The problems for Putin remain after the euphoria around the world :: Investor.bg

Minutes after the end of the final France beat Croatia, Trump sent Twitter "congratulations to President Putin and Russia on the very good tournament for the World Cup – one of the best in history!"

This enthusiasm may not be enough to reflect on the more serious issues discussed at the meeting – the annexation of Crimea to Russia and its interference in the separatist conflict in Ukraine, the scandalous intervention alleged Russian in the 2016 presidential election in the United States, Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran, etc.

Hopes for the results of the forum were further overshadowed on Friday by US prosecutions of 12 suspected Russian military intelligence agents for a fiery hacker attack on the 2016 elections "There are some but it gives no particular benefit to Putin when he goes to the summit on Monday, "said Matthew Royanski. , a Russian badyst at Woodrow Wilson International Center.

Putin was not at the center of the media interest during the championship. He attended only Russia's first match against Saudi Arabia and Sunday's final at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, even missed the home team win of Spain in the playoffs playoffs. Putin's score dropped significantly after the start of the June 15 World Cup. The state polling agency found that the percentage of Russians with moderate or strong mistrust towards Putin increased from 20% the week before the tournament began to 32% last week

This dramatic increase seems to be due to the experience the government has adopted a proposal to raise the retirement age of 60 to 65 years for men and 55 to 63 years for women. The proposal was submitted to parliament on the eve of the opening of the World Cup, which, according to many, was a maneuver to minimize public discontent. "The World Cup has failed to divert the population from pension reform," the business daily Vedomosti said. The Kremlin fears that this issue will seriously reduce support for pro-government candidates in regional elections this fall, writes the paper.

But leave politics aside. The tournament greatly boosted the self-esteem of the Russians. State TVs have spent a lot of time reporting how foreign fans are impressed by friendly and helpful local people. One show enthusiastically revealed the pleasure of guests traveling in the "closet" wagons – the famous claustrophobic wagons with 54 open compartment beds: "Hundreds of thousands of foreign fans have discovered the romance of Russian trains."

the winner also won from what did not happen. The security measures were serious, but not as scary as the Sochi Olympics in 2014.

There was almost no protest, although four protesters were on the ground, but they were quickly removed. Punk Group Pussy Riot said that it was his part. It is the same group whose members were beaten by a paramilitary group during one of the most notorious incidents of the Sochi Olympics

Police were exceptionally tolerant of midnight celebrations and festivities in the center of Moscow. Even Pusst Riot admitted as a member of her said in a video on the Sunday demonstration: "The World Cup has shown very well how Russian policemen can behave, but what will happen- he when it's over? "

Sports News Foreign media warned of the danger of Russian football hooligans, there were few problems, partly because Russia had taken serious measures against hooligans before the tournament

"Many stereotypes about Russia have just collapsed., thanks "The Western press has said that they were living half-lives here," said television broadcaster Dmitry Kiselyuv, of state television, in a statement. repeating the constant complaints of the authorities that he was ". the country is a victim of "rusophobia". "The most important result of the championship is that we see our reflection in the admired eyes of our foreign guests," he writes, joining the seemingly common opinion. "Football fans around the world have learned that Russians do not just drink vodka, they wear earrings with red clocks, play a balalajka and drive a bear on a rope," writes Andrey Kolesnikov. from the Carnegie Center in Moscow. But although the last four weeks of football and celebrations have boosted the self-confidence of the Russians, Kolesnikov rejected the idea that this would have a practical effect. "As a result of the World Cup," he writes, "the Russians will not become freer, the police will not remain so friendly and the regime will not be less authoritarian."