Meeting in the Middle

Dmitry Medvedev Met With the Opposition, but Experts Question His True Intentions

By Dan Peleschuk

President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday met with a group of key leaders from the non-systemic opposition and reaffirmed his support for a package of reforms that would somewhat even out the political playing field. But while some opposition members cautiously hailed the meeting as a success, the unprecedented meeting is largely for show, experts warned – and Medvedev’s own weakened position may leave little room for meaningful change.

Running From Risks

Perceptions of Political Risk Remain High in Russia Despite the Kremlin’s Promises of Political Stability after the Presidential Elections

By Tai Adelaja

Various private businesses and individuals pulled their money out of Russia last month, in the latest sign that unease about the country's political outlook may have been stoking further capital outflow. Net capital outflow from Russia reached about $17 billion in January, the highest since 2009, Russia’s Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Klepach said on Monday. The latest acceleration in capital outflow, experts say, appeared to have been triggered by Russian companies’ reluctance to repatriate profits earned from exports as they seek to protect themselves from political risk ahead of the March 4 presidential elections.

My Protest Is Bigger Than Yours

As the Presidential Elections Approach, Both Sides Gear Up for Post-Election Protests – but How Will the Kremlin Respond?

By Dan Peleschuk

As Russia edges ever closer to the March 4 presidential elections, now only two weeks away, both opposition and pro-Kremlin forces are preparing to stage post-election protests to ostensibly outdo one another. It is a trend that has only recently kicked off, and has seen rival protests taking place on the same day and competing, back-to-back auto rallies roaring through the city center. But as the time draws nearer for developing a longer-term protest strategy, what’s on the drawing board for both sides – and how will the Kremlin handle their dueling actions?

Paying for Promises

Can a Future President Vladimir Putin Resist the Urge to Spend His Way into Popularity?

By Tai Adelaja

For all his eagerness to reclaim the Kremlin in the first round, winning the election may turn out to be the easy part for presidential hopeful Vladimir Putin. After the March 4 elections, Putin will face an equally challenging task of tempering his campaign promises with fiscal reality on the ground. The hard part, economists say, is paying for his pre-election promises, which experts say could require an extra $200 billion which the Russian government does not have. While the prime minister has yet to explain how he would pay for his pre-election promises, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Friday that the government cannot afford to spend gobs of money after the elections, yet also adding that it may have to resort to a “budget maneuver” to pay for extra spending on wages and social benefits.

On a Personal Note

Editorial Comment by Russia Profile Staff

Russia Profile brings you some of the best analysis on top stories in Russia today. But there’s always more behind them. Each Friday, our writers provide their own take on the news, offering unique commentary to put events into a different perspective. This week, Tai Adelaja explains why Putin’s return to the Kremlin is short of a miracle, Dan Peleschuk is starting to miss Vladislav Surkov, and Andrew Roth wonders what Gazprom is doing to Echo of Moscow.

Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Russia’s Game in Syria

Introduced by Vladimir Frolov

Last week, Russia and China vetoed the UN Security Council resolution on Syria, which was sponsored by the Arab League and supported by all other members of the council. Moscow said the resolution was unacceptable since it calls for an immediate transfer of power by Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, and does not put any responsibility for violence on the Syrian opposition, which some observers think is enjoying the clandestine support of Arab states and the West. What is Russia’s objective in the Syrian crisis? What role has Russian domestic politics, particularly Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s presidential campaign, played in Moscow’s decision to go against the majority opinion in the UN Security Council?