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Last updated: 12 March 2010

::Young Voices

Putin after Putin. Why not?

Putin after Putin. Why not?
November 12, 2007
Olga PERVUSHINA, student, Journalism studies, Moscow Lomonosov University

Who is going to be the next? This question does really worry Russian people. Maybe at first sight it's unlikely to say whether our civilians are interested in politics or not. Why? Because of the part we played in this life. Every time something happens in Russian politics’ world, we learn it from TV news or newspapers. Nobody ever asks us about our opinion. Then how can we suppose the future of our country?

Many people assume that Putin has decided to lead the the United Russia Party for the chance to control the situation in our country. And in my opinion this is the right opinion. In a previous interview Vladimir Putin said he needs the person he could work with. Of course there is no doubt that he meant our future president. Yes, Putin doesn’t want to loose his power and he chose the best way to achieve it. But is it really bad? I think it’s not. Putin’d become a president in times when Russia was so called destroyed. The level of the country was law, it couldn’t compete with other countries. Moreover the ex-government didn’t pay any attention to lots of problems: economics, social situation and so on. It couldn’t even present Russia at the different conferences and meetings. That was the picture of   the country when Vladimir Putin had started his first presidential term. During these almost 8 years he did a lot. Of course, somebody would say he didn’t do enough. Despite this we have to say that he worked hard. It was not very easy to rule the country in those years. Besides it’s quite an obvious thing that the actions of the government aren’t always right.

Russian nation can’t blame Vladimir Putin for his wish to hold the power and for his fear to relinquish. After all he was good, he did his best. He wants to continue to look after people. But he can’t change the Constitution and he doesn’t need it. Probably he just wants to be sure that everything he’d done wouldn’t disappear at once when a new president takes his term. And the only opportunity to check this is to be near, to become the leader of the United Russia Party to be exactly.

It is difficult to say now what will happen at the and. The election will show. We just hope that our country will be powerful and great anyway. And if it’s necessary the presence of Vladimir Putin… why not?

Peter Baker and Mark Landler

When President Obama got on the telephone with President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia last month, he was under the impression that they were finally close to wrapping up a long-delayed arms control treaty that he had originally expected to sign in December.

But to Mr. Obama’s surprise, Mr. Medvedev was not ready to sign off on a deal and raised issues that required more discussion, American officials said. As he hung up, the officials said, a frustrated Mr. Obama realized that the two sides were not as close as he had thought and sent negotiators back to the table.

The fitful effort to fashion a treaty that would be a signature achievement of his presidency has demonstrated the hurdles Mr. Obama faces in his drive to reset relations with Russia after years of tension.

Peter Baker and Mark Landler

When President Obama got on the telephone with President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia last month, he was under the impression that they were finally close to wrapping up a long-delayed arms control treaty that he had originally expected to sign in December.

But to Mr. Obama’s surprise, Mr. Medvedev was not ready to sign off on a deal and raised issues that required more discussion, American officials said. As he hung up, the officials said, a frustrated Mr. Obama realized that the two sides were not as close as he had thought and sent negotiators back to the table.

The fitful effort to fashion a treaty that would be a signature achievement of his presidency has demonstrated the hurdles Mr. Obama faces in his drive to reset relations with Russia after years of tension.

John Fraher and Joseph Richter

Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said the dollar is in “good shape,” further affirming that there’s no substitute for the world’s reserve currency.

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