Carnegie Moscow Center
The protests in Russia cannot be called a political phenomenon, as the participants are experienced in civic activism but not in political life.
A verdict of acquittal or not guilty for Pussy Riot is unlikely because the verdict for this politically sensitive trial will be reached outside the courtroom.
It is unlikely that the members of Pussy Riot punk band will be found not guilty, because to recognize that they were not guilty would require acknowledging that the trial itself was a sham.
The outrage over the mismanagement of the flood in Krymsk will contribute to the waning of Vladimir Putin’s popularity, but this process is slow-going.
Putin’s visit to China is important for both China and Russia, but if the two countries wish to strengthen their bilateral relations, Moscow and Beijing need to work to enhance trust and build a long-term strategy of mutual cooperation.
China and Russia are often considered to be partners, but it would be a mistake to assume that there are no problems between the two countries.
Although Russia seeks to remain the critical broker between Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian opposition, its stance on Syria is beginning to shift as the prospects for Assad's long-term rule diminish.
The Russian government may be changing its attitude towards Syria and penalizing the Assad regime for failing to heed Moscow's advice.
The fact that the Red Cross has appealed to Putin for authorization to provide humanitarian relief to Syria proves that Russia has become an indispensable player in dealing with the Assad regime.
Despite the Kremlin's need for domestic and international legitimacy, there was widespread irregularity and fraud in Russia's recent presidential elections.