In Germany, prominent Russia advocates abound. Most recently, Horst Teltschik accuses the West of being “obsessed” with blaming Vladimir Putin for all the evils in world politics, thus “alienating” him from cooperation. Jürgen Todenhöfer denounces the “demonization” of Russia, which, according to him, gets a bad rap. And in a collection of essays titled Why We Need Peace and Friendship with Russia, prominent ex-politicians of different stripes—including conservatives—call for warmer ties with Putin’s regime.This pro-Russian sentiment can be alarmingly bipartisan, especially with respect to Ukraine. Left-wing politicians often justify the Russian annexation of Crimea in much the same way as …read more
Source: The American Interest
