WHAT IS PUTIN SECRETLY PLANNING ?

Suddenly, on Friday 26 December, 2014, the day after Xmas, Putin cancelled the 14 day Holiday of Russian MPs without any real justification except to say that the rising cost of Voka was driving people to buy "bootleg" alcohol ! 

Since then there has been no real news to indicate what was going on in the Kremlin.  There has been a complete news blackout.  Even speculation has been sparse ! 

The reality is that the problems Putin and Russia are facing have all climaxed recently !  Briefly resumed they are as follows;
   1)  Putin obliged Yanukovytch, the Russian President of Ukraine, not to seek membership of the EU; this led to violent demonstrations, Yanukovytch fled and after new democratic elections, the new President, Poroshenko, replaced him. 
   2)  Putin grabbed Crimea from Ukraine and then supported Russian ethnic Rebels in Ukraine with armaments and soldiers !  This triggered Sanctions by Western Countries !
   3)  Sanctions are now "biting" hard.  At the same time the prices of Gas and Petrol have plunged on the open markets and Russian exports are falling. As a result, the Rouble has collapsed and could be completely devalued within the next three months !
   4)  Russian citizens have become anxious over the ever increasing prices and want Putin to stop interfering in Ukraine.  His reputation and leadership are now openly questioned inside Russia ! 

To save his skin, Putin must make changes in Russia ! Does the lack of any leaks of information mean he has already started by completely gagging the Press ?

Will Putin stop interfering in Ukraine ?  This could lead to the lifting of Western Sanctions in due course !  President Hollande said: "I am convinced Putin will not annexe Eastern Ukraine because  this is what he told me  when we met" !   But did Putin also say that he would stop sending soldiers and armaments and food to the Russian Rebels there ?   Perhaps not ! 

What is certain is that all attempts at dissention in Russia will now be quickly crushed by the Police and the Army.  Putin has first-hand experience of disturbances when the Rouble was devalued in 1998 due to Yeltsin's policies. 

Yeltsin resigned and gave the reigns of power to Putin !    Will Putin, before spending all of Russia's     reserves, really be able to prevent the collapse of the Rouble ?  This is doubtful !  Added to this Putin, alas, cannot alone control the sinking price of Gas and Petrol which at present is due to overproduction by many desperate countries which need the revenues !

Putin's day of reckoning seems to be approaching !

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