putin juggernaut is a truism no matter where you live. it's the economy, stupid. after the chaotic years of boris yeltsin. putin stepped in and stabilized the country. and he road the wave of ever rising oil then in late 2014, the party stopped. oil prices slumped and soon after, came western economic sanctions. vladimir putin has navigated hard times well. he has slashed social spending, implemented an austerity program, allowed the ruble to fall. putin is is a fiscal conservative. >> the outward seeming aspect of wealth looks closer to dubai