Held at diplomatic arm’s-length for years, Russian President Vladimir Putin is pivoting back to centre stage as his admirers and international allies rise to power, a move that analysts say the Kremlin will be quick to exploit.Most notable among newly-elected leaders is Donald Trump, who on the campaign trail loudly proclaimed his esteem for Putin and met with a round of Kremlin applause in return.In Europe, France’s presidential primaries saw former prime minister Francois Fillon, who favours closer relations with Moscow, become the rightwing champion for next year’s vote.And in Russia’s back yard, pro-Moscow candidates Rumen Radev and Igor Dodon …read more
Source: Pulse Nigeria
