Russia Not So Democratic Anymore: A new survey shows that Russians are more downbeat about democracy in the past few years than they were in the early 1990s, and they would choose a strong economy over a healthy democracy by a margin of nearly 6 to 1. The 2005 Pew Global Attitudes Survey shows a vast shift in public opinion, with many Russians disillusioned on democratization—66 percent of respondents say they would support a “strong leader” while only 28 percent supported a democratic form of government. In 1991, the results of the same question were 39 percent for a strong leader, 51 percent for democratic government, and 10 percent undecided.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.