LONDON ― All over the West, populists have an unusual poster boy: Russian President Vladimir Putin. In France, Marine Le Pen has praised his model “of reasoned protectionism, looking after the interests of his own country, defending his identity.” U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has been repeatedly effusive in his admiration for the Russian president. Even Greece’s left-wing party, Syriza, has defended Russian actions in Ukraine and opposed sanctions.To everyone else, this seems bizarre. Putin is a man who, according to the Guardian, “has startled and worried the world with his bold and willful policies” and who The New York Times …read more
Source: The Huffington Post
