The US Is Betting on Putin -- Spiegel Online
The US is well informed in Moscow -- which is why Washington is skeptical that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has much of a future. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, diplomatic cables make clear, is 'in the driver's seat.'
The report that the US ambassador to Moscow, John Beyrle, sent to Washington on Aug. 9, 2008, did not contain a lot that was flattering about the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev. Beyrle, a diplomat who had been an expert on Russia since Soviet times, got his charges d'affaires to describe the reaction of Medvedev to the beginning of the war with Georgia the previous night. "A pale and hesitant Medvedev, with none of the bravado of Putin, was pushed forward into the limelight on Saturday morning," the report said.
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My Comment: Putin has (in the past few months) assembled the necessary organization and support to make a run at the Russian Presidency. But .... I believe that he is only going through the motions, and that his focus and heart is not to regain the Russian Presidency.
Why should he .... he has all the powers and influence that a man in his position can have .... therefore, why have the added headache of 'Head of State'. In addition, at the moment Russian President Medvedev is the perfect man for Putin to have in the top spot. Medvedev is not a threat to him .... and more to the point .... he is his protege.
Therefore .... If I was a betting man .... I would put my money on him to not run in the next Russian Presidential election.
On a side note, the U.K. Guardian rips into Putin for making Russia into a mafia-state. The link to that story is here.
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