Putin’s position is reinforced by strong public support, as well as by the dramatically weakened position of major Western leaders. George W. Bush and Tony Blair have lost the popularity they enjoyed before the Iraq war, and Blair, together with French President Jacques Chirac, will soon leave the political scene.
强大的公众支持以及西方领导人地位大为削弱强化了普京的立场。布什和布莱尔已经失去了伊拉克战争前的支持率，而布莱尔和法国总统希拉克都将马上离开政治舞台。德国的莫克尔和意大利的普罗迪则都是以微弱的联合政府执政。