POLITICS: Analysts: Putin Has Squandered Influence

Experts believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin has lost influence in the former Soviet States. From backing the wrong candidate in the Ukraine to backing the wrong side in the breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia. The series of embarrassing defeats, has put Putin on the defensive. In addition, it has put strain on his relationship with both the United States, and the European Union.



Old habits die hard, and Putin used to work for the KGB. No doubt, he longs for the old days when Moscow yelled and the republics scrambled to obey. I understand Putin�s attempts to in effect take control of the Ukraine. With NATO�s continued expansion Eastward towards Russia, he want a bit of a buffer zone. I wonder if we are starting to see the beginning of a new Cold War?

Your assessment is correct. I followed the Russian and Ukranian sources, and that's the kind of thing they say as well.

IMHO Putin is a failed president. He's obviously propped by the oil exports and the money they earn, which cover basic necesities of Russian life. However, I think the general dynamics in the politics and economy are quite negative.

Hopefully we get a better candidate in a few years.

Aelita, can you really say he is a failed president?
Hasn't Russia done much better under Puting than under other recent leaders?
The economy realy seems to be growing and I think it was growing even before the spike in oil prices.
I think Russia also does have a better standing and more respect in the world than under other other recent leaders.

As far as backing the wrong leaders in Georgia and Ukraine, he just didn't do as good a job backing his guys as the US did in backing theirs.

Pat Buchanan did an article on the US influence on the elections, titled "What Are We Up to � in Ukraine?" :
antiwar.com...

Originally posted by AceOfBase
Aelita, can you really say he is a failed president?

Yes I can.

Hasn't Russia done much better under Puting than under other recent leaders?

Which ones? The geriatric patients of the Brezhnev era, the clueless Gorbachev, or the alcoholic Eltsin (who should be tried for high treason). You see, the baseline in Russia is way too low. I give you that Putin at least looks decent (although he's a lousy public speaker according to me), and he has a black belt in martial arts. That's all.

And, outside of Moscow the living standards are pretty bad. Nobody want's to talk about it. How can a retiree survive on $40 or even $100 a month pension, if the prices are roughly comparable to the US (at least in Moscow)? How can one buy the most necessary medicine?

The Russian population is shrinking. I call it a genocide.

The economy realy seems to be growing and I think it was growing even before the spike in oil prices.

A well know fact -- all the growth can be attributed to oil production. This is severely wrong. The nation doesn't produce much. Just pumps oil.

I think Russia also does have a better standing and more respect in the world than under other other recent leaders.

How so? What did Russia accomplish in the international arena in the past 5 years? NATO is on its doorstep... War in Checnya has no end in sight. Other conflict abound...

As far as backing the wrong leaders in Georgia and Ukraine, he just didn't do as good a job backing his guys as the US did in backing theirs.

That's a failure all right.


[edit on 7-12-2004 by Aelita]