Vladimir Putin is looking unstoppable after a string of victories that Trump handed to him on a plate

Alexandra Ma
,Business Insider•October 26, 2019

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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