Russia’s Allies Complain Putin Was Nowhere When It Mattered Most
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov attend a meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry Board in Moscow, in a photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, on Dec. 17.
Photographer: Alexander Kazakov/AFP/Getty ImagesAs President Vladimir Putin focuses his attentions on Russia’s war in Ukraine, his strategic allies around the world have been left feeling neglected — or worse.
In Venezuela, officials now think their years-long security relationship with Moscow was a paper tiger. They’re not alone: From Damascus and Tehran to Havana, over the last 13 months authoritarian regimes which previously benefited from their close ties to the Kremlin have found Russian support lacking when it mattered most.