Illustration: Shen Lan/GT

Adam Szubin, who oversees US Treasury sanctions, recently accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of corruption. In the BBC's Panorama program, broadcast Monday, he said Putin enriched his friends and close allies with state assets. "Whether that's Russia's energy wealth, whether it's other state contracts, he directs those to whom he believes will serve him and excludes those who don't," said Szubin, saying Putin "has long time training and practices in terms of how to mask his actual wealth."

The BBC report added that Szubin would not comment on a 2007 secret CIA report that put Putin's wealth at around $40 billion.

The blatant accusation by a senior US official triggered Western media fervor in revealing Putin's alleged corruption. Despite considerable Western condemnation of Putin, it is still rare for a senior US official to describe Putin as a criminal.

Putin seems to be a favored target for demonization in Western opinion. It remains unknown whether the accusation by the US Treasury is backed by sound evidence. But such allegations will produce some political pressure that is useful in a contest between countries. Powerful Western media can attack US rivals recklessly, but it is hard for the Russian media to strike back and denounce US leaders.

The latest accusation against Putin suggests what a daunting and risky task it is to be a rival of the West, in particular the US. Since the end of Cold War, many political foes of the West have waned. Some have been eliminated, some are still behind bars and some given tainted reputations. Always standing up against Washington, Putin has earned an evil reputation, which may have led to the corruption accusations.  

Russia can hardly integrate with the West given its big size. Its nuclear strength enables Moscow to stand up to the West and meanwhile to become a rival that baffles the US. From Boris Yeltsin to Putin, Russia has walked a bumpy path in dealing with the West and ended up with the current strained bilateral relations.

Some Western opinions attribute the frustrations in the Russia-West relationship to Putin. Actually Putin just responds to what the times call for. Russia picked him and made him what he is out of fear of the Western expansion to the east. If the West doesn't alter its thinking about Russia, it may have to deal with challenges from Putin for many years to come.

As Russia struggles with a sagging economy brought on by the oil price slump, this poses a test for Russian public support for Putin's rule. It is hard to measure which goes deeper, the feud between Putin and the West, or the structural conflicts between Russia and the West. Besides, whether Russia's major problem is its internal conflicts or strife with the West will become a critical dispute.

Having a big say is vital for a great power. If the US fades in its soft power and has its numerous problems such as money politics and nepotism in Washington exposed by its rivals, it will be attacked by the international community mercilessly. A dominant voice is the most costly right in globalized times.

The US has had many of its defects sugarcoated by the US army and the greenback, and its hegemony in having a say does not come from opinion producers themselves. Russia's feeble economic strength remains its horrible weakness. The West may launch fierce attacks against Putin as Russia faces its harshest time. If so, it would be a test for Russia as a whole, not merely Putin. 

This is an editorial of the Chinese edition of the Global Times on Wednesday. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn