WTF? Obama appears to be siding with Putin's front man over Putin.
Obama used an interview with a Russian opposition newspaper on the eve of Monday’s US-Russia summit to back President Dmitry Medvedev’s promises to boost freedom and the rule of law.
His comments to the newspaper Novaya Gazeta appear to be part of a carefully calibrated move to signal support for Mr Medvedev over Vladimir Putin, the conservative Russian prime minister, reports FT.
Isn't it most likely to result in Medvedev's sudden early retirement from public office? And maybe even deteioration in health ...
ReplyDeleteHa, too funny. A greenhorn like Obama want's to 'split' the 'tandem'? Not likely to happen. To believe that requires significant ignorance of Russian social customs and politics.
ReplyDeleteVolodya and Dima go way back to the heady days of Sobchak's St. Petersburg, and their relationship has been forged in the fires of some serious political fighting.
There has been talk about how Putin's hold over Russia is destabilizing ever since he announced he would NOT change the constitution to give himself a third term.
What Obama is doing is at best causing uproarious laughter in the Kremlin - and at worst creating resentment at being taken for stupid.
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ReplyDeleteI'm not expecting Medvedev to do anything as dumb as crossing Putin, and I'll be stunned if Obama managed to outmanoeuvre Putin. All Obama is achieving is broadcasting his cluelessness.
@not an economist: I think he's busy crushing Ismailov for showing how to oligarch it up.