Putin’s Eurasia Alliance
From day one, I've had deep suspicions of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He first emerged on the Russian political stage in 1999, when President Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election and has been in control of Russia ever since.
Putin is someone who likes to operate in the shadows. As a former KGB agent, he is skilled in building secret political alliances. Putin will appoint cronies into key positions and depend on them for his power base.
The greatest example of Putin's handiwork would have to be President Dmitry Medvedev. As it stands right now, Medvedev is the official head of Russia's government. Everyone knows that Putin is still in control. In 2008, the two men switched titles when Putin was barred by the Russian constitution from running for a third consecutive term. Now that Medvedev's reign is up, the two plan to switch back, allowing Putin to serve two more terms as the official president of Russia. It shows an amazing amount of confidence on Putin's part for him to allow one of his underlings to sit on his throne.
The level of control that Putin has over Russia goes far beyond the political realm. His lackeys are people who control major industries and every major news outlet in Russia. Many people who stood in Putin's way have been neutralized. The owners of numerous companies who were foolish enough to resist Putin have been systematically charged with crimes and have had their assets taken from them.
Another troubling aspect of Putin's personality is his effort to construct a “macho” image a la Indiana Jones, riding a horse bare-chested through Siberian rivers, hunting, practicing karate, etc. This summer, Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin played the role of treasure hunter. He dove to the bottom of a bay and retrieved two ceramic jugs that dated to the sixth century A.D. Some of Putin’s aides have confessed to the Western media that the dive was staged.
Putin's carefully managed public image has made him very popular among the Russian people. Last week, Mr. Putin celebrated his fifty-ninth birthday. A group of young women dubbed "Putin's Army" hosted a tasting event in Red Square for some of the Russian prime minister's favorite foods. They also had a contest to rank the sexiest parts of Putin's body, and they recorded a provocative birthday video for him. There is one sect that worships Putin as the reincarnation of St. Paul–no joke.
Any Bible prophecy watcher worth his salt would have to notice how well Putin would fit the role as leader of the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel. Last week, Putin made a huge stride in fulfilling his potential destiny by suggesting that ex-Soviet states form a "Eurasian Union." The plan calls for the creation of a free-trade zone between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Once the zone is established, poorer states like Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan would likely join up.
Putin’s suggestion has unsettled conservatives worldwide, who fear that he may be trying to reassemble the Soviet Union by stealth. Since we already have seen how Putin operates in Russia, he is well suited for the task of building a new Soviet-style empire.
The stage is already set in the Middle East for the Ezekiel 38 and 39 invasion. Russia is on very friendly terms with Syria and Iran. Putin's growing ego may be on a collision course with the state of Israel. I can just imagine Putin’s reaction if the nuclear reactor his nation just built for Iran was suddenly destroyed by an Israeli air raid. I'm sure he has already considered the thought, "If I destroy Israel, the Arabs will praise me as the greatest leader of all time."
"And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes" (Ezek. 38:15-16).
-- Todd