President Barack Obama is the US equivalent of Mikhail Gorbachev, or so Moscow’s ruling elite believe, writes Ivan Krastev. Both will go down in history as the individual charged with managing their system’s terminal decline, the Kremlin’s ideologues believe.
Is the US strong enough for a ‘reset’ with Russia?, asks Krastev, chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, Bulgaria. It certainly lacks the moral authority and political credibility to promote democracy in Russia, he charges:
The majority of Russians favor democracy, but most are also deeply suspicious of America’s desire to bring democracy to their country. So any hopes that American pressure can bring democratic change in Russia are illusory.
Recent Comments