The Era of Putin and the Era of Yeltsin
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Transcript of The Era of Putin and the Era of Yeltsin
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7/28/2019 The Era of Putin and the Era of Yeltsin
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The era of Putin and The era of Yeltsin
He has had personal access to all the primary stakeholders in the process including Clinton,
Yeltsin and later with Vladimir Putin. The book, written in the form of a memoir clearly states
that the era of Putin would not have occurred without the era of Yeltsin. This would create an
impression that the transition was a smooth one planned by Yeltsin, but it is far from the truth.
The relationship between President Clinton and his Russian counterpart was unprecedented in
the history of the United States. It is said that the number of meeting between the US President
and Yeltsin outnumbered the total meetings by all the US and USSR premiers in the past.
President Clinton was of the view that the cold war attitude of former presidents including
Eisenhower and Truman is no longer relevant in the changed circumstances (Talbott 133).
It required a closer approach devoid of suspicion and intrigue that had been characteristic of the
attitude between the two superpowers of the time. Yeltsin who had continued the reforms of
Gorbachev was in an unenviable position. The country was opening up to reforms which
included to a large extent, private business and ownershipYeltsin was in a sense forced to accept
the friendship and assistance of the United States in order to keep the economy of his country
alive. The two heads of state also began to address themselves by their first names, something
that is unprecedented between a capitalistic and socialistic nation. The domestic scenario in
Russia had deteriorated to the extent that crime and corruption became a norm. Talbott observes
that this could have come about due to the unexpected freedom experiences in a society that had
been traditionally been repressed and subject to extensive and powerful state control. Mafia like
gangs began to take control along with support from traditional power centers which included
government agencies and powerful political figures.
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The time, according to Talbott, was ripe for Vladimir Putin to take charge. It should be stated that
Yeltsin himself felt that the situation was getting out of hand. Both Yeltsin and Putin were
brought up and grew in a strict communist ideology and environment.
Russia is not in a great hurry to become part of the EU indicating a sense of mistrust of Western
capitalistic ideologies. Talbott adds that Putin might be following a policy of modified capitalism
as followed by China. Only time and visionary statesmanship will bring about a satisfactory
situation that is beneficial to its citizens, economy, and the government.