Putin 's decision to stand again as Russian president is no big surprise , says commentator . Russian voters quickly cottoned on to the fact that the old United Russia party was just a roadblock : it could stop opponents winning elections , but had no role in government or in the generation of policy or strategic thinking . Comment: He asks : Can Putin stop capital flight out of Russia ; guarantee stability in Caucasus . And will Putin be able to curb bloated state that has grown unwieldy under oil money ?
Putin 's decision to stand again as Russian president is no big surprise , says commentator . Comment: He asks : Can Putin stop capital flight out of Russia ; guarantee stability in Caucasus . And will Putin be able to curb bloated state that has grown unwieldy under oil money ?