Russia reached a dead-end: the authorities are not able to fulfill their promises and organize changes in the country that in near future may cause public protests. The New York Times commented on statements by Medvedev and the First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov about a need to change course and improve the investment climate.

  "The problem is that we've heard this before", the author noted. When Vladimir Putin moved into the Kremlin a decade ago he promised to ensure the rule of law and to tackle corruption.

  "It was under Putin that assets were taken from Yukos, Shell and BP. It was under Mr. Putin that a growing number of journalists such as Anna Politkovskaya were killed with impunity", a director of the EU Russia Centre, an independent information resource on Russia, Fraser Cameron, said. In his view, under Putin's watch there has been no progress toward an independent judiciary, and the corrupt bureaucracy has been allowed to expand.

  Putin completely failed to encourage investment in new industries, technologies or infrastructure, NYT wrote. It is little wonder, as the author notes, therefore, that investors are skeptical about new pledges to tackle rampant corruption or diversify the economy.

  Now Russia is facing crunch time. The funds that were accumulated during the good years are about to run out. Top companies like Gazprom are close to bankruptcy, the article says. Much of Russia' infrastructure is crumbling. There are hundreds of monocities - company towns dependent on one enterprise - without a future. There is a massive rich-poor gap and an even bigger gap between the regions.

  Even the elite do not believe in the future of Russia, Cameron wrote. They do not keep their money in the country and they send their children abroad to be educated.

  However, the author noted, the ruling United Russia party saw no need for change either. Most deputies in the Duma are more interested in enriching themselves.

  As far as foreign policy, negotiations between the EU and Russia for a new partnership agreement are making glacial progress. Russia cannot make up its mind whether to join the World Trade Organization. Thinking in Russia's elites is still dominated by a win-lose mentality, especially when it comes to pipelines and Ukraine, Belarus and Georgia.

  According to the newspaper, in reality, there are no fundamental differences between Medvedev and Putin. The prospects for a change in Russia, therefore, are bleak. But public opinion is becoming increasingly resentful of government inaction and the situation could become explosive in the near future, the author believes, and urges to support liberal, democratic forces in the country.

Source:KC