In a world increasingly dominated by a new wave of strongman leaders and big personalities, Mr. Putin has shown himself adept at managing difficult and volatile relationships to his own advantage. At last year’s Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires, Mr. Putin traded high-fives with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Putin noticed that the West didn’t come running to Mr. Erdogan’s aid or defense after the putsch. And Mr. Putin could also unleash his propaganda and disinformation machine in Turkey, potentially inflaming speculation about another coup. “The one who’s forced to be the agreeable partner is Recep Erdogan,” Mr. Yevseyev said.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 23, 2019 17:06 UTC