Russia’s President Vladimir Putin gives a speech at a session of the State Duma in Moscow on Tuesday. Photo: AFPRussian President Vladimir Putin has often surprised observers in the West in the last few years, but when it comes to running Russia, he doesn’t like surprises. The problem with Kudrin’s programme is that it appears to ignore the autocratic, deeply corrupt, inefficient system that Putin has built over the last 18 years. The problem, however, is that in the Russian system, only Putin has the ability to run the Russian economy from the Kremlin. That means more of the same can be expected from Russia’s economic policy at the outset of Putin’s fourth term.

Source: Mint May 08, 2018 16:52 UTC