NEWSWATCH: “In 2017, Putin faces his toughest challenge: Russian pessimism; After several years of economic hardship and international pressure over its annexation of Crimea, Russia may see its lot improve next year. But most are skeptical of the possibility of lasting change” – Christian Science Monitor/Fred Weir

… Most adult Russians have seen roller-coaster ups and downs in the past 25 years, from the harrowing collapse of the superstate of their birth, the USSR; to a decade of economic despair and social decay; to several years of revival under Putin that came to a screeching halt amid economic crisis and global condemnation following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. There is no experience of stable, good times in Russia, and polls suggest most people are dubious that lasting improvements can even occur.
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Even if Russia returns to economic growth next year, and oil prices … rebound a bit, there seems no hope of renewing the rapid growth of the past decade. That boom lifted millions of Russians out of poverty and established Putin’s popularity. But a repeat would require the kind of sweeping reforms Putin has talked about but so far failed to initiate.

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Click here for Christian Science Monitor/Fred Weir: “In 2017, Putin faces his toughest challenge: Russian pessimism; After several years of economic hardship and international pressure over its annexation of Crimea, Russia may see its lot improve next year. But most are skeptical of the possibility of lasting change”