Russian President Putin Comments On The Murder Of Russian Politician Boris Nemtsov

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin walls in central Moscow February 23, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin

Reuters: Russia's Putin calls Nemtsov's murder political

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the murder of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov was a shameful tragedy that carried a political subtext.

Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, was shot dead as he walked with his girlfriend on Friday night near Red Square. He was the most prominent opposition figure to be killed in Russia during Putin's 15-year rule.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement, saying that the killing was a "provocation" designed to discredit Putin and strengthen his opponents, but Nemtsov's friends say the Kremlin is to blame for fomenting an atmosphere of hatred towards its opponents.

WNU Editor: Putin had to comment .... and this is a case that brings nothing positive to his office but questions and doubts on his Presidency. The key is to find the people responsible for the murder of Boris Nemtsov .... but I am not optimistic .... Russia has a lousy history when it comes to solving such crimes.

More News On Russian President Putin Commenting On The Murder Of Russian Politician Boris Nemtsov

Putin: Murder of Boris Nemtsov “Disgrace” to Russia -- VOA
Russian president exhorts police to find mystery man behind ‘absurd murder’ of Boris Nemtsov -- National Post/AP
Putin Says Boris Nemtsov's 'Brazen Murder' Was Politically Motivated -- NYT
Vladimir Putin condemns Boris Nemtsov murder -- The Guardian
Russia’s Putin Makes First Public Comments on Killing of Boris Nemtsov -- WSJ
Putin Says He’ll Rid Russia of ‘Shame and Tragedies’ of Political Killings -- Time
Putin calls Boris Nemtsov's killing a 'disgrace,' slams protesters -- CNN
Putin Warns of Extremist Threat to Russian State Stability -- Bloomberg
Russian security service chief says several suspects in Nemtsov case: agencies -- Reuters
How Boris Nemtsov's murder serves notice to Vladimir Putin's enemies -- William Browder, CNN

Murdered Russian Politician Boris Nemtsov Is Buried. The Investigation Into His Killing Is Still Ongoing

BBC: Russians bid farewell to murdered politician Nemtsov

Thousands of Russians have bid farewell to murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov as his funeral took place in the capital Moscow.

They queued patiently to view his coffin before it began its solemn journey to a city cemetery.

Several EU politicians and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were barred from attending the funeral.

Hours later, Mr Navalny accused the Russian authorities of responsibility for the murder.

WNU Editor: This is a sad day for Russian democracy. My prayers are with his family and loved ones .... and for those who will continue to fight for a better Russia. As for the investigation into Boris Nemtsov's murder .... Investigators Fail to Produce Answers as Thousands Pay Last Respects to Nemtsov (Moscow Times). And as for the only witness to the murder .... Anna Duritskaya, only known witness to Nemtsov’s murder, flies to Kyiv (Euronews).

More News On The Burial Of Murdered Russian Politician Boris Nemtsov

Thousands of Russian dignitaries, mourners flock to funeral for Putin critic Boris Nemtsov after shocking Moscow assassination -- AP
Russians stand in line to mourn by coffin of slain Nemtsov -- Reuters
Thousands Honor Boris Nemtsov, Putin Critic Killed in Russia -- New York Times
Mourners bid farewell to Boris Nemtsov, but fear their hopes have died with him -- The Guardian
Boris Nemtsov: Thousands Gather for Funeral -- ABC News
Boris Nemtsov Death: Future Of Russian Opposition Is Unclear After Leader's Murder -- IBTimes
Russian opposition in despair after Nemtsov killing -- Henry Meyer, Bloomberg News
Thousands of Russians Queue Up to Say Goodbye to Murdered Opposition Leader Boris Nemstov -- Vice News
Plot thickens in Nemtsov murder (Video) -- CNN
Boris Nemtsov shot dead: What we know and what we may never find out about his murder -- The Independent

Thousands Of Russians March In Memory Of Murdered Putin Critic

Reuters: 'I am not afraid,' Russians march in memory of murdered Putin critic

(Reuters) - Holding placards declaring "I am not afraid", thousands of Russians marched in Moscow on Sunday in memory of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, whose murder has widened a split in society that some say could threaten Russia's future.

Families, the old and young walked slowly, with many carrying portraits of Nemtsov, an opposition politician and former deputy prime minister who was shot dead while walking home from a restaurant in central Moscow on Friday night.

WNU Editor: I expected a bigger march (if I was in Moscow today I would have been in that march) .... but the seriousness of his murder has galvanized Russia, and many are wanting answers.

More News On Thousands Of Russians Marching In Memory Of Murdered Putin Critic

Boris Nemtsov killed in Moscow LIVE UPDATES -- RT
Boris Nemtsov murder: Tens of thousands march in Moscow -- BBC
Thousands march in Russia to mourn Putin critic Nemtsov -- Washington Post/AP
Thousands March in Moscow in Memory of Slain Activist Boris Nemtsov -- WSJ
Russian Opposition Marches in Tribute to Nemtsov -- VOA
March to mourn Nemtsov moves towards crime scene -- ITAR-TASS
March in Memory of Murdered Politician Nemtsov Kicks Off in Moscow -- Sputnik
Mourning march for slain opposition leader Nemtsov under way in Moscow -- RT
At least 10,000 march in memory of slain Russian opposition figure Nemtsov: AFP -- Daily Times
Seven thousand come for beginning of procession commemorating Nemtsov in Moscow - police -- RBTH
Russian PM Medvedev expresses condolences to Nemtsov’s near and dear -- ITAR-TASS
Watch: Boris Nemtsov's final interview -- The Telegraph
Life and career of Russian politician Boris Nemtsov -- ITAR-TASS

Russian President Putin: Russian Military Is Ready To Act Decisively Against Any External Threats

© Sputnik/ Michael Klimentyev

Sputnik: Russia Will Find Adequate Response to Any Pressure From Outside – Putin

Vladimir Putin said the Russian military is ready to act decisively against any external threats. The president also added that in recent years, a lot of work to improve the effectiveness of Russia’s military administration has been carried out.

Russia will always find an adequate response to any external pressures, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a concert dedicated to the Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia.

Update: Putin says Russia's military strength unmatchable: Interfax -- Reuters

WNU Editor: He is like any Western politician .... he reads the polls and he is tailoring his message to them .... Foreign military threat real, most Russians believe – poll (RT)

Do Russians Still Support Putin?

85 percent of Russians said they still support President Vladimir Putin's actions at the helm of Russia, the Levada Center independent pollster revealed Wednesday. Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/Reuters

Moscow Times: Despite Economic Woes, 85 Percent of Russians Still Support Putin

WNU Editor: I know how these polls are conducted. A phone call is made on a land-line during the day ... and most of the time it is a pensioner who answers (the young are working). Many of these pensioners are deeply loyal to Putin .... I know from experience that they all credit him for the pensions and services that they receive from the government .... something that was not stable or reliable until Putin came to power. So even though this poll may say that 85% support him .... knowing how it is done I am surprise that it is not a 100%. As for the rest of the population .... I can only assess his support from what my Russian relatives and friends are saying .... and what I get from them is that Putin's support is very strong. Because of the conflict in Ukraine and EU/U.S. pressure .... most do support Putin and will vote for him if a Presidential election was called today. But if it was not for the Ukraine crisis and western sanctions I would hazard a guess that his support would be much less .... my impression is that he would still win an election, albeit with support that (I predict) will only be slightly above 50%.

Russian Public Support Is Low For Military Action Against Kiev

Everyday Russians Are Skeptical of the War in Ukraine -- Paul Richard Huard, War Is Boring

Recent poll suggests Russian support is low for military action against Kiev.

Even as Moscow sends columns of tanks, artillery, air-defense systems and combat troops into the eastern Ukraine for a possible winter offensive, the Russian public’s support for the war could be quite low.

A recent survey by the Levada Center, considered the most important independent pollster in Russia, offers compelling evidence that enthusiasm for Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine is waning—or was never very high in the first place.

According to the survey, 68 percent of Russians polled “do not want their sons to fight” in southeastern Ukraine on the side of pro-Moscow militants. Only one in seven—13 percent—would support their sons doing so.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have to concur with this analysis. Since the start of the conflict everyone that I know in Russia has told me bluntly that they have no appetite to get involved in a war in eastern Ukraine .... I repeat .... everyone has no desire to send Russian troops into eastern Ukraine.

Putin Still Enjoying High Poll Numbers In Russia

BBC

Love Him or Hate Him, Vladimir Putin's Poll Numbers Have Never Been Higher -- Mark Adomanis, Forbes

In the increasingly severe standoff between East and West, there’s a general assumption among most Western policy makers and analysts that Russia’s worsening economy will severely weaken Vladimir Putin’s domestic position. As a regime with “performance legitimacy,” Putin’s ought to be highly vulnerable to any downturns in growth. Astute analysts of Russian politics have long noted that, upon coming to power, Putin essentially cut a deal with the Russian public: you stay out of politics, I’ll make sure the economy grows and that wealth trickles down.Any changes in the terms of this deal run the risk of mass protests and perhaps even of a Orange Revolution style uprising. Or so the story went.

The belief in Putin’s vulnerability on the economic front is exactly why the West decided to implement a sanctions regime: it was a way of “punishing” Russia that would avoid the risk of military conflict while simultaneously undermining what little support the authorities had left. The operating assumption was that when Russians saw the economic costs of their country’s policy in Ukraine they would decide that their political leadership was a bunch of buffoons and demand change. Russians, in other words, would prefer continued access to consumer goods over influence in Ukraine, iPads over great power status.

Read more ....

My Comment: I am not a fan of Putin .... never have been .... but Mark Adomanis is correct .... Putin is enjoying high poll numbers. The reason why is simple, and I mentioned this a few months ago .... when under threat and/or facing international criticism the Russians always "circle the wagons" .... and in this case Putin has positioned himself shrewdly to be in the middle of this circle. There are still some who are hopeful that sanctions and its impact on the Russian economy will result in protests increasing against Putin .... Why Russians may soon tire of Putin’s antics (Bessma Momani, The Globe and Mail) .... this may be true but for the moment (and I have already predicted for next year) .... these protests are going to be muted.

Russian President Putin's Popularity Is Declining In The Latest Poll

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (Reuters / Alexei Nikolsky / RIA Novosti / Kremlin)

Putin’s Rating Falls Below 50 Percent In September - Poll -- RT

After reaching an all-time high in August President Putin’s approval rating has fallen in September according to the latest research. The Kremlin says it is a natural fluctuation.

According to the influential independent pollster Levada, 49 percent of Russians said they were ready to vote for Putin should a presidential election be held next weekend. In August he was polling 57 percent – the highest in history. Regardless of the share of supporter in society Putin has topped the presidential ratings since his election as president in 2012.

Vladimir Putin’s press secretary and deputy head of the Presidential Administration, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters that changes in public mood were a normal thing.

Read more ....

My Comment: Another Russian poll is telling a different story .... Russians’ approval of Putin hits near all-time high, poll shows (RT). As to what is my take .... Putin's approval and support is still very high. If an election was held today he will probably win with slightly more than 50% .... but it is also true that his support overall is declining. The big worry is the economy .... the recession has already started, and everyone I know in Russia are now more focused on that than on the crisis in Ukraine and/or in the worsening relations with the West.

Russians Are Starting To Demand Answers On Why Are Russian Soldiers Fighting In Ukraine

Russian soldiers are pictured next to a tank in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov region, near the border with Ukraine, August 23, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Alexander Demianchuk

Russia Lies About Invading Ukraine as It Invades Ukraine -- Anna Nemtsova, Daily Beast

As Russia troops and tanks make an apparent bid to open the land route to annexed Crimea, discontent is growing in the motherland about the obvious but oft-denied war in Ukraine.

MOSCOW, Russia – Where U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have failed to make Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledge his ever-more-overt invasion of Ukraine and think about pulling back, Valentina Melnikova, the head of Russia’s famous Soldiers’ Mothers Committee, might just have a chance.

Early Thursday morning, Melnikova started getting phone calls from Russian army bosses. All of them, from the deputy defense minister to the paratrooper division commanders, wanted to meet with the great matriarch of the Russian military. She had accused the entire high command, along with Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin of invading Ukraine and of committing a crime against Russian citizens by sending Russian soldiers to "the bloody battlefields" without declaring the war, without signing legal papers with the servicemen, without letting Russian mothers know where exactly their drafted sons ended up dying.

Read more ....

Update #1: Exclusive: Over 100 Russian soldiers killed in single Ukraine battle - Russian rights activists -- Reuters
Update #2: Russian reporters 'attacked at secret soldier burials' -- BBC

My Comment: Putin does enjoy overwhelming support in Russia .... but there is little if any support among the Russian population for Russian soldiers to be involved in Ukraine's civil war. And while the main Russian news services are playing down the role that the Russian military is playing in Ukraine .... Russian social media is alive and well in documenting and exposing what is happening. So far ... the discontent is low-key .... but if another round of sanctions do occur, and the Russian economy continues to shrink resulting in higher unemployment, coupled with the bodies of Russian servicemen continuing to be buried .... all bets will then be off.

Russian President Putin's Opponents Are Remaining Silent

The sanctions targeted government officials, mostly Putin's former colleagues from the security services, heads of key state companies and some of Putin's mouthpieces in the Duma and the Federation Council. Ana Paula Hirama / Flickr

No Palace Coup in Sight for Russia -- Ivan Nechepurenko, Moscow Times

When the U.S. government announced its first round of sanctions against President Vladimir Putin's friends over the Ukraine conflict in May, it made no bones about their aim: Increase the cost for them of Putin continuing his course and they will influence him to back off or, ultimately, throw him under the bus.

The sanctions quickly began to hit some where it hurts. Billionaire Gennady Timchenko, whom the U.S. Treasury Department has described as someone whose "activities in the energy sector have been closely linked to Putin," found that his wife was unable to pay for her back surgery in Switzerland in May when all his credit cards were suddenly blocked.

Timchenko, 61, has been friends with Putin for more than 20 years, and his labrador Romi is a daughter of Putin's favorite labrador Koni, he said in a rare and outspoken interview with ITAR-Tass published Monday.

Read more ....

My Comment: The possibility of a Putin impeachment and/or coup is zero. His approval ratings are in the 80s, and in times of crisis the Russians are like the Americans and everyone else ... they circle the wagons .... and they have definitely circled the wagons right now. Later .... when this has all blown over .... dissent and opposition may escalate ... but for the moment .... no way.