A final fact about Vayno is that the letters of his last name can spell voyna, the Russian word for war. Is this the message that Putin is sendingJumping the shark?
Maria Alexandrovna Gessen (Russian: Мари́я Алекса́ндровна Ге́ссен; IPA: [maˈrʲijə ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvnəˈɡʲesʲɪn]; born 13 January 1967), better known as Masha Gessen, is a Russian and American journalist, author, and activist noted for her opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Gessen identifies as a lesbian and has written extensively on LGBT rights and help founded the Pink Triangle Campaign. She has been described as "Russia's leading LGBT rights activist"[2] and has said herself that for many years she was "probably the only publicly out gay person in the whole country."[3]
Gessen writes primarily in English but also in her native Russian, and in addition to writing books on Putin and Russian feminist punk rock protest group Pussy Riot, she has been a prolific contributor to such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, New Statesman, Granta, Slate, Vanity Fair, Harper's Magazine, and U.S. News & World Report.And, yes, she gets paid to write this stuff.
But, of course, the change is not just about age and loyalty. It is also about effectiveness.
Vaino, who speaks English and Japanese and who had experience of successful diplomatic work, is obviously better qualified to sustain Western pressure than Ivanov, whose statements on foreign policy are usually just bland summaries of Putin’s similar, but much more eloquent and artistic diatribes on world affairs (eg. “Do you realise what you have done?!” – on Western politicians’ actions in the Middle East)….The Duran
There may be a possible hint in Putin’s comment as to the real reason for this step. He is reported to have said to Vano (Ivanov’s successor) that he would “like to see as little bureaucracy as possible and a more hands-on approach to solving everyday problems faced by the Executive Office, as well as in the key areas of economic development and social issues.” There have been constant rumours going back to Ivanov’s time as Defence Minister that he is not a good manager, and in these words there may be a hint that this is the real reason he has just been removed from a post where management skills are essential.
