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Graphic Truth: Pugnaciously Popular Putin

a graphic illustrating the approval rating of vladimir putin as president/prime minister of Russia
By Alex Kliment,
Alex Kliment
Alex wears a few different caps and tips them all regularly. He writes for the GZERO Daily, works as a field correspondent for GZERO's nationally syndicated TV show GZERO WORLD WITH IAN BREMMER, and writes/directs/voices GZERO's award-winning puppet satire show PUPPET REGIME. Prior to joining GZERO, Alex worked as an analyst covering Russia and broader Emerging Markets for Eurasia Group. He has also written for the Financial Times from Washington, DC, and Sao Paulo Brazil. In his spare time, he makes short films and composes scores for long ones. He studied history and Slavic literature at Columbia and has a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS. He's a native New Yorker, a long-suffering Mets fan, and owns too many bicycles.
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Ari Winkleman
Ari Winkleman
Ari Winkleman is the lead designer at Eurasia Group and GZERO Media.
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March 20, 2018
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Vladimir Putin’s popularity has ebbed and flowed over the 18 years he’s been in power — but nothing boosted him quite like the annexation of Crimea in 2014, which was genuinely popular among most Russians. But with Russia’s economy in the doldrums, shows of geopolitical resolve are an easy way for Putin to maintain popularity as he settles into his fourth presidential term (fifth term in power overall).

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