As U.S. President Barack Obama noted last month, Russia no longer leads a bloc of nations, as it once did. Nor does it any longer stand for an ideology that for better or worse inspired the poor and subjugated worldwide. Putin is instead more like a 19th century Russian monarch — draining the public's wealth, building lavish monuments, making his courtiers rich. He is the embodiment of Russian history, though he may be taking the country backwards.
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