Pavel K. Baev: Putin’s disappearing act may be sign of leadership crisis
A man takes a selfie beside a headstone featuring an illustration depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin sporting the type of moustache associated with late Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and inscribed with an unflattering slogan, during a mock funeral ceremony in Kyiv.
For the past week and a half, the main topic for political speculation on the Russian Internet - but not on state-run TV- was the disappearance of President Vladimir Putin from all public events, and even from the Eurasian summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, which had to be postponed until March 20.