Putin’s Return as Russia’s President

{
  "authors": [
    "James F. Collins"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "russia",
  "programs": [
    "Russia and Eurasia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Caucasus",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Putin’s Return as Russia’s President

Putin’s expected return to the Kremlin comes as little surprise, but it raises questions about President Medvedev’s future, the role of the Russian prime minister, and the nature of the U.S.-Russia relationship.

By James F. Collins

Published on Sep 26, 2011

Source: Kojo Nnamdi Show

Speaking on The Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU, Carnegie’s James Collins stated that Putin’s return to the Russian presidency does not come as a major surprise to policy experts on Russia. In Ambassador Collins’s view, the larger question is not necessarily how Putin’s return will affect Russian foreign policy, but rather what role current President Medvedev will play and what will happen to the position of prime minister. Under another Putin administration, Collins argued that “we are going to see a great deal of continuity” as Russia continues to struggle with issues such as economic diversification, a declining population, and poor infrastructure.

Collins also suggested that Putin’s return to the Kremlin will not necessarily jeopardize the U.S.-Russia reset. However, Collins concluded that “there is a question about what comes next. How are we going to continue to build some momentum on the positive side and not let just the things that divide us end up occupying the space for the agenda.”

About the Author

James F. Collins

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program; Diplomat in Residence

Ambassador Collins was the U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation from 1997 to 2001 and is an expert on the former Soviet Union, its successor states, and the Middle East.

Recent Work

Article
Daunting Challenges and Glimmers of Hope in Ukraine
- James F. Collins
Commentary
The Game Changer: Cooperative Missile Defense
- Dmitri Trenin, James F. Collins

Political Reform Foreign Policy Caucasus Russia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary
Emissary
9/11 at 25: A Reading List for Understanding the War on Terror
The books, podcasts, and films that explain the world it made.
Andrew Leber
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Animal Tested by Leonid Bershidsky: A Utopian Novel for the Instagram Age
Blurring the line between humans and animals is a long-standing tradition in social utopian prose. In his latest novel, Leonid Bershidsky reminds us that in social experiments, people are often treated no differently than animals.
Alexander Baunov
Commentary
Emissary
The Fallout of the U.S.–Canada Trade War Won’t Be Limited to North America
U.S. trading partners in Asia are closely watching the dispute for signs of how it may affect their own interests.
Barbara Weisel
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Europe Fails to Learn the Lessons from Ceuta
The aftermath of the Ceuta crisis shows Europe has drawn the wrong lessons. Rather than doubling down on failed migration policies, the EU needs to address the underlying roots of such episodes.
Richard Youngs
Paper
America Walks Away from Global Democracy
By abandoning past U.S. pro-democracy policies and adopting several lines of pro-autocratic action, the Trump administration has fundamentally repositioned the United States vis-à-vis democracy in the world.
Thomas Carothers

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

silhouetted figure watching a row of TVs.

Commentary

Emissary

9/11 at 25: A Reading List for Understanding the War on Terror

The books, podcasts, and films that explain the world it made.

Andrew Leber

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Animal Tested by Leonid Bershidsky: A Utopian Novel for the Instagram Age

Blurring the line between humans and animals is a long-standing tradition in social utopian prose. In his latest novel, Leonid Bershidsky reminds us that in social experiments, people are often treated no differently than animals.

Alexander Baunov

Aerial view of shipping containers at a port

Commentary

Emissary

The Fallout of the U.S.–Canada Trade War Won’t Be Limited to North America

U.S. trading partners in Asia are closely watching the dispute for signs of how it may affect their own interests.

Barbara Weisel

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Europe Fails to Learn the Lessons from Ceuta

The aftermath of the Ceuta crisis shows Europe has drawn the wrong lessons. Rather than doubling down on failed migration policies, the EU needs to address the underlying roots of such episodes.

Richard Youngs

US President Donald Trump waves as he leaves after speaking at a campaign rally

Paper

America Walks Away from Global Democracy

By abandoning past U.S. pro-democracy policies and adopting several lines of pro-autocratic action, the Trump administration has fundamentally repositioned the United States vis-à-vis democracy in the world.

Thomas Carothers