The persecution of Pussy Riot was meant to delineate the acceptable boundaries of behavior to the Russian population. And thus the system drags itself forward, looking more and more absurd every week.
The real test will be what happens after APEC 2012 passes. Will Russia accept economic and cultural globalization as part of the Asia-Pacific integration process, or will it continue to take a state-centric approach?
The 2012 APEC summit at Vladivostok has become the stage on which Russia is announcing its presence in the Asia-Pacific as a modern, dynamic country, which should be welcomed into the region.
The Pussy Riot case may serve as an example of Putin’s campaign to intimidate political opposition. It may also highlight a leader encircled by urban, secular, and liberal Russians, a conservative hinterland, the Russian Orthodox Church, and an unreconstructed security apparatus.
Liberal Orthodoxy freed of Patriarchy’s control could appeal to many free-spirited believers, and can become a powerful tool in the hands of the new generation of equality-seekers in Russia.
The trial of Pussy Riot and its larger issues are an indication of extreme repression. Yet, the tentacles of that repression extend across the globe – reaching far beyond Putin’s Russia.
The story of the Russian Federation joining the WTO works two ways; in terms of exports and imports. The shift from economic nationalism to market liberalism comes with controversies and complexities.
Russia’s decision to join the WTO is motivated by political interest as much as by economic calculation. The WTO’s record with inducing rule compliance, even by powerful members, presents optimism that Russia will play by the rules.
The reality of Uzbekistan leaving the Collective Security Treaty Organization is that any influence that Moscow is perceived to have lost is influence it did not actually have. And, any additional US gains are minuscule at best.
Uzbekistan’s decision to suspend its CSTO membership reflects the changing geostrategic landscape of Central Asia. It should also lead the region to reflect on its current collective security arrangements.
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