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Putin Weighs Future Options as He Marks 20 Years in Power

Associated Press

   MOSCOW - As Russian President Vladimir Putin marks two decades in
   power, he boasts about his achievements but remains coy about his
   political future -- a reticence that fuels wild speculation about his
   intentions.

   Putin points to the revival of Russia's global clout, industrial
   modernization, booming agricultural exports and a resurgent military as
   key results of his tenure that began on Dec. 31, 1999. On that day,
   Russia's first President Boris Yeltsin abruptly stepped down and named
   the former KGB officer his successor, paving the way for his election
   three months later.

   Critics accuse Putin of rolling back post-Soviet freedoms to establish
   tight control over the political scene, marginalize the opposition and
   stifle critical media. They hold him responsible for tensions with the
   West after Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, which
   bolstered his approval ratings but triggered U.S. and European
   sanctions.

   "Putin stopped the normal development of Russia as a normal market
   economy and a normal political democracy" and turned the country into a
   "global spoiler," said Andrei Kolesnikov, a researcher with the
   Carnegie Moscow Center.

   Kremlin watchers are trying to predict what will happen after Putin's
   current six-year term ends in 2024. They agree on one thing: Putin,
   Russia's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin,
   will likely stay at the helm.

   A fitness fan, the 67-year old Putin appears in good shape to stay on.
   He regularly practices judo, skis and plays ice hockey in a
   demonstration of his vigor.

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