Analysts: Putin Has Squandered Influence
302393
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dented his prestige and squandered influence by backing the wrong side in political clashes in Ukraine and in the breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia, analysts say.
546182
It is not often that you sit down for nearly four hours, until after midnight, with a world leader. It is especially strange when that man is Vladimir Putin, hardly regarded as the most forthcoming of interlocutors.
2378
Nobody in Russia seems to know how scrapping the popular vote in regional elections can help Russia&#39;s war against terrorism. ULYANOVSK, Russia--In the aftermath of the Beslan tragedy, Russians were expecting
142328
Andrey Illarionov, Economic Advisor to President Putin, told reporters he did not see any real reason to sell Yuganskneftegaz, YUKOSâs key production asset.
593580
Russia&#39;s President Vladimir Putin has  described himself as the world&#39;s only &quot;pure&quot; democrat and  attacked the United States and Europe, which have criticized  him, for falling short of their own ideals.
665603
President Vladimir Putin&#39;s plan to strengthen his grip on the country by nominating governors and eliminating individual races in State Duma elections appears to contradict only the spirit
543894
President Bush's support for Vladimir Putin at their brief summit puzzles Russia scholars, who say the Russian president is being rewarded for behavior the West should be discouraging.
253033
As Russia prepares for March 2 presidential elections, it enters an era of political uncertainty it hasn't seen since President Vladimir Putin succeeded Boris Yeltsin eight years ago.
190466
Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked the United States as a reckless &quot;unipolar&quot; power that has made the world more dangerous by pursuing policies that have led to war, ruin and insecurity.
369204
FOR many Russians it was a week of funerals, mourning and horrified disbelief. The reaction of Vladimir Putin to the deaths in Beslan, however, has been rather different: to go on the offensive.
693610
Whatever President Vladimir Putin's purpose in choosing a new prime minister, he didn't look far.
660030
Russia is joining the ranks of nascent dictatorships, and Vladimir Putin is the executioner of Russian democracy. Right? Wrong. Russia is not a dictatorship, and the political system Putin is trying to reshape is not a democracy.
372353
President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to respond swiftly to a proposal that he become prime minister after Russia's presidential election in March, a senior government official and close Putin ally said Wednesday.
250870
Description: Critics suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin&#39;s decision to roll back democratic reforms in his country is an excuse to tighten his grip on power under the guise of fighting terrorism.
65261
NEW YORK, Dec 8 (IPS) - The popular image of Russia in the West today is of   a land of post-Soviet oligarchs, oil company billionaires  languishing in  jail, President Vladimir Putin ruthlessly  centralising his power by  replacing provincial governors, civil  liberties being abused, and, of  course, the 10-year war in  Chechnya with the resulting unthinkable murder  of hundreds of  children in Beslan.
226387
President Vladimir Putin's rise was powered largely by a pledge to take down Chechen separatists. Yet the rebels are still killing Russian soldiers and appear increasingly bold in spilling civilian blood &#151; blamed for three dramatic attacks in little over a week.
400229
Analysis: He may not really be a global power player, but Russia's president got to play one on TV