WASHINGTON, USA
Emerging from Putin's shadow
Through cautious actions and half hints... Dmitry Medvedev has been getting rid of his image of docile partner of his influential predecessor... It has been suggested that their relations have soured under the pressure of the economic crisis gripping the country.
Putin is still in the driver's seat and there are no signs of serious differences between him and Medvedev. However, Medvedev's attempts to be independent brought one more element of uncertainty to the situation at the top of the authoritarian system built by Putin, and this at a time when it is being tested for the first time...
Ever since Medvedev came to power eight months ago, he has been perceived as a politically insignificant figure... In recent weeks, however, Medvedev has surprised many observers by his actions apparently aimed at distancing himself from Putin and his handling of the economy. The President publicly criticized the Government for his handling of the crisis, met with the editor of an opposition newspaper, and ordered amendments to be made to the bill approved by the special services that could make it easier to persecute those who criticize the authorities by accusing them of high treason.
One of Medvedev's advisors, who chose to remain anonymous, has said that the President is loyal to Putin and that both leaders are still cooperating closely. He added, however, that the rival groups around them had already revealed mutual misunderstanding on a number of issues, including economic policy... The testimony of another Russian official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, may be another sign of tensions. He said that Putin and Medvedev recently decided to introduce a protocol of their meetings because "misunderstandings" had sometimes come up after their previous meetings. "That is a bad sign," said the speaker, adding that a split at the top may destabilize the Government... According to some analysts, Medvedev made it clear to the Russian elite that in conditions of crisis, the Government's actions could be criticized and that Putin might be a potential scapegoat, while he himself is probably a likely alternative leader... Medvedev expressed displeasure, albeit gently, with the Putin Cabinet's handling of the economic crisis. He said that these actions were "not ideal". On January 11, the President said that the Government was too slow to react to developments in the country which led to the loss of thousands of jobs and soaring prices... Mr Medvedev showed a measure of independence when he met with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and the editor of the independent Novaya Gazeta to express condolences over a brazen killing of a journalist and a prominent lawyer.
That move is in sharp contrast to the Kremlin's indifference to the murder in 2006 of another Novaya Gazeta journalist, Anna Politkovskaya whose work Putin described at the time as "extremely insignificant"...
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BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
Moscow Mia
"Do you hear the drums, Vladimir?", a paraphrase of the opening words of ABBA's 1976 hit "Fernando", is a fair description of the odd polemic that involved the Kremlin, the Russian Prime Minister, and the Australian group Björn Again which performs ABBA songs. The members of the London-based group and its managers claimed to have given a sneak concert for Vladimir Putin at a facility that looked like a military base somewhere in Russia. Probably eager to show that the Russian leader does not want to be part of the movement for an ABBA revival launched by the "Mamma Mia" musical, the Kremlin officials denied that Putin had attended the concert. However, the group's manager Rod Stephen said that he had no doubt as to the person for whom the concert was arranged. He said that Vladimir Putin was there with a party of guests: seven men and a woman. One of the female members of the group claims she was looking Putin straight in the eye during the performance. "We could see where Mr Putin sat," said Eilene McLoughlin, who performs the role of blonde vocalist Agnetha Fältskog . I saw his face in the spotlight." According to Rod Stephen, the group had been told in advance that the concert was being staged for Putin. "This was a categorical statement and it was cited for a week preceding the event," Stephen said.
The group was brought to a theatre. Vladimir Putin, wearing tails and a bowtie, was separated from the stage by a thin curtain, the members of the group claim.
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HAMBURG, GERMANY
The lone superpower
Russian leaders consider the country to be an independent power center in the multipolar world. However, Moscow has scrapped the course for integration with the West followed by Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s. Vladimir Putin's early attempts to bring about a rapprochement with the West have also failed: Moscow has proved unable to dictate its terms to the West, so it decided to revert to its old practice of creating a Kremlin-led bloc of post-Soviet states.
Seeking power and recognition, Moscow sees rivals everywhere, but its main rival is still the Untied States. True, after Barack Obama moved into the White House Moscow changed its tone slightly, offering Washington to resume arms control talks. The main mistake the Russian authorities are making is that their security policy is focused on the U.S. America as the main enemy: this perspective distorts Moscow's strategic vision. As a result, resources are wasted and there is growing disappointment with the marked inequality of forces between the former protagonists in the Cold War.
Nikolai Zubov