Lukes in 2 Paragraphs: Putin and Fascism
Igor Lukes, Professor of International Relations and History at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, said that Vladimir Putin was funding fascist groups in an attempt to shore up the legitimacy of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Lukes made his case in a Nov. 3 op-ed in the news outlet 2 Paragraphs entitled “Putin Works to Dissolve EU Through Neo-Fascist Connections.”
From the text of the op-ed:
Mr. Putin said he occupied Crimea and intervened in eastern Ukraine to defeat the fascists and reactionaries. At the same time, he supports and even finances neo-fascist and racist parties in Europe. This dual approach has been successful: it has allowed him to create inside the EU and NATO member states a coterie the Kremlin can rely upon in its competition with the West.
You can read the entire Op-Ed here.
Lukes is an Honorary Consul General of the Czech Republic in New England. He writes primarily about Central Europe. His publications deal with the interwar period, the Cold War, and contemporary developments in East Central Europe and Russia. Learn more about him here.