I hear that Putin is not actually planning to step down, constitution or not. This more aggressive stance my be a calculation to keep the wolves at bay as it were. I mean western criticism for the Putin doctrine, ie constitution and elections be damned. If the Russians are perceived as a powerful force and the memories of the cold war are ignited, perhaps the west won't put up much of a fuss if Putin remains in office. The names change but the politics at the top remains the same in Russia.
Just my thought.
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