Active Minds Lecture: Putin's Russia November 11, 2008

On August 8th, a cold war style-conflict erupted between Russia and its neighbor Georgia. With the U.S. aligned with Georgia and oil interests in the mix, the dispute has focused the attention of the international community. Take a look at where Russia appears to be heading under the influence of Vladimir Putin. Earlier this year, Putin relinquished the Presidency he had held since 2000, as required by the Russian constitution. His hand-picked successor, Dmitry Medvedev promptly named Putin Prime Minister, setting the stage for a puppet Presidency and the continuation of Putin's hard line politics and centralized control.