Feature

February 2010

Official portrait of President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia

Leading the Charge

The third official president of the Russian Federation strives to work with the 44th President of the United States in effort to bridge their countries relationships.

By Erica Rochell Lee

Howard University Class of 2010

On July 6^th, 2009 President Obama’s made his first official state visit to Russia.  This trip occured without a lot of pomp, circumstance, and hoopla but it also exposed and shed light on an issue that has quietly permeated the behind the scenes conversations of the international community.   Who is the “true” leader of Russia?

President Obama set out to thaw the cold relationship between the United States and Russia.  One can only assume that behind the scenes there is a fervent debate on how to pursue this thaw and who exactly should the Obama administration work with in order to expedite the process.

Although always a Kremlin insider, President Demitri Medvedev brings a new flare and a more relaxed demeanor and style than his predecessor. Elected in March of 2008, President Medvedev is striving to step out and establish his own identity and legacy.  In an attempt to stay accessible, President Medvedev has a video blog that updates Russians on the progress of policy initiatives. He even shows a flare for western style, and is well known for sporting a perfectly tied Windsor knot, exhibited by his ensemble during his meetings with President Obama.

Almost two years into office, can one really highlight what it is that truly separates Medvedev from his predecessor and current Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin? In the eyes of everyday Russians and the rest of the world, is Medvedev really in control?  Many Russians still look to Prime Minister Putin as their leader. Although both leaders currently have high approval ratings, one can almost guarantee that if a Russian citizen were to be asked whom they thought controlled the Kremlin and subsequent Russian affairs, their answer would be Prime Minister Putin.

The Presidential Emblem (photo: The Kremlin)

In addition, a wrinkle in the fabric came into play at the end of 2008, when President Medvedev called for a constitutional amendment giving the president a six-year term rather than four years. The amendment will apply to Medvedev’s successor, and most observers expect that Putin will become that successor. If so, he could occupy the presidency for 12 years. (Politics in Russia 6th Edition by Thomas F. Remington)

Before winning the Presidency, President Medvedev had no prior experience in an elected office. He was the protégé of former president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Very well educated, and fluent in English, President Medvedev comes off as more personable and flexible than Prime Minister Putin.  With that said, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into Russia having more amiable relations with its neighbors and most importantly the United States.

In the attempt to establish his own legacy and to bring Russia back to the forefront of International politics, President Medvedev has taken substantial steps in trying to re-establish Russia’s regional dominance. Russia’s August, 2008 war with Georgia came as a shock to the international community. In openly backing the South Ossetian separatists with Russian troops and weaponry, the Kremlin overtly and abruptly bucked at international opinion and ignored international outrage.  Also, the Kremlin continues to use their main industry, oil and gas production, to influence political discourse within Europe. It is precisely these issues that have the Obama Administration rightfully worried.

During President Obama’s first official state visit to Russia, both nations were able to come to some agreements on warhead and weaponry reduction, but the issue of the proposed missile defense shield the United States wants to place in Eastern Europe is still a contentious and fiercely disagreed upon subject.  The United States is also still wary on Russia’s influence on its European and Balkins neighbors and hopes to strike a balance in containing this influence while gaining Russia’s support in issues of international importance.

One interesting point in President Obama’s visit came during a press conference where he was asked whether or not he believed Demitri Mvedevev was truly in control of the Kremlin.

Candid photo of Prime Minister Putin (foreground) and President Medvedev (background)

He firmly stated that President Mvedevev was the leader of Russia and that Prime Minister Putin has his own separate position in being just that, the prime minister.  Even so, one has to consider how much influence Prime Minister Putin really has over the decisions President Mvedevev makes.  In the end, it is impossible to calculate or estimate Prime Minister Putin’s real influence on President Medvedev.

President Obama truly has his work cut out for him. The US-Russian relations were left at an all time low when President Bush departed from Washington. With Russia striving to re-establish itself as a regional and international power player along with a two leader dynamic in which no one can really discern who is truly in charge, the Obama administration has a situation that must be handled with the utmost care.

(file video from Medvedev’s January 2009 blog entry where he expresses his interest in sports and the enthusiasm surrounding the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia)