In 2012, Putin's black cortege raced through the deserted Moscow streets on its way to his third Kremlin inauguration, in what many saw as a major faux pas. In May 2012, tens of thousands took to the streets to protest Putin's inauguration for a third Kremlin term, with rallies descending into clashes with police. Putin needs to guarantee national unity, and for this he needs an enemy." After the annexation of Crimea, "Putin needs to change his soldiers' boots for some trainers," Oreshkin said. "For Putin to write his place in history, he needs to pick the right moment to go.

Source: Bangkok Post May 06, 2018 04:41 UTC