Eric Draitser of StopImperialism.com joins us to discuss the geopolitical significance of the reelection of Vladimir Putin as Russian President.
We talk about the differences between Putin and Medvedev, the future of Russian-American relations under Putin, and the future of Syria.
I think the speakers miss an important point when speaking about Putin's visit to Israel. Russian energy reps from Gazprom were with Putin, and Russia has an interest in some collaborative venture with the recent offshore giant Israeli gas discoveries. That interest also continues to Cyrpus, another major offshore gas discovery, as well as Greece. Those possible joint ventures won't fly without the US and Europe approval. Russia's recent announcement of a halt on promised shipments of S 300 missiles to Syria may just be a sign that Russia is ready to horse-trade on its position on Syria, if the price is right.