The Grand Chess Game
The Russian leadership continues to use Syria as a bargaining chip in the country’s relations with the West. Although raising the stakes could be dangerous for Russia, so far the country has been largely successful in leveraging its military presence in the country and close relations with Syria and Iran’s leadership in its dealings with the US regarding the situation in the country. Reaching an agreement on a ceasefire with most key players on the ground and, most importantly for Russia, the United States, allows it to maintain its key position there.
President Putin continues to replace regional leaders with people he can personally trust, as yet another of his bodyguards takes a key leadership position, as Tula governor.
Russia changed its relations with the European Human Rights Court, deciding that its own national judiciary is now superior, despite twenty years when it was the opposite. One of the reasons is that political prosecution is often disguised as criminal prosecution in Russia, and the Court had the power to oppose that.
A year has passed since key opposition leader and former First Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov was shot dead just steps away from the Kremlin, and the investigation remains stalled. Although the case is officially closed, and all the alleged perpetrators found and convicted, the real initiators of the crime have not yet been identified.
Decades after he stepped down from his leadership position, Russians are still confused about Mikhail Gorbachev’s role in the history of their country. A majority of Russians believe he meant well but failed, and an increasing number of people consider him a criminal. Very few people can remember a single good thing associated with him.
Now read on...
Register to sample a report