
Before you thank Putin I suggest you live in Russia for a year as a Russian citizen and try to speak against him. We’ll be seeing you in a Russian prison or dead.
I agree it is pitiful. Too bad you do not have American Pride and patriotism.
Joseph Kapolka hope not.
I mean his comments about a European leader.