Fred Weir, CSM: 'Putin's brain' says he doesn't have Putin's ear. Do we know who does?
WNU Editor: When it comes to Ukraine these are the key men that Putin is listening to right now .... Russian Prime Minister Medvedev, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, head of the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev, Russia's finance minister Anton Siluanov, and Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov. Within the military it is Russian armed forces Chief-of-Staff Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu. And as to what they are telling him .... I have no clue .... but my instincts are telling me that everyone in his office (including Putin himself) know that the Ukraine crisis and Russia's economic crisis are the two most important issues facing Russia today ... and they are not going to back down. As to what policies and strategies that they will pursue .... I am speculating again .... but on Ukraine they will keep on providing material and support to pro-Russian rebels ... while maintaining their goal of modernizing and expanding the Russian military. On the economic front they are going to focus on pursuing new markets and new trade/economic arrangements while working with countries like China to undermine the dominance of the U.S. dollar in currency markets and to "chip away" at its reserve status among global currencies.
Recent Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials on Putin
Sorry, Ukraine, You Can't Beat Putin -- Marc Champion, Bloomberg
Sanctions Aren't Enough to Stop Putin, and He Knows It -- Carol Matlack, Bloomberg
Putin eyes benefits as rebels gain in Ukraine -- Timothy Heritage, Reuters
Czar Putin’s Next Moves -- Thomas Friedman, NYT
Putin's World: In It To Win It -- Walter Russell Mead, American Interest
President Putin of Ukraine? -- Greg Austin, The Diplomat
Putin Goes All In as Ukraine Fights for Funding -- Daryna Krasnolutska and Stepan Kravchenko, Bloomberg
A Putin surprise in eastern Ukraine? -- Kimberly Marten, Washington Post
I think Putin has won much much more than just in the Ukraine. If not already, he will soon be the go to guy for the Middle East, vis a vis Iran, Hezbollah, ISIS, and the Sauds. I would look for visits in Moscow of various personages from that part of the world in the near future.
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