In August, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin marked 20 years since he was appointed Prime Minister by Boris Yeltsin. Those 20 years have been a slow-motion demonstration of power consolidation, giving rise to the myth of Putin as omnipotent strongman. For two decades, whatever happened in Russia, good or bad—whether it was a war, a terror attack, the Sochi Olympics, or the annexation of a neighboring country’s territory—the credit or blame lay with Vladimir Putin.As of this summer, that sense of Putin’s omnipotence has been badly damaged.In July and August, Moscow citizens took to the streets in massive numbers over rigged …read more
Source:: The American Interest
