Proving that he’s taking his place in Russian history as one of the longest serving leaders, 68-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law today enabling him to serve until 2036. Dictators like Putin stretch definitions of “president” to the breaking point, where the term should be reserved to leaders that face legitimate regularly occurring elections. Calling himself “president,” Putin defies the meaning of the word that implies a democratic elections. Russian dissident Alexi Navalny, 44, now rotting in a Russian penal colony 100 kilometers [62 miles] from Moscow, fought his heart out complaining about government corruption, especially with Putin at the heart of the presidency. Navalny hoped, together with Western governments, that there was a chance for democratic reforms in the Russian Federation. Kremlin officials rubber stamped Putin’s vote, giving him two more terms in office.
Navalny, who was poisoned he claims by FSB in Tomask, Siberia Aug. 24, 2020, spent four months recovering in Germany after nearly dying. When he returned to Moscow Jan. 14, he was promptly arrested and tried for violation terms of his probation, then sentenced to two-years-eight months in prison. U.S. President Joe Biden, 78, and his 58-year-old Secretary of State Tony Blinken demanded that Navalny be released from prison. Putin and the Kremlin ignored U.S. and European Union demands to free Navalny. For the past 10 years Navalny has built a clandestine organization that seeks to popular uprisings to topple Putin’s 20-year grip on Russian power. Judging by where Navalny finds himself, Putin’s winning the battle against Russia’s best known Trotskyite who wants to topple his government. U.S. and EU officials have sacrificed its relations with Moscow backing Navalny.
When Russia held a vote to amend the Russian Constitution, July 1, 2020, Putin said he needed more terms to keep his lieutenants focused on the future. Can you imagine in the United States Biden asking Congress to extend his term limits, currently limited by two terms or eight-years. Putin said he wanted to keep his employees focused other their work, not “darting their eyes in search for possible successors,” much like what happens in the U.S. every four years. In Trump’s case, he lasted one four-year-term that, for many Democrats, seems liked an eternity. In the case of Russian politics, it truly is an eternity given to Putin to run the Russian government. Nearly 78% of voters approved the new Russian Constitution, giving Putin two more terms in office, if he’s still alive. When Western powers or Navalny doubts Putin’s resolve, they should look no further than the Russian Constitution.
Navalny actually thought he could lead a Western-backed revolt against Putin, returning Russia to start what he thought was a Democratic revolution. When Navalny was arrested, convicted, sentenced and sent to prison his supporters acted surprised that the anti-Putin and anti-Kremlin critic was put way. Since arriving in the IK-2 penal colony, Navalny has bee in the news daily by the Western press, today’s no exception, highlighting more of his medical problems. Last week it was about Navalny’s aching back, this week it’s about Covid-19-related symptoms, complaining about fever, sore throat and cough. Navalny declared himself on a hunger strike March 31, drawing more media attention to himself. Since entering the IK-2 penal colony he’s been complaining about sleep deprivation and poor medical care, saying his back was so bad he could no longer walk.
When Biden and Blinken decided to take on Putin, Biden said he “knew” Putin accusing him March 16 of being a “soulless killer.” Putin responded, in effect, “it takes one to know one,” giving Biden a taste of his own medicine. Whatever the reason’s behind Biden’s foolish confrontation, he now finds himself behind the Eight Ball dealing with Iran, China and North Korea, all of whom respect Putin’s support but need him to deal with hot spots around the globe. Biden burnt that bridge when he called Putin a “soulless killer,”:now dealing with the fallout of not having Russia as cooperating partner. Putin’s Russia is no different from other authoritarian regimes, including Communist China, where there’s no change of power for generations, making it difficult for the U.S. or European Union to bully China into making concessions, especially about what the West sees as human rights abuses.
Biden’s approach to U.S. foes has been to sanction them on human rights abuses, something that only makes foreign relations worse. Whatever goes on in the Russian Federation or Communist China, it’s not wise diplomacy for the U.S. to adopt revolutionaries whether in Hong Kong or with Navalny, promising democratic reforms if they can dislodge Putin or Xi Jinping. If that’s Biden’s foreign policy, criticizing U.S. adversaries, his presidency’s going to be a long cold winter of alienated relations. Whatever happens to Navalny, it has zero consequences on U.S. foreign policy. What has real consequences is that if NATO decides to stage joint military exercise in Ukraine, defying Putin. Putin would have little choice but to annex pro-Russian separatist territory in the Donbass region of southeastern Ukraine. Getting along with Russian and China should be Biden’s top priority.
