I agree with Kevin Drum. Putin's foreign policy has been a disaster for Russia. The only reason Putin's reputation for hyper-competence persists is because:
(1) that is the line that the mostly state-run Russian media pushes, both at home and abroad, and
(2) a ruthlessly competent Putin is a useful framing for people who want to criticize President Obama's and other Western leaders' foreign policy.
(1) that is the line that the mostly state-run Russian media pushes, both at home and abroad, and
(2) a ruthlessly competent Putin is a useful framing for people who want to criticize President Obama's and other Western leaders' foreign policy.
