Maxim Trudolyubov: Russia’s in the tank, but Putin rides high
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives for a meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (not pictured) at the Kremlin in Moscow on Jan. 18.
Reality and its interpretation by mass consciousness follow divergent paths in today’s Russia. The country’s economic slump and growing tension on the foreign policy front speak of mismanagement and hubris. Public opinion polls, on the other hand, speak of the Russian citizens’ support for their government’s every move.
