Putin is abusing his power changing the constitution so he can prop his regime up, crushing his opposition, jailing journalist, spreading propaganda, significant restrictions on free speech, implementing extreme protectionist measures in business and culture, illegal invasions, doing business with the worst violators of human rights. It is so sad that the Russians who want to do best for their nation are not able to speak their mind for fear of jail or death.
Russia is an extremely ignorant and backwards country, from my view. Just a few days ago people held rallies in Red Square for May Day (http://spectrumhr.org/?p=1972). There was lots of racism (sign calling Obama a black monkey), ignorance, misogyny (sign denouncing feminist), praising a rapist sociopath (http://www.suomensotilas.fi/en/artikkelit/change-game), honoring corrupt mass murders, etc.
The only thing Putin stands to fulfill is power and ego.
Visa and MasterCard have been working in Russia for years, apparently unmolested judging from their joint market share. Now they are being turned into weapons by US politicians .... again. This is a huge, massive trend in US politics: seizing control of power points in the financial system and squeezing them as part of proxy wars against people, countries or classes of businesses they don't like (see Operation Choke Point).
As someone in Europe, I don't see this as Russia becoming communist. I see it as Putin standing up for his country and I wish the EU would do the same, instead of allowing SWIFT to be turned into a tool of the US Treasury.