Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 21, 2008 11:38:42 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Honeymoon Can't Last for Russia's Power Couple

Posted May 17, 08 3:01 PM CDT in World 

(Newser) – It may look like Vladimir Putin has kept Russia stable by sliding into the PM's chair; optimists even predict he'll share power politely with President Medvedev. But these lovebirds are actually destined to fight, writes Ivan Krastev in the Wall Street Journal: Eventually Medvedev will want to exercise power, and not as Putin’s “mini-me.”

Putin's move has ensured continuity, not stability. He’s built a divided Kremlin and driven unsustainable economic growth. He also needs the West for development while he portrays it as a hostile boogeyman. Meanwhile Russians have grown steadily anti-Western, and “the change of personalities in the Kremlin is unlikely to change this consensus.”

Source Wall Street Journal

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Putin Promises to Help Sliding Russian Economy

    9 hours, 37 minutes ago
    Putin Promises to Help Sliding Russian Economy Vladimir Putin proposed steps yesterday to stabilize the Russian economy as layoffs and deferred wages cause rising insecurity about the nation’s finances, the Wall Street Journal reports. Russian firms now owe $145 million in delayed wages to 300,000 people, and those figures may actually be higher—a fifth of poll respondents said their wages weren’t being paid on time. More »

  • Russia Paves Way for Return of Putin

    11 hours, 33 minutes ago
    Russia Paves Way for Return of Putin Russia's lower house of parliament approved a change to the constitution that extends the term of the president from four to six years, CNN reports. The move is widely seen as a bureaucratic maneuver that will lead to the return of Vladimir Putin as president. The upper house of parliament is expected to follow suit and make the measure law. More »

  • Russian Pardon Effort Tests Medvedev

    Nov 17, 08 9:22 AM CST
    Russian Pardon Effort Tests Medvedev A grassroots effort to pardon a convicted lawyer could allow Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to bolster the liberal image he's worked to create, but to issue the reprieve he must stand up to Vladimir Putin. Svetlana Bakhmina was arrested during one of Putin’s crackdowns on corruption at state oil company Yukos, and her case has drawn nationwide coverage, reports the Washington Post. More »

  • Medvedev Hopeful That Obama Will Thaw Relations

    Nov 16, 08 11:17 AM CST
    Medvedev Hopeful That Obama Will Thaw Relations Russia’s president believes Barack Obama’s presidency “will act to overcome problems which have accumulated” between his country and the US, he said in Washington. “We have great aspirations” for Obama’s White House, Dmitry Medvedev added. Former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, who moderated the meeting, agreed, citing a “huge opportunity” for relations under the two new, young leaders, the Wall Street Journal reports.
    More »

  • Medvedev, Putin Move to Tighten Grip on Russia

    Nov 6, 08 7:20 AM CST
    Medvedev, Putin Move to Tighten Grip on Russia Dmitry Medvedev's proposal yesterday to extend the Russian president's term from 4 years to 6 looks like another step in Russia's "alarming and rapid drift towards authoritarianism,"
    the Guardian reports. The move came as a Russian newspaper, citing sources in the Kremlin, claimed that Medvedev could resign as early as next year to make way for the return of Vladimir Putin to the top job.
    More »

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, and Vladimir Putin, left, attend the annual Victory Day parade at Moscow's Red Square, on Friday, May 9, 2008.   (AP Photo)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, and Vladimir Putin, left, speak while attending the annual Victory Day parade at Moscow's Red Square, on Friday, May 9, 2008.   (AP Photo)
Former President Vladimir Putin, left, and President Dmitry Medvedev sit after answering lawmakers' questions in the State Duma, parliament lower house, in Moscow, Thursday, May 8, 2008.   (AP Photo/Sergei Karpukhin, Pool)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 4)

Tags

Russia • Vladimir Putin • Dmitry Medvedev • Kremlin • power sharing


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »