Throughout 2013, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has shown himself to be a master at public relations. This week, he can be declared the first victor of the 2014 Winter Olympics, to be hosted in Sochi, Russia. Putin’s victory comes from the countless diplomatic victories due to his decision to release the world’s most famous Russian political prisoner, billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Putin, a man who never does something without an agenda, is scoring major political points worldwide in advance of the games which are already seeing foreign governments, including the United States and France protest. Now, Putin, who Forbes named the most influential person in the world can be seen as a man who cares about humanitarian issues — allowing Khodorkovsky, his arch-enemy, a pardon, and time with his mother who is apparently quite sick.
Throughout the year one can seen repeated PR genius from Putin. His September op-ed in The New York Times which urged the American people to oppose a U.S. initiative for military strikes in Syria was timed perfectly one day after President Obama’s primetime televised speech. Who would have thought that in the year 2013, Russia would use American media to prevent a war? Putin was able to brand himself as a man of peace and protector of Syria. (Of course, American didn’t attack Syria as Putin stood by his man.)
Russia used the Edward Snowden affair to their advantage to make the case that America was a bully, and as a result until today countless diplomatic problems continue for the Obama Administration worldwide. While Snowden enjoys Russian hospitality, Putin spun Snowden to his advantage, both domestically and Internationally.
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