Name that Russian socialism. What do you find socialist? The private property rights? The flat income tax? The end of the sales tax or the trimming of government? The balanced budgets and pay off of debts? The low 24% corporate rates? Or the 14% tech corporate rate? The sell off of government entities, 1,600 just in 2005? The cutting of the VAT and Payroll taxes? Or is it the social "socialism" of limiting abortions and Christian education in the schools? What's socialist there to you?
The Russian government controls all Russian Energy, Banking, etc. Putin's economic model is closer to that of Hugo Chavez, another commie Putin supports and arms. They are both interested in nationalizing and controlling energy resources and using them as a weapon against US "imperialism" and "hegemony."