Foreign policy

It's Putin the peacemaker at annual Moscow press conference

Vladimir Putin's annual media event was a calmer and more locally focused affair than in previous years. That said, it was still a notable feat of stamina.

So, this was Putin the peacemaker. Delivering a conciliatory news conference where everybody was a potential partner, even nefarious Western countries which imposed sanctions on Russia. The Russian President couldn’t have made his position more obvious if he’d turned up with flowers in his hair and released a flock of white doves while humming Beethoven’s Ode To Joy.

There are three likely reasons for his sudden reticence. First, a feeling that Russia’s Syria policy has largely succeeded. Also, how domestic economic concerns, facing a possible 2018 re-election campaign, need to be addressed after some years when foreign policy was a priority. And thirdly a willingness to give Donald Trump time to show whether his campaign rhetoric about building a new relationship with Russia is actually implemented when in office.