I recently received a query from Greek journalist Ειρήνη
Μητροπούλου (Irini Mitropoulou) of Το Βήμα (To Vima) asking me
to comment on whether I think that Russia is back as a major or
even a super power in the global economy and the international
arena.  In an article published in her newspaper on December 8,
she was kind enough to include a quote from the much-longer-
than-asked for response that  I sent back to her.  I am not
sure, though, what part of my response she quoted from since
it’s all Greek to me.  So here is my entire commentary in
English:  Many see Russian President Vladimir Putin as having
successfully built Russia into a major power both politically
and economically.  The influential American business magazine,
Forbes, even listed him as number one in its 2013 list of the
world’s most powerful people.  But while Putin has succeeded in
restoring the image of Russia as a great power that was
shattered by both Gorbachev and Yeltsin, that image is largely
illusory.  Indeed, it is not clear that Pu