Russia

2012 was a good year for European unity and resolve in relation to Russia – for a long time one of the most divisive issues in European foreign policy. But although the year started with excitement and expectations of possible changes inside Russia, it ended in disappointment after Vladimir Putin was re-elected as president in March. Putin’s new regime is weaker than it previously was, but therefore resorts to coarser measures to deal with dissent. Although the pro-Putin consensus of the first decade of the century has collapsed, there are no credible challengers, and neither the regime nor the opposition has a viable strategy for the future. European disappointment and Moscow’s unwillingness to cooperate with the EU on almost any issue made real dialogue almost impossible in 2012. [..]

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