Vladimir Putin Archives - Page 14 of 28

Russians United against United Russia

by Dimitar Indzhov | Dec 23, 2011

In the past two weeks a number of different rallies took place in Russia. The most memorable of these, on December 10, was the biggest protest in Russia since the fall of communism. People in cities all around Russia went onto the streets. In Moscow, estimates of the number of protestors ranged from 25,000 to 100,000. Although organized by a range of groups and political parties with few common goals, the protests are united around one issue: the alleged vote rigging by the United Russia party.

Review: Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives

by Rehanna Jones-Boutaleb | Sep 16, 2011

Why did the Soviet Union come to an end? Was the Soviet system reformable? Were there historical alternatives to Stalinism? These are the questions that Stephen F. Cohen raises in Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives: From Stalinism to the New Cold War. In a series of seven essays, Cohen challenges conventional assumptions on the course of Soviet and post-Soviet history, examining the fates and lost opportunities of Stalin’s preeminent opponents.

U.S. and Russia: Where’s the Reset?

by Rehanna Jones-Boutaleb | Aug 15, 2011

When President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, U.S.-Russian relations were strained and delicate. Arms control agreements had all but disintegrated and acrimonious conflict had largely displaced cooperation. Indeed several observers, including Mikhail Gorbachev, even went so far as to proclaim the emergence of a new Cold War.

Putin’s Extravagant Proposal to Abolish Visas Echoes Gorbachev and Nukes

by Russ Wellen | Mar 12, 2011

Meanwhile, Moscow once again boasts more billionaires than New York City.

WikiLeaks X: Russia — From Tyranny to Kleptocracy

by Michael Busch | Dec 2, 2010

The documents paint a grim picture of the quintessential mafia state being run out of the Kremlin’s bowels and the hopeless politics it engenders.

WikiLeaks IV: Getting Personal

by Michael Busch | Nov 30, 2010

While gossip about world leaders like Belursconi and Karzai was to be expected, the turns it takes are unexpected.

The Elephants of Missile Defense

by Frida Berrigan, John Feffer | Jun 13, 2007

In Albania, nearing the end of his six-nation tour of Europe, President George W. Bush hopped out of his limo to have his head rubbed and his cheeks kissed by an adoring crowd in what The New York Times called a “virtual mosh pit” of enthusiasm.
Surely, he was delighted and relieved to be warmly welcomed in the mostly Muslim nation. It was a tough week in Europe: the president endured long meetings, pointed criticisms, huge protests, and an upset stomach that took him out of some of the Group of Eight Summit meetings.

Is Russia Really That Authoritarian?

by Anna Arutunyan, John Feffer | Jan 11, 2007

Russia, according to the Western news media, is increasingly slipping toward totalitarianism. The man allegedly pulling all the strings is Russian President Vladimir Putin, ex-KGB operative and apparatchik extraordinaire. This misconception of Putin as a powerful dictator whose control over his citizens must be countered through punitive measures is deeply ingrained. The myth is embraced by journalists and politicians alike.

Central Asia Between Competition and Cooperation

by Yu Bin, John Feffer | Nov 29, 2006

Great power competition in Central Asia ebbs and flows in a timeless and tireless fashion. Unlike in Europe and East Asia during the Cold War and after, the fault line for the current jockeying for position in Central Asia between Washington and Beijing is not easily discernible. Instead, fluidity, uncertainty, and even outright reversal of fortunes among the major players have been the norm.