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![Putin and Obama last met at the G20 Saint Petersburg Summit [AP]](http://thebricspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/AP782375690825-300x201.jpg)
“Putin’s first place and Obama’s second speak about the role of Russia in the changing world,” says Pushkov [AP]
The Russian leader moves from third in 2012 to first in this year’s rankings, while US President Barack Obama drops to second place, according to the US business magazine published on Wednesday.
“Putin has solidified his control over Russia while Obama’s lame duck period has seemingly set in earlier than usual. Anyone watching this year’s chess match over Syria and National Security Agency leaks has a clear idea of the shifting individual power dynamics,” the magazine says.
The Forbes list confirms Russia’s growing clout in global affairs, according to the Chief of the International Committee of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament Alexei Pushkov.
“Putin’s first place and Obama’s second speak about the role of Russia in the changing world,” Pushkov tweeted on Thursday.
The 72-name list includes three more Russians: Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (53), CEO of oil giant Rosneft Igor Sechin (60) and billionaire business tycoon Alisher Usmanov (63).
The Forbes most powerful list was first published in 2009 and is based on influence and financial resources.
President Putin’s op-ed for The New York Times in September was a scathing critique of American interventionist policies in Syria as well as a challenge to the idea of American “exceptionalism”.
Source: Agencies
