Could Vladimir Putin withstand a popular uprising in Russia?

The annexation of Crimea in 2014 or the help for the separatists in the Donbas region have raised domestic support for Vladimir Putin’s presidency to record levels. Putin has banked on lingering frustration in Russian society that Moscow has been 'cheated' by the West or that Russia should regain its great power status.

But under the surface, his position is actually rather precarious. Thanks to serious economic hardship and growing unease about Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Putin’s supposedly stratospheric popularity is less secure than ever – and it may prove to be very short-lived.

ESO: Background information: Is Nemtsov Killing a Point of No Return for Putin? http://www.europeansources.info/record/is-nemtsov-killing-a-point-of-no-return-for-putin/

ESO: Background information: Putin Confident Russia En Route to Recovery Without Reforms http://www.europeansources.info/record/putin-confident-russia-en-route-to-recovery-without-reforms/

---