Sudden resignation of Russian PM Medvedev & his govt
In a wide-ranging speech on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin made several key announcements. (You can read a full English transcript here).
Although he touched on benefits, pensions and other matters, it will be his comments on reforming the Russian constitution which will stir up the geo-political status quo.
Putin is putting forward several changes:
- A two-term limit for Presidential candidates
- Barring dual citizens, or those born outside Russia, from running for President
- Increasing the powers of the Duma (Russian legislative body)
- Having the Prime Minister selected by the Duma, rather than the President
- Enshrining the Russian Security Council in the constitution
- That the Russian constitution takes precedence over International Law, especially where it might infringe the legal rights of Russian citizens
These changes are to be put to the Russian people in a referendum by the end of the year “if it all is solved quickly”, according to Russia’s Central Election Commission.
Immediately following these announcements, the entire Russian government resigned – including Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev – though he will be offered a new job, reports RT:
During his speech, Putin said he intended to create the position of deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, which would be offered to Medvedev.
Medvedev’s replacement as PM is reported to be Mikhail Mishustin, head of the Federal Tax Service:
BREAKING: Russian media reporting that Vladimir Putin has appointed Mikhail Mishustin, the head of Russia's Federal Tax Service, as the new Prime Minister. He's a 53-year-old native of Moscow, and is a surprise choice. pic.twitter.com/9nFuWuQV4D
— Bryan MacDonald (@27khv) January 15, 2020
The reflexively anti-Putin Western press and commentariat have already decided these moves are to secure Putin as “ruler for life”:
Putin has called for a constitutional change so the parliament, not the president, can appoint the prime minister. Which might give you a clue about what he plans to do when his final term as president runs out in 2024 https://t.co/3XBbmVGPuG
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) January 15, 2020
Putin has proposed sweeping reforms that could extend his 20-year grip on power beyond the end of his presidency. The Russian government has now resigned to give Putin "an opportunity to take all the necessary decisions in these conditions," per Medvedevhttps://t.co/S9Uu887mYU
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 15, 2020
Medvedev resigns in Russia as Putin introduces constitutional changes that may presage a move to keep power after his term-limited tenure is supposed to expire in 2024. https://t.co/PNJLiF5Uu3
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) January 15, 2020
A view shared by some figures from the alternate media as well:
Russia needs a strong leader and today’s developments indicate that Vladimir Putin will remain in overall charge of the country after 2024, which is to rejoice over. It should also be said that Russia must develop a strong system and an all-powerful party, as the CPSU was.
— Dr Marcus Papadopoulos (@DrMarcusP) January 15, 2020
This might seem at first glance to be in stark contrast with the analysis of Russia-based journalist Bryan MacDonald:
Vladimir Putin basically confirmed today that he will leave the Kremlin, and step down as Russian President, in 2024. He also proposed constitutional changes which would ensure there won't be another Putin, holding power for over 20 years. https://t.co/sLxlRAa9jb
— Bryan MacDonald (@27khv) January 15, 2020
So, what happens next?
- Why have Medvedev and his government resigned en masse?
- Will the proposed reforms pass a referendum?
- What is the overall aim behind these changes?
- Does Putin plan to stay on past 2024, or is he strengthening the role of PM with an eye to taking that job, as some western commentators seem to think?
- Who will be the next President of Russia?
SUPPORT OFFGUARDIAN
If you enjoy OffG's content, please help us make our monthly fund-raising goal and keep the site alive.
For other ways to donate, including direct-transfer bank details click HERE.
But he kept lavrov the incompetent?!
He got Assad to destroy his poison gas in return for absolutely nothing, not even acknowledgement. Then ordered Assad to negotitiate with the fake, foreign sponsored “rebels”, thus giving them cred in the eyes of the world. Stupid or fifth columnist?
Lavrov incompetet?
Goodness me, what planet do you live on?
He is the best and most intelligent diplomat in the world.
Goodness me! Were your swaddling clothes kept too tight . . . on your head?
Russia is not a functioning democracy, it is sliding, inexorably towards the status of personality cult. Functioning democracies don’t alter their constitution every few years to indulge one ‘exceptional’ leader. Invariably, only exceptional because any credible rival has been purged.
Ordinary Russians don’t want another Tsar, when you speak to them, they weep for the state of their country, but it seems they are incapable of freeing themselves.
Just as well then that they have the CIA, NED, Soros and the human rights brigade to liberate them from Putin by funding terror attacks and the quisling opposition.
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/7592/yJB4oG.gif
What a load of ignorant nonsense you wrote.
Yes, ordinary Russians don’t want another Tsar, and they are very far from getting one in the person of putin. On the other hand, ordinary Russians do absolutely not weep for the state of their countryy. Under Yeltsin, they did weep for the state of their country, but Putin did an amazing job redressing the situation and significantly improve the lives of all Russians.
And the UK IS a ‘functioning democracy’ is it. You Integrity Initiative pond-life are nothing if not poisonous hypocrites.
This isn’t the CNN or Guardian website, you know. You have to back up your nonsense or fuck off. To whit, how about providing one example of how Russia isn’t a functioning democracy and UK/ USA is. Just one will do. Let’s see if you can avoid exposing yourself as a gullible idiot and/ or a liar.
I’m a UK expat who’s been living in Russia for over 20 years, by the way, and Russian civil and media freedom now surpasses that of UK and USA by a considerable great distance.
Let’s have it, bullshitter.
I’ll have some of that.
Tell me, when was the last time Jeremy Corbyn was arrested and banged up at the behest Teresa May, or Boris Johnson?
From the Wikipedia page on Vladimir Putin. Maybe you should edit it 😉
Got it. A gullible idiot AND a liar.
you forgot anti-semite.
Wikipedia has about as much credibility as Bellingcat.
Motivated reasoning…..
Wikipedia cites its sources, and one always has the option of editing and correcting.
Pussy Riot for President ! Credible and purged.
Ordinary Russian’s are obviously intelligent and capable of electing a President under a Russian democratic system. More so than people in the UK are.
Given the Russia-bashing by US warmongers the past 20 years, it’s been a jolly good thing for Russians that they had a very strong President for 20 years. Otherwise, they would have been back in the 1990s with declining birth rates, mass poverty and bloodsucking foreign oligarchs nicking everything Russian in sight. As for the future, you can read this one of two ways: The first option is that Putin now genuinely believes that Russia as a state is ready for democracy, and thus he is seeking to weaken the Presidency and strengthen the Duma as a key plank in that. The second option is that he thinks that he needs to stay on for quite a bit longer as long as lunatics are running the DC asylum, so he is making plans to be Prime Minister post 2024. It could of course be that he thinks both will be… Read more »
I totally agree with your assessment Rhys. I’ve been reading RI, RT, Fort-Russ etc and contrary to the Western “Media’s” sensationalism this transition of power seems to be fully supported by the Russian people.
What’s hysterical is that once again CIA was left out of the loop but that’s no surprise. Putin once again used the idiotic Russiaphobic morons to his advantage.
Too bad he was born in Russia and not the US because he’d make a great President.
“Putin for President” 🙂
Had Putin been born in the US, he would have made a great Presiden only for ten years, though, not enough time to do for the US what he has done for Russia.
Actually 8 or 2 terms due to 22 Amendment ratified after Roosevelt won 4 terms. That said I think the Russian voters are more intelligent than the voters in the US who exist on a diet of MSM pap served up regularly rather than any thing substantive and live under the delusion that they have a “free press”. You know ’cause the Constitution says so which aside from the Declaration of Independence has to be the most disingenuous document ever written in history. It took me decades to come to this conclusion.
Whereas the Russian’s are pretty savvy having lived under Communism and know what a controlled media looks like up close and personally.
Unfortunately Tocqueville was right about the place and still is today.
Correction – 8 and not 19 years.
Drat, that darned age-related macular degeneration…
8 and not 10 years.
Agreed, Rhys and Gall.
The pathetic thing about today’s U.S. is that there are plenty of shrewd, perceptive, imaginative and morally decent Americans who would also make great Presidents, and they shouldn’t have to look to Russia to find role models either.
But the simpleton-owned media routinely stop such people in their tracks.
Unfortunately those are the last people that corporations and the military want in power they prefer a Kakistocracy since are amenable to their special needs. In fact our Government is full of special needs cases who come to congress and the white house on the special bus. That’s what makes this nation so exceptional 🙂
To me, it seems Mr. Putin is shifting strength internally to limit the power of the PM as evident with the appointing of Mr. Mishustin. If I were running the show I would want to transfer more power to the General Security Council , place my confidant and trusted number two beside me ( Mr. Medvedev – as evident by creating the new post and appointing him to it ) and then steer the ship from that helm. Mr. Putin is already the director of the RGSC and with the new changes proposed – he will keep that position at the end of his term. Most Western reporters like the CBC’s man in Russia will report blundering reports. I predict the referendum will have the complete opposite outcome to the one Mr. Cameron tried. This is a win win for the Russian people and the country unless Mr. Putin turns… Read more »
It all sounds pretty sensible.
Meanwhile over here WE are getting started on removing the Supreme Courts legal authority over ‘political’ issues.
So as many illegal prorogations as JRM & the Queen wants!
I think when the prewar german elections resulted in letting in a bunch of beerhall bullies their Parliament didn’t last.
Our Weatherspoon parkbench bullies seem to be going the same way and as the ancient parliament crumbles it becomes likely that it may never be restored!
It seems our establishment has decided it wants Nandy as the safe Blairite leader of the Opposition – and are setting the ground incase another wronguns get in.
Ooh er upset someone eh? Get back to your park bench. 1. Dual Nationality – there is no record of how many dual (or more) nationals are in government in the US or the UK. It is evident that having more than one master leads to treachery. 2. Russia, like China,are evolving governing systems don’t forget they didn’t exist 100 years ago – they appear to be dovetailing towards a system less subject to the vagaries of ‘western democracies’ – corporatists; aristocratic; pork-barrelled; lobbied; media manufactured; owned by bankers. Given that the systems of both countries have delivered massive growth, elimination of poverty and greater benefits for its populations allowing free-markets, entrepreneurs and billionaires to emerge, whilst preserving their resources from the usual global robber barons – it is not surprising that they look to preserve this legacy beyond personal human age limits by institutionalising such oversight. Compare India with… Read more »
Putin has made so many enemies, he cannot let anyone else lead Russia.
😂😂😂😂
Oh you cunning stunt, fancy seeing you crawl out from ‘neath your rock to spew venom at Putin.
Seems Stunning C’s on a down voting spree.
You didn’t like my comment, Dick?
Putin will go the way of Mugabe.
You’ll go the way of Julius Streicher, I reckon.
Dying at the age of 95 years is not a bad way to go.
Better than Mugabe deserved, but he completely messed up Zimbabwe….
I’m sure Putin’ll be PM again after his presidential term expires. He was already PM once, from 2008-2012. Personally, I find that reassuring. Putin is the greatest statesman alive–probably the greatest since Bismarck.
Merkel has been a giantess in the western hemisphere too and is highly underatted.
I prefer Tracy Ullman.
merkel?
you mean hitlers daughter
she is confused bankers zionist agent
she gave 6 dolphin class nuke subs to israel for free as compensation for the crimes of her dad who was a new york city of london agent
adolf churchill and winston hitler zionist tools
mucky merkel is just blackmailed mind controlled moose
already
That is the worst bit of knockabout crap NW – you LYING TROLL.
‘Chancellor Angela Merkel’s father ..Horst Kasner was a Protestant pastor who moved to East Germany from Hamburg in the 1950s with his family.
Kasner was born in Berlin in 1926. He studied Protestant theology and eventually taught new clergy in the small town of Templin, north of Berlin.’
https://m.dw.com/en/merkels-father-a-clergyman-under-communism-dies-aged-85/a-15362772
That would have made him 14 years old in 1940.
Unless you want to dispute that fact you should withdraw your LIE and apologise.
Well said.
Kasner was just an alias used by the Fuhrer after he escaped from the bunker and had plastic surgery. What better cover than a protestant pastor? And why did he move from Hamburg? Wiesenthal was after him.
Adolf and his pals who supposedly died with their partners and families in das bunker could have only escaped to where their Ancient Empire Masters could guarantee their secrecy and security FAR from prying eyes and where they could bring up their families openly whilst controlling what media that would be available in their upbringing – before they could be educated into being deployed again as world leaders and business moguls to deliver the Great Empires old families grand design for humanity.
The place would also have to have the same climate as they were used to – continental & temprate.
So NOT equitorial South America.
Though that may have been good for a sunny sandy beach breaks and raping.
Much talk of a ‘demographic’ crisis needs further analysis. Russia’s population fell during the Yeltsin years but has stabilised at the present time. Fertility rate is 1.76 but needs to be at least 2.1 for population growth. But this is true of the whole of Europe, East and West and even a fortiori, Japan. The real demographic crisis, however, is taking place in the ex-Soviet republics and Eastern Europe ex-satellites, the figures from the Baltics and Ukraine are frankly disastrous and only marginally better in Romania and Bulgaria. Low birth rates, emigration, increased death rates, drugs and health problems are a real and present threat to the future of these states. The substantive problem facing Russia is the ongoing struggle between the Atlantic integrationists and the Eurasian sovereignists represented respectively on the one hand by the oligarch in chief and ultra-liberal Alexei Kudrin, and, in the Red corner, Russia’s answer… Read more »
Extanct or extinct?
Oops! Butter fingers and failing eyesight. I meant “Extant or extinct?”
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extant
Obviously I hope that the Baltics and Ukraine quickly enjoy a decent form of governance, but at present I fear that they are getting their just desserts for returning the spawn of WW2 fascists from emigre’ communities in the West to power, and embracing neo-liberal capitalism and licking the boots of the Empire.
Talk to any Russian, they despair of their government, and don’t have any mechanism to change it.
Russians don’t want to live in Russia, that’s the root cause of their population crisis.
Yes, they are desperate to return to the democracy of the 1990s and hand over the natural wealth of the country to Wall Street.
You are such a villainous liar that you must be some sort of hypertension troll, designed to given truthful people high blood pressure.
You clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.
Is president Putin’s move in the opposite direction as president Xi’s?
Not really-they are great friends and allies. So far Xi has been granted only one extra five year term by the CCP apparatus. He may get more, but ‘President for Life’ or ‘Emperor’ is just Western Orientalist, racist, anti-communist, Sinophobic clap-trap.
In defence of the personality cult, I see, Dick.
Whereas you represent the ‘personality disorder’ cult.
“That the Russian constitution takes precedence over International Law, especially where it might infringe the legal rights of Russian citizens”.
Clearly following the practice of the US State Department.
The complete erosion of any International Rule of Law ? Is that where this is going ?
The case of Maria Butina, imprisoned for 18 months for supposedly being a foreign unregistered agent of Russia, and apparently subjected to full body searches during the five months she was in jail every time after she met with lawyers and Russian consular officials, comes to mind.
This and other cases where Russian citizens were detained and imprisoned without correct due process in the US and other nations, and denied consular access – the case of Sergei and Julia Skripal comes to mind – may have been the instigation for this proposal.
Sexual humiliation through forced nakedness and ‘body searches’ is a favourite tactic of the Israelis, to humiliate and terrorise the Palestinians. There it is used against civilians, even children, and, with added viciousness, like the smearing of ‘menstrual blood’ was gifted to the US as torture tactics in Abu Ghraib ec. And, can you believe it, it has traveled to Australia, where strip searches of young people going to music festivals, have become a frequent and preferred tactic of State police forces.
Back in the days of Woodstock strip searching was easier. Seriously though it shows just how perverted those in positions of power really are.
Why not? Australian pigs just applying the lessons of their training courses in Israel.
Until I see evidence to the contrary, I believe Sergei and Julia were executed.
No, they survived. Was a close run thing though
They did? They survived the alleged poisoning (had it really been Novichok, they would have died almost instantly). But since then, no trace of them. Prove that they are still alive – put up or shut up.
The science of poisons is rather more nuanced than that. Every poison has an LD50 dose (the dosage that kills 50% of those exposed). There is no poison that kills everyone exposed to it, at any concentration.
We are not talking about common poisons, we are talking about an extremely lethal military grade nerve agent which does kill almost instantly those who have been exposed to it.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-06/nerve-agents-novichok-chart-of-the-day/9944910
Then how did the would be assassins avoid exposure? They must have been exposed to the times, unless you are suggesting they were wearing NBC suits.
Military grade nerve agents, however deadly, are still harmless if they don’t get into the bloodstream. Any poison can either be ingested, breathed in, or absorbed through the skin, in decreasing order of effectiveness.
Whoever did this (and I’m really not going to get into that with you), decided that the method was more important than the result. By my works, you shall know me.
‘fumes, not ‘times’
So, now you’re denying that it was a nerve agent, contradicting the UK authorities. You must be a Putin-bot, or a really stupid, low level, Integrity Initiative sub-troll.
Of course there was no nerve agent involve. The UK authorities lied from the very beginning.
LOL!
If troll there is, it certainly is not me. You, on the other hand, could well be a US deep state
or a microcephalic git
or highly likely you’re
Simple – there never was any Novichok and the alleged would-be assassins were not would-be assassins at all!
Logic 101.
I’ve never heard the ‘Skripals had hypochondria’ theory before, do elucidate……
Expert on UK poison: we have never seen it used 17 Mar 2018 (12 Mar 2018) Britain’s prime minister says ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with Russian-developed nerve agent Novichok. Novichok refers to a class of nerve agents developed near the end of the Cold War. Novichok behaves slightly differently than other nerve agents, with some reports that the class of substances is deadlier than similar chemicals like sarin or VX. Andrew Weber, Former US Asst. Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs, described Novichok as “a more advanced, fourth generation agent” and agreed it was more lethal. “One other fact about the Novichok agent is that they’re not prohibited specifically on a list by the Chemical Weapons Convention. In fact, they were developed by the Soviet military to evade our defenses, our protective suits, our antidotes and also to — as a way… Read more »
Sorry about the bold text, it was not my intention to have the whole text in bold, only the title of the video. I must have done something wrong.
Idiotic contribution, illustrating your stupidity. Nerve agents kill almost uniformly at tiny doses, and Novichok is, supposedly, one of the most potent.
Define “tiny”..
I imagine any nerve gas is lethal if delivered as a gas, but human skin is much more impenetrable than the inner surface of the lungs.
Doesn’t mean you can’t be poisoned through the skin, you clearly can be, but the process is far slower.
If novichok in gel form is really as lethal as you say, how did the assailants
…avoid poisoning themselves
Dear Vierotchka, There have been online rumours and claims that the Skripals were being held at USAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire at the time Julia Skripal was interviewed by a Reuters reporter in May 2018. In the video of the interview, there was a bird coop behind Julia which was later identified as a crow coop by English plane spotters and bird watchers who saw the interview, and there were sounds of aircraft taking off and landing in the background. This would explain why the UK government refused to allow Russian consular access to the Skripals: the Skripals were technically no longer on British soil but on US territory. Should that be the case, then it is likely the Skripals have been taken to North America and given a new home there, in a community where of course they will not be known and which will not miss them should… Read more »
The United States Federal Witness Protection Program, I suppose. In that case, they have new names and have possibly undergone plastic surgery to make them unrecognizable. But surely they would want to contact their family in Russia, especially Sergey’s old and ailing mother?
How the eff would you know, you pompous bladder of piss and wind?
How? Because I have done extensive research on the subject. Also, do look up all the OffGuardian articles on the subject, you poor little impotent troll!
Extensive research would involve a sealed laboratory, protective equipment, and experimentation. It is never merely googling it..
Extensive research on the subject, not on the product itself.
A Google expert…
International law, like European law has overstepped its boundaries too. In Holland a lowly judge could thus single handedly overrule the elected governments policy on CO2.
Well, the ‘government policy’ must be against some law, or the judge will be overruled by a higher and more ‘reliable’ court. Is that not how it works in Holland?
Perhaps, or maybe undoubtedly, Mr Putin is familiar with the example of Sulla, who exercised power as dictator for 6 months as allowed under Roman Law, then relinquished the dictatorship, then served as Consul. The time frame differs, and Putin is a strong leader but no dictator; he did have an awful mess to clean up and restored Russia to self-reliant productive and stable growth and enterprise from the looted ruins that existed at the end of the ’90s. … The stated aim of these changes is to restore more power to the Duma, which cannot be a bad thing. The resignation of the entire government allows the new Prime Minister to restructure the government. It may be that many of the preceding actors are restored in different ministries, or not. … The Russian constitution proposal may mean that Russian citizens in Russia would be protected from vindictive legal process… Read more »
She probably remembers what happened to Rasputin, when poisoning didn’t work (spoiler alert), they shot him.
You’re comparing Asian watermeals and elephants.
Rasputin was murdered in the home of Count Felix Yusupov, a devout Monarchist and probable MI6 asset. MI6 are on record as wanting Rasputin dead for being – as they saw it – opposed to Russia’s part in WW1.
He was my third cousin and a close friend to my father. He never was an MI6 asset at all.
It would be if ‘International Law’ had not become so sordidly and universally corrupted by US Imperial power. It doesn’t apply to Israel or the USA, so why should it be used as a weapon against Russia?
A lot depends on how people read this part of VVP’s speech to the Federal Assembly:
VVP supports the provision that a person cannot be President for more than two consecutive terms. This technically means he can legally campaign to be President again for a fifth term in 2030, though at age 78 years he would not likely do so.
Putin has to find a reliable, talented, successor. The CCP does it well, by trying potential leaders at ever higher levels of responsibility, but even then chaps like Bo Xi-lai can sneak through on charisma and unscupulousness as well as ability. I suppose they check out their spouses, Bo’s downfall, too.
Trump, instead of his promise to drain the swamp, has stocked it and become its king.
Putin is obviously draining the Russian swamp, which he has consistently and patiently been doing since 1991.
Hardly “King” of the Swamp. More Errand Boy. He has neither the wit nor the nous for anything else but taking orders.
US military policy has already perverted the phrase “draining the swamp” meaning to eliminate any dissenters in what they’re now calling the “urban swamp”
I think there are signs a coup may have been averted. Certainly looks like Putin is house cleaning. The resignations were asked for by Putin I’m sure.
Go read the ful transcript of Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly at https://off-guardian.org/2020/01/15/transcript-putins-address-to-the-federal-assembly/
Hi Veirotchka, Clearly the ex Analyst hasn’t got the capacity to read. understand and digest what is written… he has been steeped in MSM presstitute soundbites and is now unable to see the truth, staring him in the face. I wish to God we had a leader like Putin and a Government like Russia.
This alone speaks for itself:
How did the RUB value changed in PPP between these two dates?
How did the Russian population size change?
All achieved without several billion a year in tribute from the USA, like darling Israel.
Antonym – Are you serious?
The left column tells you the Pension and Income being paid – IN RUBLES?
The other side tells you the increase in the 15 years President Putin has been in office??????
”How did the Russian population change????”
Did your Momma never tell you about the birds and bees?
Not bad for a ‘gas station’ attendant posing as a leader. To quote McInsane, posthumously-(and still dead!).
Well why not move there seeing as you love him so much and take Offguardian along with the rest of the Putin cult with you.
Show your true colours there Derek…. That is why we are now stuck with a Fascist Government because. ignorant dolts like you promote lies about a man who has spent his life working for the PEOPLE and not the malignant Corporatocracies.
This is how the greedy barstewards should be dealt with:
How Putin deals with Oligarch/Cockroaches for closing down a factory. and the results ten years later.
NOTE: VOX videos are not reliable, they are produced by the CIA and are lies.
In Russia the state owns the Media, in the US/UK the Media own/control the state
That must be why you are an “ex Analyst”
Putin is just emptying the Presidency of powers and taking them with him… Once again Russia is at the mercy of an ‘unconstitutional’ system, changed and manipulated at will by those in power. Russia will not find stability and will have to change the rules, again and again, to please the ruler of the day.
Go read the ful transcript of Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly at https://off-guardian.org/2020/01/15/transcript-putins-address-to-the-federal-assembly/
I read it. It was nauseating bollocks. Fred West posing as Frank Field….
It is abundantly clear that either you did not read it or you didn’t understand any of it.
A serial killer posing as a Blue Labour Sabbat Goy arsehole. Is that how you were conceived, from such a union?
Clearly you didn’t read the transcript… too difficult was it…to have to concentrate for so long?
Strikes me that you should stick to perfecting what you think you are good at given your monika, then at least one person might be satisfied???
I could understand the cloying obsequiousness for former KGB agent Putin, if you actually lived in Russia, but strangely, his greatest sycophants appear to be the unemployed in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham etc…
The fact you seem to think ‘former KGB agent’ is an auto-condemnation says more about you than anyone else
Ooops you appear to have hit the nail on the head again. You must stop reading the Hasbara rule book. Mr Putin is not the boggy man, and the Russian Parliament is not the enemy of their people, unlike the Fascist Government of the US and UK. 1. The government resigned This sounds dramatic – but even though the Russian government has resigned, it will continue to act as a ‘placeholder’ until a new government is formed. It did not resign as an act of protest, but rather to facilitate the political changes being made in and orchestrated, planned manoeuvre while a significant power shift takes place. 2. Out with Medvedev, in with Mishustin Firstly and most importantly, Wednesday saw a power shift from the hands of a former President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, into the hands of Mikhail Mishustin. When Medvedev served as President, a role which he… Read more »