Source: VOA News Now’s International Press Club
In an interview with VOA News Now’s International Press Club, Masha Lipman argues that Russia’s new strength and its waning dependence on Western financial institutions help explain President Medvedev’s recent claims to what he calls Russia’s “privileged” sphere of influence in the world, as well as his rejection of a unipolar world dominated by the United States.
Additionally, she argues that the Russian response to the Russia-Georgia conflict has put into action what Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been saying for several years – that Russia will not allow Georgia or Ukraine to become a member of NATO.