Is Putin worrying about the response of the Russian people to his presidential victory next year?

In February of this year (2 February,2017), shortly after President Trump's inauguration,  Lili Bayer (left) reported that,

"As Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to make a rare trip to the European Union Thursday, his choice of destination — Hungary — reveals a shift in the Kremlin’s strategy in Europe following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Putin has met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán several times since the Hungarian leader came to power in 2010." (Politico-Eu: 2/2/17) (my emphasis)

She goes on to report that,

"...Putin and his entourage will be arriving in Hungary with one clear priority: to clarify and strengthen Orbán’s opposition to EU sanctions on Russia.

“There is a Russian hope that Orbán will step up against the sanctions, not just rhetorically,” said Deák. “For the Russians, it is important to find a European country that will be the first mover on this.” (ibid Lili Bayer) (my emphasis)

Fast foreward to October 2017, and UNIAN reports that Ukraine's new Education Law states that,

"Persons who belong to the indigenous peoples, national minorities of Ukraine, who have started to receive general secondary education before September 1, 2018, shall continue to receive such education by September 1, 2020, in accordance with the rules enforced before the new law becomes effective, with a gradual increase in the number of classes taught in Ukrainian." (UNIAN : 16 October 2017) (my emphasis)

And lo and behold ....

Just as Putin used the Russian language issue to invade and annex Unkrainian Crimea, and then subsequently to start a war with Ukraine in the Donbas, we now have Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto (right), ranting that,

“There is a brutal violation of the human rights in the neighborhood of the European Union since the Ukrainian parliament has passed the law on education where they violated very heavily the rights of the minorities as they have taken away the right of all the minorities to use exclusively their native language in education above the age of ten,” Szijjarto said, according to an UNIAN correspondent."
(ibid UNIAN) (my emphasis)

 Even more sinister,

"Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto later announced his country's intention to block any further rapprochement between Ukraine and the EU over the language row." (ibid UNIAN) (my emphasis)

It should come as no surprise that Putin's 'fragrant' Federica Mogherini,  High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is supportive of the Hungarian argument about minority violations. She stated that,

"Brussels will continue the dialogue with Kyiv on possible violations of minority rights with Ukraine’s new law on education based on the opinion of the Venice Commission due to be issued in December..." (UNIAN : 17 October 2017) (my emphasis)

Also, as Putin's propaganda mouthpiece Sputnik reports, it should also come as no surprise that,

"Trade between Russia and Hungary saw positive dynamics as it increased by up to 27 percent in the first half of 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday at a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban." (Sputnik : 28.08.2017) (my emphasis)
 

And as reported by Krisztina Than (left), 

"Trade ties between Russia and Hungary include a gas supply pact with Gazprom and a deal for Russia to finance and build a nuclear power plant. Construction is due to start next year." (Reuters: Sep. 29, 2017) 

But whilst Putin may be delighted with the threat of Orban to block any further rapprochement between Ukraine and the EU over the language row, and the implicit support being given to Orban's contrived argument by the 'fragrant' Federica Mogherini, things are not going too well in Ukrainian Crimea for Putin.  

• The water shortage in Crimea is having dire consequences, so much so that some think that Crimeans may have to be resettled, warning of a humanitarian crisis

• Some Crimeans are rueing the day that they voted in favour of Putin annexing Ukrainian Crimea
• The building of the bridge between Russia and Ukrainian Crimea across the Kerch Strait continues to drain vast amounts of money away from Russia's internal infrastructure investment
• Russians are awakening to the true nature of the Putin regime

Just like Donald Trump's promise to build "a beautiful wall" between the US and Mexico, Putin is determined to build a "beautiful bridge" between Russia and Ukrainian Crimea, irrespective of the cost and suffering that the Russian people will have to endure in the process.

Trump, however,  continues to be weighed down by the mounting evidence of the collusion between himself and his acolytes, and Putin, during the 2016 US presidential elections. 

Trump's impeachment is now beginning to enter into the public arena, just as the exposure of Putin's interference in the US presidential election of 2016 continues to emerge into the light of day. (cf.: Patrick Reevell : Yahoo News : October 15, 2017, tvrain (Russian):14 октября, 2016)

Putin will be the winner in the 2018 Russian presidential elections, without the help of any interference from outside sources.

What is not certain for Putin is how the Russian people will respond to his electoral victory. 

(to be continued)