The ‘western’ media are trying some Kremlinology and come up with the judgment that Putin rules in Russia.
[T]he events of the past five days wiped away any pretense that President Dmitry Medvedev runs the country.
Dmitry Medvedev is the President of the Russian Federation, the head of the
state, the person that determines foreign policy relations and the supreme
commander of the Russian military. Vladimir Putin is the Prime Minister, the
head of the government administration.
Medvedev is the current ruler of Russia. Not only formally as the last week’s action has shown him very much in the lead on everything.
But in its typical behavior the media are ignoring the facts. The Washington Post for example bases its judgment on easy to test quotes like this one:
Tatyana Parkhalina, director of the Center for European Security, said she was struck by the fact that Medvedev made no significant statement about the conflict in the early going and was still vacationing on the Volga River with his family while Putin was headed toward the front.
No significant statement? Volga River while Putin was heading to the front? That is flat out wrong.
When the conflict over South Ossetia went hot on August 8 Putin was in China and had little to say about it.
The same day Medvedev led an emergency Russian Security Council session in Moscow. Medvedev ordered the Russian military to intervene. He commanded emergency humanitarian aid:
"The president has instructed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu and Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev to provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the escalation of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict," the Kremlin press service said.
On the 9th Medvedev phoned with Bush and announced Russia’s war objectives.
Later on the 9th, Putin, on his way back from China, visited a refugee camp in North Ossetia, not the frontline, and the next day he reported back to Medvedev and recommended financial help for the refugees. The behavior is appropriate for his position as Prime Minister.
It was Medvedev who ordered the fighting to stop. It was Medvedev who negotiated the ceasefire with Sarkozy. It was Medvedev who announced the success of his forces.
Now tell me how this pictures a Medvedev who is not in control?
Putin and Medvedev started working together in 1991. They trust each other, have the same policies and there is simply no need for Putin being in the lead over Medvedev. They play roles. But not good cop, bad cop as some assume. Medvedev had just as harsh words for Saakashvili as Putin had. They have the roles of President and Prime Minister and in the play about South Ossetia the President’s role is naturally bigger.
The psychology of a secular, black belt judoka, secret servce operative differs from that of a religious business lawyer. To assume that Putin is the one who leads Russia is a mistake. That mistake might lead to political misjudgment over Russia’s policies aims and Russian political behavior.
Check the timeline of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and see if you can find any hint that Medvedev was not leading the action on every day.
But according to the press Putin rules and Russia lost the war. You only have to believe it.