Wednesday, February 3, 2021

What Putin nemesis Alexei Navalny is, and what he is not — Anatol Lieven

Another setting the record strait on Navalny. Includes Aung San Suu Kyi.
To recall this is not to condemn Navalny. It is to remind Americans that he is a Russian politician, not an American one; that he will respond to Russian realities, not Washington fantasies; and that in the end, U.S. administrations will have to deal with whatever government is in power in Moscow. Russian governments will defend Russian interests, along lines that are mostly quite predictable if one knows Russian history and culture. The sooner we realize this, and stop setting up plaster saints in the hope that they will perform miracles, the better for U.S. foreign policy overall....
Sober analysis overall.

Responsible Statecraft
What Putin nemesis Alexei Navalny is, and what he is not
Anatol Lieven | professor in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar. He is also a visiting professor in the War Studies Department of King’s College London, a senior fellow of the New America Foundation in Washington DC, and a member of the Valdai discussion club in Russia.

See also

From the French (real) Left. Poseur.

Investig'Action
Qui est Alexei Navalny?
Antoine Manessis

Also

Salon
Dictator vs. democrat? Not quite: Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny is no progressive hero
Danielle Ryan


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