Word: kremlins
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...protests in February when a second wave of reductions kicks in. And this week, Putin is expecting a visit from the man to whom he "lost" Ukraine: Viktor Yushchenko, who was set to be sworn in as Ukrainian President last weekend despite Putin's very public support for his Kremlin-friendly opponent, Viktor Yanukovych...
...news is piling up so thick and fast, in fact, that some Kremlin insiders speak of high anxiety among presidential staff, and of a President who seems increasingly isolated. Some analysts say Putin, who has worked so hard to project an image of authority and control, has lost his touch. Some even argue that his hold on power - which seems all but unassailable, given his 71% re-election win last year and his all-but-complete control of the Duma, the media and the regional governors - is beginning to slip...
...Sergei Markov, a prominent pro-Kremlin analyst, dismisses Belkovsky's predictions, recalling his past links with exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky, a Putin nemesis. Markov acknowledges that Putin suffered setbacks in 2004, but says he remains "confident and in charge." But Mikhail Delyagin, a member of the pro-Putin nationalist political movement Rodina, agrees with Belkovsky's diagnosis. Putin's wobbly response to the pensioner crisis "shows he's not capable of comprehending the acuity of the situation," Delyagin says. And even if he was, Delyagin thinks he wouldn't be able to do much about it: "His team...
...violence and incivility? A new law that strips about 40 million Russian citizens of some social benefits, including the right of pensioners to ride public transport for free. (As an added affront, fares jumped by 30%.) The legislation, which replaces benefits with individual cash subsidies, is part of the Kremlin's effort to balance its books. But the government allocated just $6 billion to cover $18 billion in scrapped benefits, and starting in February, some medical benefits and utility and housing subsidies for pensioners, veterans and the disabled will go, too. At the same time, prices are skyrocketing. Rafail Islamgazin...
...natural gas from Turkmenistan and Russia, and many Ukrainians saw the hand of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who opposed Yushchenko's election, in the sudden price increase. "The empire strikes back," says political analyst Konstantin Bondarenko, "but Putin does it by proxy to show Ukraine its place." The Kremlin had no comment. Yushchenko, who's expected to be sworn in later this month, has also avoided the issue, but he did reiterate his pledge to create a modern free-market economy, even as Ukrainians saw their gas prices soar. "If this country is governed by honest people and the government...