Tag: Russia news

Russia: More Than 400 Detained at Vigils for Navalny

Navalny supporters who attended events held to commemorate his death were detained in dozens of cities across Russia.

Authorities in Russia have detained more than 400 people who participated in demonstrations held in memory of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Supporters of Navalny were detained in 36 cities including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Belgorod as they held protests to mark Navalny’s death, according to pro-rights group OVD-Info.

The death of the Russian opposition leader has been confirmed by Navalny’s allies, but they say the Russian government is refusing to hand over his body.

Bill Browder, the American-born British co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management and an adamant critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, spoke to DW at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) about the development.

Browder said “Putin killed Alexei Navalny” and the “purpose of this murder is to send a message to anybody in Russia who’s even thinking about Vladimir Putin that if you challenge Vladimir Putin, you will be killed.”

The apparent targeting of Navalny was “absolutely going to suppress and repress the Russian people, sadly,” Browder said.

Circumstances of Navalny’s death unknown

The Kremlin has said that the cause of Navalny’s death in prison is being investigated.

The prison authorities said the 47-year-old Navalny fell unconscious and died on Friday, after taking a walk in the Arctic penal colony.

While the West has blamed the Russian leadership for Navalny’s death, Moscow denies any involvement.

“There are still no results of the forensic investigation, but the West is already drawing its conclusions,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

This article was originally published on DW.

Gunman Kills 13, Including Seven Children, At Russian School

The identity of the attacker and the motive for the shooting in Izhevsk, about 970 kilometre east of Moscow, were not clear.

Moscow: A gunman with a swastika on his T-shirt killed 13 people, including seven children, and wounded more than 20 at a school in Russia on Monday before committing suicide, investigators said.

The identity of the attacker and the motive for the shooting in Izhevsk, about 970 km (600 miles) east of Moscow, were not clear.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said the gunman was wearing a balaclava. It released a short video showing his body lying on the floor of a classroom with overturned furniture and papers strewn on the floor. He was dressed all in black, with a red swastika in a circle drawn on his teeshirt.

The committee said the six adult victims included teachers and security guards. It said 21 people, including 14 children, were wounded.

Tass news agency quoted investigators as saying the attacker was armed with two pistols and a large supply of ammunition.

Russia has seen several school shootings in recent years.

In May 2021, a teenage gunman killed seven children and two adults in the city of Kazan. In April 2022, an armed man killed two children and a teacher at a kindergarten in the central Ulyanovsk region before committing suicide.

(Reuters)

Russia Bans Investigative News Outlets ‘Bellingcat’, ‘The Insider’, Labels Them a Security Threat

Russia’s Prosecutor General said the activities of ‘Bellingcat’ and its partner, ‘The Insider’, “posed a threat to… the security of the Russian federation.”

London: Russia on Friday, July 15 banned investigative news outlet Bellingcat and its main local partner, The Insider, from operating inside the country, branding them security threats.

Netherlands-based Bellingcat exposed the Russian-backed soldiers behind the downing of Malaysian Airlines jet MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 and unmasked FSB agents sent to poison Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in 2020.

Russia‘s Prosecutor General said the activities of Bellingcat and its partner, The Insider, “posed a threat to… the security of the Russian federation.”

Both will be added to Russia‘s “undesirable” list, which bans them from operating in Russia and makes cooperating with them illegal for Russian organisations and individuals, he said in a statement.

Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins dismissed the ban, writing on Twitter: “Bellingcat has no legal, financial or staff presence (in Russia), so it’s unclear how Russia expects to enforce this.”

The Insider is legally headquartered in Latvia, a move designed to protect it from Russian authorities.

It has worked with Bellingcat on most of the organisation’s high-profile investigations over the last five years, which also include identifying and tracking the movements of the men behind the 2018 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain.

In a broad move to stamp out opposition and dissent, Russia has labelled dozens of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society groups as “undesirable,” and hundreds of domestic groups and journalists that oppose the Kremlin have been named “foreign agents.”

The crackdown has intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine in February – a campaign the Kremlin refers to as a “special military operation” – with almost all independent groups outlawed or forced into exile, and new laws that make criticism of the armed forces punishable with up to 15 years in prison.

(Reuters)

Russia Vetoes UNSC Resolution Deploring Ukraine Invasion, China, India Abstain

The draft resolution is now expected to be taken up by the 193-member UN General Assembly.

United Nations: Russia vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Friday that would have deplored Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, while China abstained from the vote – a move Western countries view as a win for showing Russia’s international isolation.

The United Arab Emirates and India also abstained from the vote on the US-drafted text. The remaining 11 council members voted in favour. The draft resolution is now expected to be taken up by the 193-member UN General Assembly.

China’s abstention comes just weeks after Beijing and Moscow declared a “no limits” partnership, backing each other over standoffs on Ukraine and Taiwan with a promise to collaborate more against the West.

“We are united behind Ukraine and its people, despite a reckless, irresponsible permanent member of the Security Council abusing its power to attack its neighbour and subvert the UN and our international system,” US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after Russia cast its veto.

The UN vote was delayed two hours for last minute negotiations by the United States and others to win the Chinese abstention, diplomats said. Russia is a UN Security Council veto power, along with the United States, China, France and Britain.

The Council softened the language in its resolution to say it “deplores” Russia’s “aggression against Ukraine” from “condemns”, while a reference to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which deals with sanctions and authorisation of force, was removed along with a reference to “the president.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine as the UN Security Council met in New York late on Wednesday to try and defuse weeks of mounting tensions.

“Make no mistake. Russia is isolated. It has no support for the invasion of Ukraine,” Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council after the vote.

The draft Security Council resolution demanded that Russia “immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine” and “immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw  all of  its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.”

The draft also demanded that Russia reverse its recognition of two separatist states in eastern Ukraine as independent.

“It is a matter of regret that the path of diplomacy was given up. We must return to it. For all these reasons India has chosen to abstain on this resolution,” India’s U.N. Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti told the council.

(Reuters)

India-Russia Talks: Discussed Manufacturing Defence Equipment on Indian Soil, Says Lavrov

In a talk that was described glowingly by both parties, Russian foreign minister noted that he had not seen any “fluctuations or changes” from Russia’s “Indian partners and friends”.

New Delhi: Asserting that he did not see any “changes” in “Indian partners” due to pressure from the United States, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on April 6 that he held discussions with his counterpart in New Delhi on manufacturing Russian defence equipment on Indian soil.

Lavrov was in Delhi for a brief working visit during which he held talks with Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar. After a joint press conference, the Russian delegation left for Islamabad in the afternoon.

After deterioration in ties over alleged election meddling and invasion of Crimea, the US has targeted Russia’s cooperation with other countries in the defence and security sectors.

Last year, the US sanctioned NATO partner Turkey for purchasing S-400 missile systems from Russia. India is also set to get its first set of S-400 missile systems later this year. 

The new Biden administration has cautioned that the Russian delivery could trigger sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Also read: India Ready To Sell BrahMos, but Exports Remain Hostage to Concerns Over CAATSA

Noting that the US has “overtly” discouraged Russia’s international defence sales, Lavrov stated that this was not discussed during his talks with Jaishankar. “We did not discuss these statements from the USA, instead we confirm that we are going to deepen our military cooperation,” he said in answer to a question at the press conference.

He also stated that both of them had “also discussed the prospect of additional manufacturing of Russian military equipment in India within the concept of ‘Made in India’.”

“So here I didn’t feel any fluctuations or changes from our Indian partners and friends,” he added.

Jaishankar appended that there was no “specific discussion” on buying more Russian defence equipment. “That is the responsibility of a different body which is headed by our defence ministers which are due to meet at the end of the year,” he said.

The visit by Lavrov takes place essentially to set the broad agenda for the leaders’ summit later this year.

“Our countries have a particularly privileged strategic partnership. They are based on the long-term friendship of our peoples, the closeness of positions on current international issues,” he said in his opening remarks.

Also read: Russian Foreign Minister, US Climate Envoy Hold Tête-à-Tête in Delhi Hotel Lobby

The Indian minister also described the discussions as having been “very warm”, “comprehensive”, and “very productive”.

However, he had a slip of the tongue when referring to the quality of the relationship. “Time-tested is a frequently used and clearly justified description of India-US relations,” Jaishankar said, instead of ‘India-Russia relations’ in the written statement. 

With Lavrov putting Pakistan on his travel schedule, the situation in Afghanistan was never far from the discussion table. 

Jaishankar stated that they “spent some time” to discuss the developments around Afghanistan. “I shared our approach that  durable peace there would require harmonising interests of all, both within and around that country. The peace process must be based on foundational principles to which we all subscribe. And a political solution should mean an independent, sovereign, united and democratic Afghanistan”.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov before a meeting in New Delhi, Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Photo: PTI

On a question about Russia’s position on the inclusion of Taliban in the Afghan peace process, Lavrov stated that the Taliban is a “part of Afghan society and decisions on the settlement in Afghanistan should foresee the participation of all political, ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan, otherwise, it won’t be stable”.

He noted that this “settlement should reflect a balance of interests of all political, ethnic and religious groups, including their representation in governing structures”.

Lavrov expressed hope that the agreement signed between the previous US administration and the Taliban would be “implemented”. “It created a window of opportunity to reach an agreement between all the hostile parties. It would be sad if it breaks”.

Also read | Heart of Asia: India Backs UN-Led Meet, Urges Afghan Stakeholders to Engage in ‘Good Faith’

As per the Doha agreement, all US troops are supposed to leave Afghanistan by May 1. There is speculation that the US may seek an extension of the deadline once the intra-Afghan talks begin in Turkey this month, as part of the roadmap proposed by the new US administration. India, unlike Russia, would prefer the US military presence to remain longer in Afghanistan.

Lavrov added that Russia would welcome consultations on how to “reinforce” a domestic peace agreement with confidence buildings measures involving Afghanistan’s neighbours. “We always say that neighbours and all powerful actors in the region should set up conditions for the Afghan population to agree domestically”.

He also claimed that the “Moscow format” of talks was the “best way forward” to find a political settlement.

When asked a question as to whether Russia and China were moving towards a military alliance, he denied it. But Lavrov also made his opposition to the ‘Quad’ known through a side-attack.

He replied that China-Russian relations were “highest in history”, but did not have a goal of forging a military union.

“By the way, I have heard speculation of military alliance not only in regarding with Russian-Chinese relations but also alliances being promoted such as ‘middle east NATO’. We also heard about ‘Asian NATO’,” he said.

Also read: Building Small Circles in Name of Multilateralism is Groupism: China on Quad

Russia has been highly critical of the Indo-Pacific concept advocated by United States. Lavrov had also last year stated that India was being wooed by the West to join the “anti-China” camp through formats like the ‘Quad’. Last month, the leaders of the four ‘Quad’ countries, US, India, Japan and Australia had held their first summit.

Lavrov said that this issue was part of the discussions. “We share a common stance with our Indian friends that this would be counterproductive. We are interested in inclusive cooperation that is for something, not against somebody.”

Jaishankar said that India shared the view-point that contemporary challenges require countries to work together in new and different ways, when it came to the Indo-Pacific. “Such cooperation also reflects the multi-polar and rebalanced character of global politics. India is strongly committed to ASEAN centrality and this is underlined by the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative that it has been advocating at the East-Asia summit. As we implement our Act East and Beyond policy, Russia is a very important partner. Whether it is their Far East or whether it is the Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor”.

With the COVID-19 pandemic surging through India in a second wave, the Indian minister noted, “We have a Russian vaccine under discussion for production in India”. He said the decision had to be taken by regulatory authorities. 

Also read: Russia Approves Its Third COVID-19 Vaccine, CoviVac

“For us, were those vaccines to be made in India, it would be one more affirmation of the importance of made in India and our own vaccine capacities,” he said.

The Russian foreign minister pointed out that Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) had already signed contracts with several Indian firms to produce the Sputnik V vaccine. 

He also did not rule out the possibility that the Bharat Biotech vaccine made in India, Covaxin, could be manufactured in Russia. “I do not exclude (the scenario) that further cooperation could cover the manufacturing of the Indian vaccine in Russia. I guess the experts are supposed to discuss this and to assess the efficiency of such a cooperation,”

Russian Foreign Minister, US Climate Envoy Hold Tête-à-Tête in Delhi Hotel Lobby

This is likely the first time that members of the two governments have met each other in person after Joe Biden’s inauguration in January.

New Delhi: The lobby of a five-star hotel in New Delhi became the venue for the first face-to-face meeting between a high functionary of the new US administration and the Russian government.

According to the US embassy spokesperson, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov ran “into each by happenstance staying at the same hotel and chatted for a few minutes about climate”.

While the two presidents and foreign ministers have spoken to each other on the phone, this is possibly the first time that members of the two governments have met each other in person after Joe Biden’s inauguration in January.

The Russian version of the meeting is also equally succinct. “The meeting took place in the lobby of a hotel where both diplomats are staying. The envoys focused on the climate agenda, the source said,” state news agency Tass reported.

Also read: UNSC Watch: Vietnam Takes Over Presidency as Council Contemplates Action on Myanmar

The Russian daily, Kommersant quoted a “source” to report that the American side requested the “brief” and “unscheduled” meeting.

Kerry and Lavrov are familiar to each other and had worked together during the former’s term as US secretary of state in the Obama administration. They had earlier spoken on the phone in February.

The US climate change envoy is in India for a visit in the run-up to the virtual climate summit of 40 world leaders to be held on April 22-23. India has already accepted the invitation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been invited to the summit, but Kremlin stated last week that it is still studying the details.

Amidst Coronavirus Restrictions, Protests in Moscow Against Reforms to Keep Putin in Power

About 500 demonstrators, many of whom wore face masks branded with the word “no”, chanted calls for Putin to resign and held up banners against the reforms.

Moscow: Dozens of people were arrested at a protest in Moscow on Wednesday against constitutional reforms that give President Vladimir Putin the option to remain in power for another 16 years, witnesses and a monitoring group said.

About 500 demonstrators, many of whom wore face masks branded with the word “no”, chanted calls for Putin to resign and held up banners against the reforms.

Mass gatherings are banned in Moscow because of COVID-19 restrictions. Photo: Reuters

Police surrounded them and began making arrests late in the evening after participants started a march down one of the city’s main boulevards, with officers in riot gear forcefully rounding up protesters and placing them in vans.

Over a hundred people were detained, according to the rights monitoring group OVD-info. There was no immediate confirmation from the police or the government on the number of arrests.

A vote earlier this month amended Russia’s constitution, handing Putin the right to run for two more presidential terms, an outcome the Kremlin described as a triumph.

Opposition activists say that the vote was illegitimate and that it is time for Putin, who has ruled Russia for over two decades as president or prime minister, to step down.

“I came here to sign the petition against the constitutional reforms because I am a nationalist,” said one 40-year old man in a black t-shirt as protesters chanted “Putin is a thief”.

Fourteen-year-old Vasilisa said she also signed the petition because Putin “is to blame for the poverty in our country”.

“Gay people are killed here, women are beaten up here, and no one is ever held accountable,” she said.

Two Russian activists who were involved in the campaign against the constitutional reforms were detained last week and the homes of five others were searched, ahead of the scheduled protest, which had not been sanctioned by authorities.

Mass gatherings are banned in the capital because of COVID-19 restrictions. Even in normal times, protests of more than one person require the authorities’ advance consent.

Russians Grant Putin Right to Extend His Rule Until 2036 in Landslide Vote

Critics said the outcome was falsified on an “industrial scale”.

Moscow: Russians opened the door to Vladimir Putin staying in power until 2036 by voting overwhelmingly for constitutional changes that will allow him to run again for president twice, but critics said the outcome was falsified on an industrial scale.

Official results published on Thursday, after 99.9% of ballots had been counted, showed that the former KGB officer who has ruled Russia for more than two decades as president or prime minister had easily won the right to run for two more six-year terms after the current one ends in 2024.

That means Putin, 67, could rule until the age of 83.

The Central Election Commission said 77.9% of votes counted across the world’s largest country had supported changing the constitution. Just over 21% had voted against, it said.

Ella Pamfilova, head of the commission, said the vote had been transparent and that officials had done everything to ensure its integrity.

Opposition politician Alexei Navalny had a different view and called the vote an illegitimate and illegal show designed to legalise Putin‘s presidency for life.

“We’ll never recognise this result,” Navalny told supporters in a video.

Navalny said the opposition would not protest for now because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, but would do so in big numbers in the autumn if its candidates were blocked from taking part in regional elections or their results were falsified.

“What Putin fears most is the street,” said Navalny. “He… will not leave until we start to take to the streets in the hundreds of thousands and in the millions.”

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Photo: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov/File

Russians had been encouraged to back Putin‘s power move, described by critics as a constitutional coup, with prize draws offering flats and an ad campaign highlighting other constitutional amendments in the same reform bundle, such as pensions protection and a de facto ban on same-sex marriages.

One-off payments of 10,000 roubles ($141) were transferred to those with children at Putin‘s order as people headed to polling stations on Wednesday, the last day of the vote, held over seven days to try to limit the spread of the virus.

Moscow resident Mikhail Volkov said he’d voted in favour of the reforms. “We need radical changes and I’m for them,” he said.

‘Read something and vote’

Others were less enthusiastic.

“I didn’t read about the amendments if I’m honest,” Lyudmila, another voter, said. “What’s the point of voting if they’ve already decided for you. It’s like that in our country – read something and vote. I voted.”

Turnout was 65%, election officials said.

Putin, already the longest-serving leader in modern Russian history since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, made no mention of how the changes could affect his own career in an eve-of-vote speech on Tuesday.

He has said he has yet to decide on his future. Critics, who liken Putin to a latter-day Tsar, say they are sure he will run again, but some analysts say he may want to keep his options open to avoid becoming a lame duck.

At 60%, according to the Levada pollster, his approval rating remains high but well down on its peak of nearly 90%.

With Russia reporting thousands of new COVID-19 cases each day, opponents have been unable to stage protests but have mocked the vote online, sharing photographs of polling stations in apartment stairwells, supermarket trolleys and the boot of a car.

Also Read: Russia’s Constitutional Changes Are Designed to Perpetuate Putinism

A small group of activists staged a symbolic protest at the Red Square on Wednesday afternoon, using their prostrate bodies to form the year 2036 before being swiftly detained by police, TV Rain reported.

Separately, the “No! Campaign,” called on supporters to head for Moscow’s Pushkinskaya Square after voting.

“We need to remind the authorities that we exist and that there are tens of millions of us who do not want Putin to rule until 2036,” Andrei Pivovarov, an activist, said in a video.

In the event, only dozens turned out amid a heavy police presence, a Reuters reporter said. Opposition politicians said a couple of hundred had attended. Those who did chanted “Russia will be free.” Another slogan suggested Putin should resign.

Golos, a non-governmental organisation that monitors elections, cited numerous irregularities with the vote and said it would not be able to confirm the outcome as legitimate.

(Reuters)

How Fake News on Putin Leaving 800 Lions in Russia’s Streets Spread

A fact check by Alt News on a viral piece of news gaining ground amidst the coronavirus spread.

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, one Pakistani Twitter user Nasir Chinioti posted two photographs – one of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the other of a lion roaming on streets – with a claim that Putin has left 800 tigers and lions in Russia to clamp down on citizen’s movement across the country. He applauded the ‘stringent measures’ taken by Putin and opined that this will “push people to stay home.”

The photograph of the lion strolling across a road was posted by another Twitter user with the same claim. Facebook page Hamra TV shared the image and said, “President Vladimir Putin has dropped 800 Tigers and lions across the country to push people to stay home.” While the Facebook post has garnered close to 1,200 shares, the tweet has amassed over 34,000 retweets.

Lord Sugar, the chairman of Amshold Group, too tweeted the image with the text, “Is this a wind up”. Along with his tweet, Sugar posted a supposed screengrab of a news channel which claimed, “Russia has unleashed more than 500 lions on its streets to ensure that people are staying indoors during the pandemic outbreak”. It was retweeted more than 5,500 so far. Multiple other users on Facebook and Twitter shared the image with an identical claim.

Alt News has received several requests on its official Andriod application to fact-check this image.

Fact-check

With a reverse search on Google, Alt News traced the image back to April 2016. The image is from South Africa’s Johannesburg and has nothing to do with the recent pandemic. “It’s almost old news already, but if you didn’t see it yet, here is the lion that was roaming around Johannesburg CBD in Braamies last night,” reads the caption attached to the image shared by Facebook page CICA – Crime Intelligence and Community Awareness – South Africa on April 13, 2016.

The lion was seen prowling in a residential area of Johannesburg. According to a report by UK’s Daily Mail, residents of the area were later reassured that a lion named Columbus was not on the loose and had been brought in for filming by a production crew. “Columbus had been borrowed from a nearby lion park and the area was fenced off while the animal, which has starred in a number of films and advertising campaigns, is tame,” stated the report published on April 15, 2016.

Moreover, the screengrab of a news channel reporting the same claim, which was posted by Lord Sugar, can be easily created on this “breaking news” generator website.

According to a recent article by Independent media outlet The Moscow Times, the total number of patients who have tested positive for coronavirus has jumped to 367 in Russia. On March, the outlet reported, “Moscow authorities again ruled out the possibility of a citywide lockdown. Meanwhile, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the city’s metro will not close down.” Thus, the claim about the Russian government restricting the movement of its citizens inside the country by imposing a lockdown itself is untrue. Journalist Bryan Macdonald informed that while most of the European countries are under lockdown, bars and clubs still open in Russia.

In conclusion, an old image of a tamed lion strolling in South Africa’s Johannesburg was shared with the false narrative that Russia is restricting the movements of its citizen leaving 800 tigers and lions across the country.

This article first appeared on Alt News. Read the original here.

Is Vladimir Putin Set for a Role Behind the Scenes Now?

The photographs chosen for the latest Putin calendars lend support to the idea that his next heroic persona will be the ‘wise elder statesman’.

Vladimir Putin has proposed a number of changes to Russia’s constitution that would pave the way for him to retain his grip on political power even after he is due to step down as president in 2024. These amendments would diminish the presidency while strengthening other institutions, such as the State Council, creating alternative roles that Putin could occupy for an indefinite period.

The surprising part of this story is not that Putin might seek to extend his hold on political power, but that the proposal allowing him to do so has so far met with so little opposition. In fact, within days of making his announcement, Putin met with Russian veterans of the second world war who criticised the imposition of term limits on the presidency and urged him to stay on in the Kremlin regardless.

But by looking at Putin’s role in Russian politics over the past 20 years through the lens of heroism, which is a focus of my research, it’s easier to understand why many Russians might be reassured if he continues to be in charge behind the scenes.

Research into politics and heroism reveals an important role for heroes and stories about heroes in constructing and sustaining political communities. Societies need heroes – larger than life figures who embody traits that the society admires and wants to be associated with. National heroes are rallying points that can help hold a country together, especially in times of uncertainty and crisis. Heroes remind a society where they have come from, where they are going and why that journey is important.

Inauspicious start

When Putin first became Russian president, he didn’t look like promising hero material. An archetypal grey man, operating in the shadows, Putin had been a mid-ranking officer in the KGB, the Soviet security service. He then worked for the mayor of St Petersburg before former president Boris Yeltsin appointed him to several posts of national importance in quick succession: first to head the security services, then as prime minister and finally as acting president before he won his first presidential election in March 2000.

Also read: After Two Decades, Vladimir Putin’s Image Is Beginning to Show Cracks

The Kremlin public relations machine quickly seized on Putin’s hobby of judo, his interest in outdoor pursuits and his avoidance of alcohol to craft an action man image for the new president. The emphasis on Putin the athlete and outdoors man quickly developed a distinctly macho dimension, with the president increasingly displaying exaggerated masculine traits and frequently appearing in photographs without his shirt.

The early years of Putin’s presidency saw the emergence of a leadership cult, complete with demonstrations of reverence for places he had visited and objects he had touched. But as time went on, the practice of investing Putin’s ordinary actions with greater significance was replaced by the staging of increasingly spectacular stunts.

It was no longer enough for Putin only to do what other leaders did, such as visit the site of an archaeological excavation and view the discoveries. Instead, Putin put on a wet suit, went into the sea and emerged with the artefacts himself. Rather than just make a speech praising the efforts of scientists to preserve wildlife in Russia, Putin led endangered cranes in their migration by flying a hang glider.

Fulfilling a role

National heroic figures fill a society’s need for guidance and reassurance in times of transition. The coming to power of a heroic leader can signal major political change. We saw this vividly with Nelson Mandela at the end of apartheid in South Africa and Vaclav Havel at the fall of Communist Party rule in Czechoslovakia. Both men were respected for suffering persecution under their country’s old regimes and taking on the task of building new forms of governance.

Putin’s heroic leadership, by contrast, is based on his ability to make bold demands and take decisive action for the benefit of his country. The emphasis on his physical vigour, especially at the beginning of his presidency, created a dramatic contrast to his ailing predecessor Yeltsin, regarded by many Russians as presiding over their country’s decline.

As Moscow asserts itself more confidently on the world stage, Putin’s commanding presence symbolises Russia’s return to great power status. Would Russia be taken as seriously if it were led by someone else? As one senior Russian official put it a few years ago: “No Putin – no Russia”.

With the end of Putin’s time as president approaching, the ground is being prepared for a shift in the heroic narrative, alongside changes in the institutional arrangements of Russian politics. Recent opinion polls indicate a decline in Putin’s popularity, which is attributed to dissatisfaction with the government’s economic policies and standards of living. Many observers believe that Putin will choose a new role that allows him to distance himself from domestic politics – and the criticism that comes with trying to solve the problems that affect people’s everyday lives – and focus more on foreign policy.

The photographs chosen for the latest Putin calendars lend support to the idea that his next heroic persona will be the wise elder statesman. The 2020 versions avoid the traditional bare-chested action shots in favour of more sober depictions of Putin with other heads of state, projecting the clear message that the future of Russia will continue to be in his safe hands.The Conversation

Jennifer Mathers is senior lecturer in international politics, Aberystwyth University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.