Vladimir Putin looking unstoppable after string of victories Trump handed to him ON A PLATE
- Russian President Vladimir Putin went on a victory lap this week, replacing the US as chief power broker in Syria, and gaining a closer ally in Europe's backyard.
- This is a far cry from the Putin of 2014, who became an international pariah after promoting civil unrest in Ukraine and annexing Crimea.
- President Donald Trump effectively handed him these victories by pulling out of Syria, diminishing the US interest in Ukraine's security, and inviting Putin back to the world stage.
- Trump's Syria withdrawal, in particular, made "Russia look like a major world power on the world stage," said James Nixey, head of Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia program.
- The European Union, too internally divided to agree on a coherent Russia policy, has also failed to rein in Putin.
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