In Russia, voters are going to the polls to choose a new president. Although it seems longtime leader Vladimir Putin will prevail once again, some Russians have been protesting his rule, lending some uncertainty to this year's elections as well as comparisons to the Arab Spring movement.
Protesters formed a human chain on a main road circling the Kremlin in central Moscow yesterday to register their opposition. They're part of a movement started last December after they suspected fraud in elections for parliament.
However, NewsHour correspondent Margaret Warner says the Russian protests feel very different than those taking place in Syria and Egypt because Russians' quality of life has, for the most part, improved under Putin.
Many in the West are frustrated with Putin's administration because it vetoed a U.N. resolution to stop the violence in Syria and kept close ties with the regime of Syria's embattled president.
Quotes
"Vladimir Putin's aura of invincibility and of incredible popularity has been undermined. And Kremlin insiders are worried about that, not that they really think he's going to lose, but the more that aura is chipped away, the more it will affect or undermine his ability to govern in the way he has in the past." - Margaret Warner, PBS NewsHour
Warm Up Questions
1. Where is Russia? What do you know about it?
2. What is the Arab Spring?
3. Who is Vladimir Putin?
Discussion Questions
1. If Russians' lives are more comfortable now than ever before, as the reporter in the video says, why do you think they're protesting the elections?
2. Why could having the same leader in power for a long time be a potential problem for a country? How long is the U.S. president allowed to serve?
3. Do you think Putin will win another term as Russia's president? Why or why not?
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