#RUSSIA - "Putin’s Rearguard Battle" - Russia’s recent diplomatic successes in Syria and Iran, together with foreign-policy missteps by US President Barack Obama, have emboldened President Vladimir Putin in his drive to position Russia as capable of challenging American exceptionalism and Western universalism. But Putin’s recent address to Russia’s Federal Assembly was more a reflection of his resentment of Russia’s geopolitical marginalization than a battle cry from a rising empire.

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/shlomo-ben-ami-shines-a-light-on-the-flaws-in-vladimir-putin-s-efforts-to-position-russia-as-a-major-world-power