Russia and the US enter a decisive battle...

This is a crucial period for Moscow. The confrontation between Russia and the US will continue to intensify.

Despite the difficulties, Putin's popularity continues to soar.

Today, December 18th, Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally answer questions from over 1200 domestic and foreign journalists. Putin's 10th annual press conference is a major event, eagerly anticipated by representatives of international media outlets as well as readers and viewers in all countries around the world.

This press conference took place against the backdrop of Putin's rapidly rising personal prestige, but Russia was facing unprecedented difficulties due to US and EU sanctions, which caused the ruble to depreciate drastically and the Russian economy to plummet.

On December 16th, a sociological research report by the Public Opinion Foundation stated that President Vladimir Putin was once again voted "Person of the Year" for 2014 by the Russian people. This marks the 15th time he has topped this list since becoming known in Russian politics as Prime Minister in 1999.

According to the results of a poll of 1,500 people in 43 regions of the Russian Federation conducted on December 7, 68% of respondents placed Putin at the top of the list of leading Russian politicians and activists. This figure is more than double the 32% recorded last year.

The next figures on this list have approval ratings far lower than the Russian President, including: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (3% of the vote), Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (2% of the vote), Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, both with 1% approval.

Not only in Russia, but also in Western countries, the Russian president enjoys the support of many people.

Despite the difficulties facing the Russian economy, President Putin's popularity continues to soar.

On December 13th, the French news agency AFP (Agence France-Presse) also selected Putin as the top figure on its list of the most famous and influential people of 2014. Approximately 380 of the most prominent journalists participated in compiling this ranking.

Following Russian President Putin on this list are Pope Francis; Pakistani human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai; and the "Chibok Girls"—a group of schoolgirls abducted in April in Nigeria by fighters of the armed Islamist movement "Boko Haram".

This list also includes Joshua Wong, one of the leaders of the "Occupy Central" protests in Hong Kong, along with the parents of American photojournalist James Foley, the first Western journalist executed by Islamic State fighters.

For two consecutive years, AFP has published its list of the world's most prominent figures. In 2013, the list was topped by former US intelligence employee Edward Snowden, currently residing in Russia. Also in the top three were Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani and Pakistani human rights activist Malala Yousafzai.

Previously, Putin was also chosen as "Man of the Year" by the famous American magazine "The Time," overwhelmingly defeating White House occupant Obama, and was ranked 6th in the "Person of the Year" list, while Obama wasn't even ranked in the Top 6.

President Putin has received praise from Western media outlets as well.

In the final shortlist for the 2014 "Man of the Year" category, which included the most powerful duo of Russia and the United States, Russian President Putin and US President Barack Obama, the Russian leader received 73% of the votes on Time's website, while the American leader received only 27%.

In November, Russian President Vladimir Putin was also named "The World's Most Powerful Person" for the second consecutive year by the renowned American magazine Forbes. Among the 17 world leaders named in the ranking, Putin was chosen in the number one position, beating US leader Barack Obama for the second year in a row.

It is generally understood that when a country's economy declines, the prestige of its leader also decreases. Perhaps when imposing harsh economic sanctions on Russia, the Western powers, led by the United States, were also relying on this principle.

They believe that if they increase pressure and inflict damage on the Russian economy, causing terrible consequences for the Russian people, then the people of Russia themselves will have to put pressure back on President Putin. This is the path the West has charted to subdue President Putin.

The Russian economy is reeling from the relentless Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. The Russian ruble is currently at a historic low. The Russian central bank had to raise interest rates by nearly 7 percentage points yesterday to counter the ruble's 20% drop over the past two days.

The Russian president also created a craze for the "Putin brand."

However, amidst such dire news regarding the Russian economy, President Putin was voted "Man of the Year" for the 15th consecutive time, leaving the West stunned, amazed, and somewhat admiring of President Putin's power.

It is often said that President Putin is capable of defying all rules, but that's not actually the case. The truth is that the Russian people understand that Putin always acts for the good of Russia and its people, and therefore they place their trust and affection in him.

Putin: "The US will never submit to Russia!"

Since Russia annexed Crimea, relations between Russia and the US and the EU have become strained, culminating in the outbreak of civil war in southeastern Ukraine. Washington and Brussels have imposed numerous sanctions on Moscow, causing extreme economic hardship for Russia, particularly amidst record-low oil prices and a similar decline in the ruble.

Currently, most Russian scholars agree that relations between Russia and the United States are entering a "hostile" phase. The US is doing everything it can to change the regime in Russia, and the recent passage by the US Congress of a resolution to continue sanctions against the Russian Federation clearly shows that relations between the two countries have reverted to a "Cold War 2" scenario, similar to the one between the US and the Soviet Union.

Professor Vladimir Batiuk of the Department of World Politics at the Russian Institute of Foreign Economic Relations believes that this resolution will play a role as important as the "Resolution on the Liberation of Peoples Subjugated by Communism," passed by the US Congress in 1959. According to Batiuk, the main aim of this resolution is to bring about the collapse of Russia, similar to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Breaking free from dependence on oil and gas exports is a key focus of Russia's future economic development.

In the past, the US devalued the dollar to reduce the value of raw material exports, thereby decreasing the net revenue of the Soviet economy. Furthermore, Washington colluded with Riyadh to dump oil at low prices, disrupting the balance of exports and imports and leading to a severe budget deficit. The US is now employing this deadly tactic to cripple the Russian economy.

Economic blows were the primary cause of the severe economic crisis in the Soviet Union, accelerating the "self-transformation" process and leading to the collapse of the former socialist powerhouse, not the effectiveness of military measures. This is a painful lesson for Russia to re-evaluate itself and overcome its inherent weaknesses.

However, present-day Russia is not the Soviet Union of the past – the locomotive pulling a train of socialist countries, completely isolated, incapable of multilateralizing and diversifying its political, economic, military, and diplomatic relations. Moscow now has many relationships and connections that can help it escape this predicament.

Currently, the most important issue is that the Russian economy is entering a recession due to sanctions imposed by the US and the EU. However, Russia can still hold on with the support of the BRICS countries and the Eurasian Economic Union, and even within the G-20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum... This is something that the former Soviet Union could not have.

Starting with an economic shift away from dependence on the European Union and focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, Russia will build diverse and sustainable economic and political relationships to avoid the political risks that are currently causing economic repercussions.

Furthermore, the strategic shift in Russia's economic structure will also help Moscow achieve sustainable domestic development, independent of any single partner, free from reliance on raw material exports, increase the technological content of exports, and boost domestic production capabilities.

Surrounded by the US and NATO, the Kremlin leader maintains his hardline stance thanks to the support of the Russian people.

If Russia can withstand the encirclement by the US and EU, expand its economic alliances, strengthen relations with countries outside Europe, reduce its dependence on oil and gas exports, and boost domestic production, then Washington and Brussels will be powerless against Russia.

Therefore, it can be said that this is Washington's final, all-or-nothing gamble. The US has no way back in its struggle with Russia and will do everything to bring about Russia's collapse. Meanwhile, Moscow also has no other option; failure is not an option!

This is a crucial period for Moscow. It is expected that the confrontation between Russia and the US will not only not diminish but will intensify, with Washington doing everything to defeat Moscow in this decisive game. Russia is currently in a difficult position, and the question is whether Putin has the ability to turn the tide.

In his uncompromising confrontation with the West, President Putin is bolstered by the support and unity of the Russian people. This is arguably the source of immense strength that allows the Kremlin leader to steadfastly maintain his position despite overwhelming pressure from all sides.

Although the Russian people place their full trust in their President, it is undeniable that the Russian economy is in freefall. It could be said that the Russian Federation is in a precarious situation not unlike that of the former Soviet Union.

President Putin's famous quote, "America will never subdue Russia!", will only be true and recognized by history if he can steer the ship of Russia out of this devastating "Western storm."

According to Dat Viet Newspaper