Putin and the Russian Dilemma
Russia will likely remain on its current path, but it does not have continue to feel like it must embrace China.
The recent diplomatic spat between Russia and the European Union, which resulted in Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov threatening to break off ties with the twenty-seven member bloc of European states, is only the latest crack in Russia’s relationship with the West. Although Lavrov’s comments were later retracted by the Kremlin, international pressure will continue to be exerted upon Russia over the jailing of dissident and harsh Putin critic, Alexei Navalny.
The jailing of Navalny and subsequent protests across Russia in which thousands have been arrested, harkens back once again to Russia’s authoritarian past. In the process, Vladimir Putin continues to do neither himself, nor his people any favors after it was revealed that both the United States and the European Union will be coordinating a new round of sanctions aimed at Rus