The return of the Putin III

[abomvubuso]

I think this vid is pretty succinct, how'dya think? Well, the exit polls are unambiguous. There'll be no 2nd round, Putin wins the presidential election in Russia. 58-60% roughly. And no surprise there.

The result was anticipated, and is hardly a shock for anybody. More important is what the opposition's reaction would be and what are Putin's next

Comments

[asket_klim]

Yes, now we have Putin for next 6 years. In 2018 il be the president.

[abomvubuso]

I'm planning to obtain Russian citizenship so I could vote for you!

[asket_klim]

Yes, this is wisdom decision!

[danalwyn]

I wonder if any of Russia's neighbors are nervous right now. Putin has always tried to fit the "strong leader" mode, no matter which part of the world he was trying to maneuver alongside, and play the role of the one man who can save Russia from chaos within and foreign interference without. I don't think he's going to start a war or anything (he's not stupid), but he might be willing to demonstrate his "assertiveness" and restore "Russia's place in the world" by expanding Russian influence into their traditional satellites in Central Asia and the Caucuses (or Eastern Europe). All those places are a bit touchy right now, and if Russian diplomacy is as ham-fisted as American diplomacy something could go up in smoke.

If I were a small nation near the Russian border I might be expecting a new assertion of Russian primacy from Moscow, and preparing for the possible collapse of one of my neighboring house-of-cards nations under a badly placed poke.

[mrbogey]

That's kind of the rub, ain't it?

Putin has made it obvious he has hegemonic goals if not imperial.

[airiefairie]

I recommend a very relevant new documentary about Putin: link.