The Kremlin wants to legalize the annexation of Crimea to Russia as soon as possible because it is trying to present the world with an accomplished fact while the West is still confused and lacks effective means to stop Russia.

The Russian and Chinese states are trying to use Snowden, as well as Assange, to discredit liberal democracies—above all, the United States. The Kremlin also sees the Snowden case as a way to crack down on democratic freedoms inside of Russia.

Western society wants to bring back a normative dimension to foreign policy and stop the export of corruption from authoritarian and semi-authoritarian countries to the West.

For the first time, Moscow has said openly that it will limit the West and its influence not only in Russian territory but also in the post-Soviet countries.

The Russian political regime is in a state of crisis, as is its economic model and the social life of the country. However, there are also there are several signs of Russian society’s awakening.

Mitt Romney’s tour of Great Britain, Poland, and Israel is unlikely to change the U.S. presidential campaign’s pace because the economy, not the foreign policy, is the main issue in the campaign.

The recent meeting between Putin and Obama has resulted in an increase in Putin’s self-confidence, his attempt to pressure the United States, and Obama’s aspiration not to aggravate relations with the Kremlin.

Putin has returned to the Kremlin, but he faces a significantly different Russia, because the country's situation has changed drastically. The previous Putin’s consensus between those in power and society has fallen apart.

It is not enough to urge Vladimir Putin to leave office. The Russian opposition must also seek the elimination of the autocratic model of power that Putin represents, and push for real constitutional political reform.

Putin’s regime cannot maintain power within a liberal political atmosphere. In order to maintain control, the regime is likely to tighten its grip on power and reducing freedoms.