Recommended: Can Vladimir Putin Survive?

Gorge Friedman has written an interesting and thoughtful analysis in his piece today Can Vladimir Putin Survive?  Up to now President Putin has appeared to be able to outmaneuver President Obama at every turn, but the shooting down of a commercial airliner with weapons undoubtedly supplied by Russia, and almost certainly manned by professional Russian soldiers (since it is far too complex a system to be run by drunken irregulars) has been a game-changer.

Worth reading.