(WP Global Opinions) From Venezuela to Syria to Ukraine, Moscow is playing an assertive role in global affairs. Observers often give Vladimir Putin the credit for bringing Russia “back” as a force to be reckoned with on the international stage — despite his country’s acknowledged weakness. Former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright expressed a common view in a recent interview: Putin, she said, “is playing a weak hand very well internationally.”
Yet that analysis betrays a fundamental flaw. Power in global politics is not dealt from a deck of cards but is a function of state policy. Putin has now been leading his country for almost 20 years. If anyone has made Russia’s hand weak, it’s him. […]
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