http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpNQvIfJcUg

"Nice song...It touches my soul".

Not quite sure how this magazine is measuring world leaders or what criteria they are using as Obama comes 5th it obviously has nothing to do with military power. Putin, however can now rest easy and start to show some real statesmanship rather than his usual macho stance.

Hi, Peter! And please, try to accept one utmost simple idea-which will
never be accepted-alas-by the today's world leaders: not "art to show some real statesmanship", but "art to show" muscles [which is, sorry Peter, an obvious FACT] is of interest.....simply because Human Lives
are priceless.............................................................................

Sa-Sha, happy new year to you, hope you had a lovely Christmas. Obviously Putin's position as number 1 world leader for power applies to his grip on the country and its peoples, something that will always put a true democracy at a disadvantage as, with a true democracy, the people have the power over parties and politicians. Only in a dictatorship can one person hold so much power over people and Parliament.

Thanks for warm words and wishes, Peter, our Russian Orthodox
Christmas is right today ;-). Well, Putin.......I'm afraid You haven't got my hint: look, (1) "his [Putin] grip on the country and its people"---the same very "grip" is in USA (democrats+republicans= "collective Putin") and other Western Democracies, without mentioning, say, China.
(2)"... with a true democracy [USA & Co, right?] the people have the power over parties and politicians"--- no comment. Wake up, Peter...
(3)"Only in a dictatorship can one person hold so much power over people and Parliament"---look my answer in item (1)................
and The Main, Peter-if Human Lives are of highest priority, and it must be only so- Dictator Putin attacked/killed No One foreign State/People, while the States of "a true Democracy"-as noble Crusadors-spread their "ideas" by fire and sword right now.....Is it a true Democracy? Is it the Real Result of that very "Power" which free western people "have over parties and politicians"? To hell such "Democracy" then, Peter. Or-as a free person of a free democratic State-stop Your "democratic" Killers, and I will think how to "stop" that "dictator Putin"...

Sa-Sha, you know I make sense, but, not worry, I understand how hard it is to back down, if you joined the "free and glorious western thinkers" I would never gloat only be grateful that another soul has seen the light. I do not talk of killing or military power but only of democracy where (in the UK) the people have the right to choice and ANYONE can stand for Parliament provided they meet some simple criteria such as having a small number of proposers and a small (and it is small) deposit that meets local voting costs. I can't speak for America, from what I see it is more linked to big money but, again ANYONE can stand if meeting simple criteria. I can't think of a single election when there has been national or indeed, international, questions raised about either the process of elections or their outcome in terms of legitimacy.