A gold medal in public relations

The Winter Olympics in Sochi in February 2014 is becoming a political event.

U.S. President Barack Obama has already announced that he and his deputy, Vice President Joe Biden, will not attend the games due to human rights violations committed by Russia and President Vladimir Putin against gays and lesbians. Earlier this month President Francois Hollande of France expressed a similar sentiment, announcing that the French government would not send any official representative.

German President Joachim Gauck also said he intends to boycott the games. The Olympic festival is turning into a political protest. The Russian president, however, has different ambitions. After successfully positioning himself as a central player in the arena of global crisis management and resolution, even so far as dictating Russian solutions to Obama (Syria, Iran), Putin's desire is to also clear his reputation. And why not follow in Obama's footsteps and -- who knows -- maybe even win a Nobel Peace Prize? In our world anything is possible.

After the Duma (Russian parliament) passed a law this week granting clemency to the thousands of political activists, among them members of the punk rock band "Pussy Riot" and 30 Greenpeace members jailed in Russia, Putin on Thursday once again grabbed headlines around the world by pardoning the most famous prisoner in Russia, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. All of a sudden the deteriorating health of the jailed oligarch's mother touched the Russian president's heart. It is interesting, because only recently Putin accused Khodorkovsky of having "blood on his hands." The snow falling in preparation for the upcoming games is apparently cleaning the blood stains.

Putin never does anything without a reason and he certainly doesn't make concessions for free. He also feels strong enough to release the billionaire who became his greatest political rival from prison. Forbes recently vaulted Putin to the top of its most influential person of 2013 rankings, bumping Obama to second place. Only a person who feels strong and knows his own strength makes these kinds of gestures.

The pardons granted in Russia can be seen as a brilliant public relations move. Khodorkovsky, sitting in prison in northern Russia, is one of the main benefactors of the new face Putin is trying to project to the world. He is the first winner of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Putin hopes the result will be removing the blemish from the Games while winning a gold medal at the same time -- in Oslo.

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