by Pavel K. Baev, ISN: The Finnish Institute of International Affairs
‘Russia has been gaining in strength and becoming stronger’ – these words in President Putin’s New Year 2008 address contained a hidden reference to his Beslan speech in September 2004: ‘We showed ourselves to be weak. And the weak get beaten.’ They also remind about his more elaborate proposition in the 2006 address to the parliament: ‘We must be able to respond to attempts from any quarters to put foreign policy pressure on Russia, including with the aim of strengthening one’s own position at our expense. We also need to make clear that the stronger our armed forces are, the lesser the temptation for anyone to put such pressure on us, no matter under what pretext this is done.’ Read full article