Presidential Press and Information Office of Russia
April 5, 2012
"Dealing With the Outside World"
Op-Ed, Russia Profile.org
By Simon Saradzhyan, Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Nabi Abdullaev
Simon Saradzhyan writes that the past parliamentary and presidential elections have demonstrated that Putin’s domestic power base is shrinking, especially in large cities where many voters question the results of the polls and the legitimacy of Putin’s return to the Kremlin. To shore up support at home, Saradzhyan believes, "Putin could be expected to project himself as a more fervent guardian of Russia’s interests and its allies vis-à-vis the West than Medvedev while making sure his rethoric does not cross any lines that may cause substantial damage to the benefits that Russia derives from improved relations with both the United States and the EU achieved by his predecessor."
AP Photo
March 9, 2012
"Putin Redux"
Op-Ed, International Relations and Security Network
By Simon Saradzhyan, Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Nabi Abdullaev
Despite protests over alleged vote-rigging, Vladimir Putin is firmly on track to reclaim the Russian presidency in May. But while Putin is poised to return to the office he vacated in 2008, the country he plans to govern is no longer the same.
AP Photo
March 5, 2012
"Putin election victory doesn't pave an easy path through his third presidential term"
Op-Ed, Christian Science Monitor
By Simon Saradzhyan, Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Nabi Abdullaev
There was little doubt that Vladimir Putin would be elected president of Russia on Sunday and return to the Kremlin for a third term. The Central Elections Committee announced on Monday that Mr. Putin won more than 60 percent of the vote and avoided a second round. But there is also little doubt that the legitimacy of his presidency will be contested during his third term, given the scale of recent protests against his return and strong criticism of the Sunday vote, which some of the opposition leaders and independent observers condemned as unfair and fraudulent.
AP Photo
February 17, 2012
"Putin, the protest movement and political change in Russia"
Journal Article, EU Institute for Security Studies
By Simon Saradzhyan, Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Nabi Abdullaev
Few leaders undertake major reforms in either domestic or foreign policy late in their rule, and Vladimir Putin – who seeks to return to the Kremlin this spring for at least six years – hardly wants to be an exception. However, should the disparate groups behind the recent unprecedented protests in Russia develop into an organised movement leading to a sustained increase in public pressure on the Kremlin, then Putin may end up pursuing far more extensive domestic political and economic reforms than he would wish.
(AP Photo)
February 22, 2011
"Russia: Looking Ahead"
Op-Ed, International Relations and Security Network
By Simon Saradzhyan, Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Nabi Abdullaev
Putin and Medvedev will remain at the political helm throughout 2011 – and most likely beyond. In addition to thorny questions of leadership, however, political, economic and foreign policy harbingers will prove vital in determining the course of the country in the coming years. But what elements in particular will prove decisive, and what ‘unknowns’ should be on our radar?
