Headline March 23, 2018/ ''' PRESIDENT PUTIN'S PANACEA '''

''' PRESIDENT PUTIN'S PANACEA '''

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN now has an ever growing and stronger hold on Russia - and a much stronger place in the world.
Thanks to an overwhelming mandate for yet another successful term as president.

His domestic opponents are largely resigned to another six years in the shadows. His foreign opponents are mired in their own problems, from Britain's messy exit from the European Union to chaos and contradiction in the Trump administration.

Even widespread voting violations are unlikely to dent Putin's armor. And accusation that he meddled in the US election and sponsored a nerve attack agent in Britain have only bolstered his standing at home.

Here's a look at what to expect from Putin's next six years in power, for Russia's rivals, neighbor's and its own 147 million citizens:

New Cold War?
Relations between Russia and the West are already at their lowest level since the collapse of the  Soviet Union 26 years ago.

Despite a friendly-ish relationship with President Donald Trump, Putin's new mandate gives him little incentive to seek entente with Washington, especially as the investigation of alleged interference in the 2016 US election intensifies.

Putin friendly leaders have made gains in recent Italian and German elections. Western countries are likely to see more Russia-linked hacking and propaganda aimed at disrupting elections or otherwise discrediting democracy including the US midterm elections in November.

Since Putin's domestic popularity bumps whenever he stands up to the West, expect more tough talk from Putin the next time he faces threats at home, and holder Russian vetoes at the U.N. Security Council of anything seen as threatening Moscow's interests.

His claim several weeks ago that Russia has developed new nuclear weapons that can evade missile defenses clearly showed Putin's adamant determination to boost Russia's power to intimidate. 

Syria And The Extremist Threat:
Russian backed Syrian forces helped rout the the Islamic State group from Syria, and Putin argues that Russia saved the day in a conflict that had confounded US-led forces fighting against IS.

Now those Russian-backed Syrian forces are closing in on the last strongholds of Western-backed  rebel forces. Viewing that as a geopolitical and military victory over an illegal Western-led intervention. Russia is unlikely to pull out of Syria anytime soon.

An emboldened Putin could position the resurgent military as a peace maker in other regional conflicts - for example in Libya, where Russia has oil interests and where a disastrous Western invasion seven years ago left a lawless state now seething with extremists.

Russia's Neighbours :
To Russians, Putin's biggest victory in 18 years in power was annexing Crimea and crushing Ukraine's ambitions to move closer to the EU and NATO.

Putin is frustrated at the resulting the US and EU sanctions but appears unwilling to make concessions that would bring them to an end,

Ukraine is split between a volatile government in Kiev and a Russian-backed separatist region stuck in a frozen but still deadly conflict that serves Putin's interests.

Moscow's actions in Ukraine sent a warning signal to other countries in Russia's orbit that reaching westward is dangerous.

And former Soviet block states within the EU are increasingly drifting back toward Moscow, from Hungary and Poland to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Fellow Russians:
Putin's new mandate could theoretically hand him the power to make bold reforms that Russia has long needed to raise living standards and wean itself from its oil dependence.

But Putin has convinced Russian voters that drastic change is dangerous, and that protecting the country from threats take precedence over improving daily life.

Experts predict he may enact some changes like expanding affordable housing and fighting corruption on a local level.

But less likely are bigger changes as overhauling the pension system, which is unpopular among a strong Putin voting base, or-

Spending cuts in the security sector, unpopular among the ex-KGB friends in President Putin's  entourage.

With respectful dedication to President Vladimir Putin, the People, Students, Professors and Teachers of Russia, and then the world. See Ya all on !WOW!  - the World Students Society and Twitter-!E-WOW! - the Ecosystem 2011:

''' World's - !WOW! - Wonders '''

Good Night and God Bless

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