Putin Return to Presidency Will Complicate U.S. Policy, Spread Christianity?
Vladimir Putin announced on September 24 that he will run in the race for the Russian Presidency next March.
If elected, Putin will appoint current President, Dmitri Medvedev, as the prime minister. Many in the West distinguish Medvedev from Putin and perceive him as a champion of liberalism and increasing freedoms in Russia, and the switch is igniting fear in the U.S. that the return to the presidency of the conservative Putin will tighten authoritarian rule in the country and may offset the policy of “rest” between U.S. and Russia.
The Obama Administration has been working with Russia on arms control, diplomatic cooperation, and trade agreements in the reset, a policy that is aimed at warming the relations between the two former foes. The policy resulted in a major nuclear reduction treaty between the two countries. However, talks have been foundering between issues on both sides of the spectrum and worries are abounding that with Putin back in the presidency suspicions and divisions between the two countries may reinstate themselves.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Nevertheless, some analysts argue that Putin’s return to the presidency will not change much in terms of policy coming out of the Kremlin. Daniel Treisman, a professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote in a CNN opinion piece, “For the last four years, he (Putin) has made all key decisions, with Medvedev’s advice, and he will continue to do so.”
Furthermore, White House National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement, “We are quite confident that we can continue to build on the progress made during the Obama Administration.“
Vietor added, “The rest has always been about national interests and not individual personalities.”
Putin himself is looking to develop and advance Russia westward. Putin is an Orthodox Christian that has admitted to being secretly baptized as a child during the Soviet Union’s fierce communist rule.
The Russian newspaper, Pravda, has said that Russia seeks to expand its power “not as the atheistic monster for the Soviet Union, but as a Christian nation that overcame a turbulent and horrific past.”
The paper further exclaimed that with the 2018 Soccer World Cup coming to Russia, the worldwide sports event is a clear example of how Putin is looking westward in expansion not only militarily and economically, but also to “allow the kingdom of Christianity to spread.”
Just how Putin’s westward turn will impact U.S. interests and Christianity remains to be seen, but with Putin back in Russia’s main seat, many worry that the reset policy between the U.S. and Russia is likely to continue to face challenges and uncertainty in the future.
