Applebaum turns her gaze to Gerhard #SchrΓΆder, German chancellor between 1998 and 2005.
Since then, he has worked for Nord Stream, Rosneft and Gazprom
β all Russian.
Now 80, he has chaired the shareholder committee of Nord Stream,
reportedly earning around $270,000 a year.
He also led the supervisory board of Nord Stream 2, now shuttered.
He is unapologetic.
In February 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, he told the New York Times:
βI donβt do mea culpa, itβs not my thing.β
Applebaum also discusses so-called βhybrid statesβ,
which she characterizes as countries that are a
βlegitimate part of the international financial systemβ and possess many of the trappings of democracy
but that are βalso willing to #launder or accept criminal or #stolen #wealth or to assist people and companies that have been sanctionedβ.
She points to the #United #Arab #Emirates and #Turkey.
βRussian property purchases in the Emirates rose 100% after the invasion of Ukraine,β she writes.
Not surprisingly, Applebaum lauds patriotism but fears nationalism and isolationism.
By such metrics, #Brexit was a bust.
βDid the removal of Britain from the European Union give the British more power to shape the world?β Applebaum asks.
The answer is self-evident.
βDid it prevent foreign money from shaping UK politics?β
Want a hint? Evgeny Lebedev, son of Alexander Lebedev, a Russian oligarch and ex-KGB agent, is now #Lord #Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia, neatly ensconced in parliament.
βDid it stop refugees from moving from the war zones of the Middle East to Britain?
It did not.β
Nigel #Farageβs dream has left the UK worse for wear. Farageβs admiration for Putin is a feature, not a bug.
βI said I disliked him as a person,β Farage recently said of the Russian president,
while campaigning for election as an MP.
βBut I admired him as a political operator because heβs managed to take control of running Russia.β
#Russian #China #Iran #North #Korea #Brics #Kasowitz #Putin #Xi #gas #pipeline