Putin Propaganda

The Economist's interview with oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, warning that Russia's collapse would endanger the West, is actually Kremlin-approved messaging designed to sow fear about a Russian defeat, the author argues. Melnichenko omits Russia's war crimes and unprovoked aggression in Ukraine. The piece contends Russia's fragmentation – echoing the Soviet collapse – would be the best outcome, and criticizes Western Europe's continued Russian energy purchases and reluctance to fully confront…