Can Putin Survive? By George Friedman Editor's Note: This week, we revisit a Geopolitical Weekly first published in July 2014 that explored whether Russian President Vladimir Putin could hold on to power despite his miscalculations in Ukraine, a topic that returned to prominence with his recent temporary absence from public view. Though Putin has since reappeared, the issues highlighted by his disappearing act persist.   There is a general view that Vladimir Putin governs the Russian Federation as a dictator, that he has defeated and intimidated his opponents and that he has marshaled a powerful threat to surrounding countries. This is a reasonable view, but perhaps it should be re-evaluated in the context of recent events. Read more »https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/can-putin-survive?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_campaign=20150317&mc_cid=ff3163b0c6&mc_eid=52511177bc