Forbes recognized Putin as the most influential person in the world

Forbes magazine in his annual ranking recognized Vladimir Putin the most influential person in the world. The editors explained this choice by the fact that over the past year the head of the Russian state has strengthened its control over the country. “Its characteristic as a dictator is no longer a curiosity,” the accompanying article says.

The magazine also drew attention to the position of Russia in Edward Snowden and the Kremlin’s success in disputes around the Syrian conflict.

Last year’s leader of the list - US President Barack Obama - took second place in the current ranking. According to Forbes, the American leader turned into a “lame duck” ahead of time. One of the arguments in favor of this conclusion was the recent budget crisis in the United States.

The third place was taken by the new chairman of China Xi Jinping, the fourth - the newly elected Pope Francis, and the fifth - the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

From the Russians, in addition to Putin, three more were in the rating. The 53rd place was taken by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the 60s-President of Rosneft Igor Sechin, 63rd-oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

In 2012, Forbes in his ranking awarded Putin 3rd place after Obama and Merkel. Almost all years of staying at the highest state posts in Russia, Putin occupied one or another place in the first three. Only in 2010, the magazine placed it in 4th place.