Russia Between Two Men
Ahmed Hany
November 25, 2009
In his speech in the Kremlin, the Russian President Dimitry Medvedev did not express much appreciation for his mentor Premier Vladimir Putinīs policies. While the Medvedev distanced himself from the mentorīs policies, the later used body language to express his impatience. He sighed, stared forwards with a mask face or looked at the ceiling.
Medvedev criticized the government harshly for taking over big companies and stressed on the importance of economic reform and modernizing the crumbling network of the Russian infrastructure that was inherited from the communist Soviet Union. He described the dependence on oil export as humiliating and quality of Russian goods as shameful.
He asked the government that controls fifty per cent of the production to step back from the market. He wanted the Russian economy to know how to be a competitor in the international market and to become an influential power. Even he criticized the foreign policy that its bases were devised by Putin and he described it as based on nostalgia and prejudice of the past that was based on nuclear power. He put a new principal for it that is serving the welfare of people.
Contrary to Putin who accused the international monetary crisis on the irresponsibility of the US internal policies Medvedev asked the government to stop searching for culprits outside and focus on how to build stability.
During the last six months Medvedev sacked some army generals who were loyal to Putin but during his eighteen month in office he did not criticize his mentorīs government openly. He went far in his speech as he said that law enforcement is marred by unscrupulous agents in a direct attack to Putinīs men in the security agencies. During the Georgia war Putin was hawkish against Europe and the US while Sarkozy stroke the deal with Medvedev.
To achieve his goals Medvedev has to redesign his policy with the west to open the door more for more cooperation. To become influential means that Russia should have the means to use the soft power more and to avoid excessive use of the military. Medvedev wants Russia to be a partner with both the US and the EU in a global system that balances leadership duties swiftly between the three powers. This view contradicts with Putinīs view for Russia as a superpower beside the US and China in a global system much designed like the cold war era but with three forces that allows some sort of cooperation between the them and dividing the world again into influential zones.
The Swedish Presidency of the EU set preconditions for the EU-Russian cooperation development. The human rights, the independent judiciary and the reform of police force that failed to arrest killers of journalists are top on the agenda. Medvedev responded to them in his speech that he talked about obstacles to enforcement of law and said that Russia should be a community for smart, intelligent and responsible people instead of being a country for leaders to think and to decide without much engagement of the people.
The other preconditions of the EU are about foreign policies. They want more cooperation in Afghanistan, Iran, Middle East and Balkan. Recently Russia approved the use of its air zones for supply operation for NATO forces in Afghanistan. It froze the air defense arms sales to Iran and warned that it would approve more sanctions if needed. While Putin had plans to upgrade the Russian nuclear long range missiles, Medvedev wants to spend more money on modernizing the infrastructure. Therefore, it is important for Medvedev to strike a deal about nuclear armament with the US.
Historically changes in Russia come suddenly. However Medvedev should have controlled Putinīs influence in the army and in the intelligence before giving out this speech. After his speech it is doubtful that there is a room for the two men to continue. Putin never closed the door for the possibility of going to next presidential election. The Russian opposition said that both men are alike and Medvedev paragraphs about democracy are just decoration for the EU and the US.
Putin is still the power man in Russia who holds most of the strings. He received a standing applaud when he entered the hall in the Kremlin. Whether this came from his supporters or the audience does not know what is going on behind closed doors means that the power play started but the end game will be finished behind closed door. Whether it will be impeachment of one of them taking a form of impeachment or a military coup, one day one of them will not present on the Russian political stage. In fact the Russian intelligence will decide which strategy Russia should take. Medvedev will win if he controls many of whom he has described as unscrupulous agents that Putin sees them faithful and scrupulous. Their power play will have much effect on the international scene.
Medvedev criticized the government harshly for taking over big companies and stressed on the importance of economic reform and modernizing the crumbling network of the Russian infrastructure that was inherited from the communist Soviet Union. He described the dependence on oil export as humiliating and quality of Russian goods as shameful.
He asked the government that controls fifty per cent of the production to step back from the market. He wanted the Russian economy to know how to be a competitor in the international market and to become an influential power. Even he criticized the foreign policy that its bases were devised by Putin and he described it as based on nostalgia and prejudice of the past that was based on nuclear power. He put a new principal for it that is serving the welfare of people.
Contrary to Putin who accused the international monetary crisis on the irresponsibility of the US internal policies Medvedev asked the government to stop searching for culprits outside and focus on how to build stability.
During the last six months Medvedev sacked some army generals who were loyal to Putin but during his eighteen month in office he did not criticize his mentorīs government openly. He went far in his speech as he said that law enforcement is marred by unscrupulous agents in a direct attack to Putinīs men in the security agencies. During the Georgia war Putin was hawkish against Europe and the US while Sarkozy stroke the deal with Medvedev.
To achieve his goals Medvedev has to redesign his policy with the west to open the door more for more cooperation. To become influential means that Russia should have the means to use the soft power more and to avoid excessive use of the military. Medvedev wants Russia to be a partner with both the US and the EU in a global system that balances leadership duties swiftly between the three powers. This view contradicts with Putinīs view for Russia as a superpower beside the US and China in a global system much designed like the cold war era but with three forces that allows some sort of cooperation between the them and dividing the world again into influential zones.
The Swedish Presidency of the EU set preconditions for the EU-Russian cooperation development. The human rights, the independent judiciary and the reform of police force that failed to arrest killers of journalists are top on the agenda. Medvedev responded to them in his speech that he talked about obstacles to enforcement of law and said that Russia should be a community for smart, intelligent and responsible people instead of being a country for leaders to think and to decide without much engagement of the people.
The other preconditions of the EU are about foreign policies. They want more cooperation in Afghanistan, Iran, Middle East and Balkan. Recently Russia approved the use of its air zones for supply operation for NATO forces in Afghanistan. It froze the air defense arms sales to Iran and warned that it would approve more sanctions if needed. While Putin had plans to upgrade the Russian nuclear long range missiles, Medvedev wants to spend more money on modernizing the infrastructure. Therefore, it is important for Medvedev to strike a deal about nuclear armament with the US.
Historically changes in Russia come suddenly. However Medvedev should have controlled Putinīs influence in the army and in the intelligence before giving out this speech. After his speech it is doubtful that there is a room for the two men to continue. Putin never closed the door for the possibility of going to next presidential election. The Russian opposition said that both men are alike and Medvedev paragraphs about democracy are just decoration for the EU and the US.
Putin is still the power man in Russia who holds most of the strings. He received a standing applaud when he entered the hall in the Kremlin. Whether this came from his supporters or the audience does not know what is going on behind closed doors means that the power play started but the end game will be finished behind closed door. Whether it will be impeachment of one of them taking a form of impeachment or a military coup, one day one of them will not present on the Russian political stage. In fact the Russian intelligence will decide which strategy Russia should take. Medvedev will win if he controls many of whom he has described as unscrupulous agents that Putin sees them faithful and scrupulous. Their power play will have much effect on the international scene.
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