The Role and Importance of Putin

Putin's importance to Russia comes in two ways, the first in the returned growth of Russian society through a new growth in populations, opening trade relations with new partners like China in response to sanctions from the West, and an overall increase in the economy from the Yeltsin period. Another way Putin has played a critical part is in Russia’s newfound fight against the West to maintain its control and influence over Russian diaspora located in its neighboring countries.

While boasting over 70% approval rating, many Russians see Putin's terms in office as the start of economic growth since before Yeltsin period. Because of this, people view his administration as a key part in maintaining the stability of the Russian economy, shying away from past economic policies that supported creating oligarchies. This growth is accompanied with new trade deals that have shied away from the Euro-centric style that Russia adopted, instead focusing on trade with many Asian countries like China and Central Asia.

Putin’s ambition to pursue alternative markets for Russian goods, especially in the energy sector has brought it to create various organizations that promote not only the economic advancement of its members but also military cooperation like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. With the growth of the economy, it has solved many of Russia’s problems by consequence such as bringing the growth rate back up, as well as raising the standard of life for many Russian citizens. While the state of Russia’s economy depends greatly on the world market price of natural gas and oil, Putin has been essential in diversifying the economy
of Russia by introductions and attracting high-tech companies, going so far as to create a financial district in Moscow.

Recent developments have also shown the Putin is not afraid of standing up to the West. This foreign policy is directly the opposite of the Yeltsin administration that put Russia on the back seat in global politics. We can not only take the current conflict in Ukraine, but also the Russo-Georgian war as examples of Russia responding to foreign influences on countries that neighbor Russia. Many Russians view this in a positive light, with the idea that Putin has put the country back on the global stage as a prominent player to combat the west’s influence. Couple this with other alliance that Russia has formed, especially the mentioned Shanghai Cooperation Organization that soon will encompass a political, economical, and military relationship with most of Central Asia, China, Pakistan, and India. Other organizations like the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which has NATO like qualities will soon add Iran, showing the west that Putin’s administration is not afraid to seek new allies to combat western influence expanding eastward.

While the role of Putin’s economic and foreign policy is popular with the people of Russia, I believe that this is Putin's greatest strength. With the struggle of the Yeltsin administration in dealing with domestic problems, Putin has taken the mantle of the Russian presidency and is backed by popular support from the Russian populace. The faith that its citizens put in Putin give him the political stability to engage in reforms that have the support of local state governments of Russia, transforming the country into a centralized political institution, where policies can be implemented rapidly without the bureaucracy that multi-party governments around the suffer from.