An insulting term that became associated with the unimpressive final years of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in the 1970s and early 1980s is now increasingly being used to describe Putin. Russia has failed to fulfill promises of creating a modern pension system, improving regulation for financial markets, or investing in infrastructure. Despite facing financial strain from public sector pay raises before the recent presidential election, Russia plans to spend $620 billion by 2020 on military rearmament while cutting spending on infrastructure and education. This has disappointed business leaders who are in need of upgrades to the deteriorating road network. Despite Putin's promises to reduce the country's reliance on oil and gas exports, the price of oil needed to balance the budget has more than doubled in the past five years to $110. In terms of foreign policy, Medvedev's plan to improve relations with the United States has not progressed as hoped. Instead, Moscow has clashed with the West over Syria and has focused on establishing a free trade area with Belarus and Kazakhstan. Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, has stated that Russia aims to be an independent focal point for nations in its region and emphasizes that Russia does not want to be like the West, but rather wants to maintain its own identity. An example of the growing divide between Russia and the West is the harsh punishment given to members of the punk feminist band Pussy Riot, who were jailed for staging a protest in a Moscow cathedral. Putin stated that the women had received a fitting punishment for their performance, which he deemed as vulgar group sex that posed a threat to Russia's moral values. Western governments and human rights groups were outraged by the severity of the punishment. However, some believe that the harsh treatment of Pussy Riot may indicate a deeper issue of Kremlin insecurity in the face of growing public discontent. Despite a decrease in street protests in Moscow, political analysts note that the urban, educated population is becoming more dissatisfied with Putin's leadership. Not too far from Putin's impressive Novo-Ogaryovo residence, with its ornate gates adorned with the Russian eagle, is the unremarkable town of Krasnogorsk to the north of Moscow. Inside a bustling McDonald's restaurant in this town, a passionate 30-year-old woman named Yekaterina Samutsevich, a former member of Pussy Riot, shared her thoughts on the future of Russia under Putin amidst a snowstorm outside. She expressed her belief that the current system is deteriorating and becoming more oppressive, with those in power acting irrationally out of fear. She warned that if things continue this way, Russia could face a collapse similar to that of the Soviet Union. It is still uncertain whether Putin's vision of a strong, stable, and powerful Russia or the apocalyptic prediction of a young punk rocker will become reality. However, in the meantime, both the people and business elite of Russia are showing their opinions through their actions. Putin is not coming out on top in this situation.