Crisis threat for Russia’s leaders

Putin’s soaring popularity as president was partly based on the fact he distributed a share of Russia’s oil wealth among his allies.

But with oil prices down more than 70 per cent that popularity may fall.

“As soon there is no huge flow of money into reserves it is absolutely clear that the so-called power of this authority will disappear,” Mikhail Kasyanov, a former prime minister and staunch critic of Putin, says.

During his eight years as president Putin isolated any serious political competition including Kasyanov who was sacked in 2003 and barred from running in last year
AlJazeera