His recent escalation is playing out in the favor of the Russian president. In less than sixty days Putin will have another ally on the other side of the Atlantic, the newly elected president of the , who upon taking office on January 20 wants “to end the war in one day”obviously in favor of her.
And in Europe, however, which stands by Ukraine, although weariness after nearly three years of war is evident, Putin sees the club of European leaders who are his allies expanding.
The latest addition
The latest member of the European “pro-Russian club” is the Romanian far-right Kalin Georgescuwho was elected first in the first round of the presidential election in Romania last Sunday. Georgescu, 62, a university professor polled at just 5%, has described Putin as “man who loves his country”. His possible election in the second round of presidential elections on December 8 is expected to further unsettle the EU as the president in Romania plays an important role in decision-making and foreign policy.
For Westerners, Romania is a country of strategic importance since it shares a 644 km long border with Ukraine, hosts a NATO base on its territory and is a critical corridor for the transport of tons of Ukrainian grain. Georgescu has stated that Romania is “for peace” and “he should trust the wisdom of Russia.”
Hungary, Slovakia in favor of Putin
Stable ally of Russian President Putin in Europe for fourteen years, who is in the prime ministership of Hungary, leader of the far-right and xenophobic Fidesz party. Indicative of his pro-Russian stance, as soon as Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the EU on July 1, Orbán rushed four days later to Moscow to meet with Putin to discuss the Ukrainian issue.
The prime minister of Slovakia is also an ally of Putin Robert Fitzowho . Fitso accuses the West of “acute Russophobia”. According to recent opinion polls, in Slovakia the feeling of citizens against the West and the USA reaches 44% and is one of the highest in Europe.
In Italy, the far-right League of the North Matteo Salvinia party in the governing coalition, is openly pro-Russia. However, Salvini’s views are in the minority in the Italian government, because the Italian prime minister Georgia Meloniwho was elected with the far-right Brothers of Italy party, stands unwaveringly on the side of the EU and NATO on the Ukraine issue. Last week, Meloni said she understands why the US president Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light to hit Russia with Western weapons on its soil, while reminding that Moscow uses it as a weapon in war and grain trade.
Allies in France, Germany, Austria
In Germany, Putin’s best allies are both the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which polls at 20% ahead of snap elections on February 23, and the left-wing party Sarah Wagenknechtwhich is reportedly pulling in 7.5% in the polls. Germany’s non-involvement in the war is one of the common core issues on which the two German parties are campaigning.
In Austria, the far-right pro-Russian Freedom Party (FPO) of Herbert Hickle it came first with 28.9% in last September’s parliamentary elections, but has been excluded from ongoing discussions to form a government.
In France, the pro-Russian wing extends, as in Germany, from the Far Right to the Far Left. The extreme right Marine Le Penthe leader of the National Rally, the party that came first in last June’s early parliamentary elections, has never hidden her sympathy for Putin.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and ahead of France’s presidential election that May, Le Pen, then a presidential candidate, was accused by her rival, Pres. Emmanuel as “Putin’s banker” . In September 2023, the National Coalition announced that it had repaid the loan, amounting to 6.08 million. euros, to a Russian aeronautical company.
THE Jean-Luc Mélenchonleader of the far-left Insubordinate France, despite putting water in his wine to join the New Popular Front, the coalition of the French Left that was formed to block the way to the Lepen Far Right in the recent parliamentary elections, is still indulging in pro-peace crowns in Ukraine “without winners and losers”, criticizes the Western sanctions that have been imposed on Russia and lashes out against the .
The traditionally pro-Russian Serbia
In the Western Balkans, Putin’s ally is Serbia, a traditionally pro-Russian country. Although it aspires to join , Serbia refuses to support Western sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic maintains very good relations with Putin, whom he thanked in October for supplying Serbia with quantities of natural gas at very good prices.
And the Bosnian Serbs, another country looking forward to joining the EU, have, according to a survey by the IRI Institute, a 94% positive opinion of Russia, while 65% of Bosnian Serbs hold Russia responsible for the war in Ukraine Kiev and the West.
