Without four years old Stalin

Western press - about the nomination of Vladimir Putin for the fourth term

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## Why did he evade from the answer

European and American publications are united in the opinion: the Russian president is not a removal of anyone to surprise anyone for the fourth term.

“Within a few months, Putin evaded from the answer to the question of his plans for 2018, thereby provoking the speculation around his candidacy: it will not advance,” Associated Press News notes. There were even assumptions that he would resign and name the successor. However, the uncertainty of Putin’s plans, it seems to be supported by AP specially in order to warm up the public interest in the presidential race: “The Kremlin was concerned about the growth of apathy among voters.”

“They were waiting for this message, it was no surprise. And it happened on a carefully selected day: shortly after the IOC decision, to remove Russia from the Winter Olympic Games, ”writes Swedish Svenska Dagbladet .

Having announced his nomination on December 6, the day after the UK decision tough against Russia, Putin tried to block the news for Russians with his “good” statement. However, the day of December 6, when Putin finally announced his decision, will now be remembered in any case, the newspaper is ironic. However, she has no doubt: official numbers will show more than 80 percent support of Putin-winning.

“A scandal with the state doping system, which led to the fact that Russia has lost its full participation in the winter games of 2018, it seems that only strengthened Putin’s position: the whole story fits very well into the concept of Russia as a besieged fortress, surrounded by enemies on all fronts”

“Putin is not entering the presidential race not least because of his popularity and the lack of serious applicants for the presidential post,” says The New York Times . “In fact, now the main problem in the Kremlin, according to a variety of political scientists, is that the plain list of candidates can reduce the elections to the historical minimum and thereby deprive Putin of a deafening victory.”

But still, according to the newspaper, “Putin’s popularity cannot be denied. Success at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, where Russia won, earned 33 medals, all these years fed its ratings. The scandal with the state doping system, which led to the fact that Russia has lost its full participation in the winter games of 2018, it seems, only strengthened Putin’s position: the whole story fits very well into the concept of Russia as a besieged fortress surrounded by enemies on all fronts. ”

“Putin’s participation was not surprisingly and for a long time was perceived as a given,” the British The Guardian recalls. “The only intrigue was when exactly he will announce his campaign and on what topics he will concentrate.” The main theme of Putin’s election campaign, the newspaper suggests, will become Western sanctions and the IOC decision on the prevention of Russia to the winter games-2018. In the absence of real political intrigue, it reminds The Guardian, the election date was already postponed to March 18 - on the day of the annexation of Crimea in 2014 - "just in order to raise a patriotic attitude in Russian society."

Closer to the cult of personality

Putin could well declare a nomination at a meeting with hundreds of young people at the Volunteer forum in Moscow. Instead, he did this at one of the industrial giants of Russia-the GAZ plant, where he came to personally congratulate the cheerful automakers on the 85th anniversary of their enterprise, The Washington Post points out. Over the past three years, the newspaper, workers, especially in the automotive industry, are reminded with serious economic problems: “The scene at the automobile plant looked staged: one of the foremen called on Putin to“ make them a gift ”, announcing the nomination of his candidacy. "Gas for you!" “The workers shouted.” At the factory, a newspaper resembles, more than 25 thousand people work and it belongs to Oleg Deripaska, one of the richest people in Russia.

“Putin likes to be surrounded by people that he feels control over,” the Swedish Dagens Nyheter writes about a meeting on a newspaper. Of course, there will be no real elections. Nevertheless, the newspaper is made, "for the fourth time Putin will not be selected without protests."

By 2024, Putin will rule Russia for 25 years. Thus, it is almost equal to Joseph Stalin - the rules of 29 years. Although to the autocrat-record holder, Tsar Peter the Great, who spent 43 years old in power, Putin is still far away

“For a long time, the Russians realized that 65-year-old Vladimir Putin will run for fourthly as the head of the country,” the French Le Monde notes. However, “Putin IV is no longer at all the same as in the days of Putin I, when he, a former KGB officer, undertook to rule the country in 2000: Russia became a major player in the international arena. She is going to win the war in Syria, thus supporting her ally of Bashar al -Assad. On the other hand, relations with the West and, in particular, with the United States have never been so bad since the end of the Cold War. ”

In turn, the Danish Jyllands-Posten believes that in recent years, the cult of Putin’s personality is gaining momentum in Russia, who clearly wants to secure a place in history. By 2024, Putin, recalls the newspaper, will rule Russia for 25 years. Thus, in the time spent in the Kremlin, it is almost equal to Joseph Stalin - that rules for 29 years. Although to the autocrat-record holder, Tsar Peter the Great, who spent 43 years old in power, Putin is still far away.