Writing from this month’s annual conference of the World Affairs Council of Northern California, Foreign Policy Blogger Mark Dillen examines, through the comments of conference participants, Russia’s political transition, European energy security, and US-European relations. Part II examines the transition of power from President Vladimir Putin to his successor, Dimitri Medvedev. Read the article here.
In his first speech as Russia’s new president, Dimitri Medvedev pledged to use his tenure in office to protect and expand economic and civil freedom in the country. But amid the pomp and circumstance surrounding his May 7, 2008, inauguration in the Kremlin’s opulent Saint Andrew’s Hall, observers are raising questions about whether Medvedev’s new administration will actually lead Russia on a parallel course to that of his predecessor, Vladimir Putin.
These questions were made all the more prescient after Medvedev fulfilled expectations and nominated Putin for the Prime Minister’s post within hours of the swearing-in ceremony, allowing Putin to retain influence through certain executive powers granted to the Prime Minister in Russia’s system. The world will be focused on the policy course that Medvedev steers Russia in, particularly since the cast of other international leaders will be changing over the coming year. As of January 2009, those changes will include U.S. President George W. Bush, who today voiced enthusiasm for working with Medvedev in his remaining time in office.
After President Bush’s departure however, his successor will have to work with Medvedev on the future relationship between the United States and Russia. Read this Council on Foreign Relations article to learn more about where Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain stand on U.S. diplomacy with Russia.