Former president of the University of Tulsa, Dr. Robert Donaldson spoke of Vladimir Putin’s policies on Sept. 23 in Webster Hall auditorium.

Donaldson focused on three main issues: Putin’s strengths, his loss of control and the ways Putin is part of the problem.

Putin is always being confronted with difficulties when it comes to the way people see him and the way Putin reacts to situation, he said.

“Putin is not entirely in control of Russia,” he said.

Donaldson said Putin is part of the problem himself because when he is confronted with difficult situations, he does not make the difficult decisions.

Putin is striving to keep everybody satisfied, he said.

“Putin is not Stalin, and the bureaucracy is not afraid of [him],” he said.

Monetary issues are an endless setback to Russia and its need to be democratic.

“Russia’s economy stands on an unstable base,” Donaldson said.

Since security does not rely on law but on connections, he said, it is difficult for people to live autonomously.

“Putin’s changes are sure to be adopted,” he said. “It will take place.”

“It is not a closed society, but it is not an open one either,” he said. “It certainly could be worse.”

Dr. Nina Khrushcheva spoke following Donaldson of the same topic.

She said Putin is “blurring political lines.” Within his political power, he uses it relentlessly. Putin could use his power to delay or cancel the elections all together.

Khrushcheva said even though Putin is power driven, his Russia is a more humane place and a place for more development than ever before.

People like Putin because he provides stability, she said. But, where he has failed is in executing democratic governance.

“What Putin needs is a political party that stands for something rather than him,” she said.

In reaction to the Soviet era, Khrushcheva said, Russia was not governed by strong people; it was governed by people who thought they were strong. “Strong leaders don’t lead by force,” she said.

“They understand there are other ways to do things.”