Putin backs down on pensions

The World

It is a big moment when Russian President Vladimir Putin backs down from something he thinks is a good idea. He wanted to raise the retirement age in Russia for men and women, keeping them in the work force longer and delaying the start of payouts of their pensions. Then, following an outcry, there were demonstrations on the streets of Russia, a plummet in approval ratings and Putin has now reconsidered his country’s retirement age — but just for women.

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