[DoughtyOne]

If I were a leader in trouble in Russia, I’d make sure it was.

[Krosan]

Putin is in a bit of a pickle here. He has ordered his image to be built up domestically as a sort of a demi-god. Now it is extremely difficult for him to admit that Russia indeed is a gas station masquerading as a country and the price of gas just dropped.

If he uses the excuse of oil price lowering being behind Russia's troubles then he indirectly admits it is not his genius, but an oil price rising that was behind recent well being of Russians.

He came to power in 2000 and this is what the oil price has done since.