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Pro-Putin European leaders reaffirm their power

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is becoming more pariah in Europe as reports surface of his forces committing war crimes in Ukraine. On Monday, dozens of Russian diplomats were expelled from Europe after more disturbing scenes emerged from Bucha, Ukraine. The United States is pushing for a vote in the United Nations General Assembly that Russia is removed from the Human Rights Council.

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Pro-Putin European leaders reaffirm their power
Image Source: Atlantic Council
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Over the weekend, Putin also received some positive news from the West. 

On Sunday, the illiberal nationalist leaders in Serbia and Hungary were reelected. Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party, Europe’s illiberal demagogue, won a comfortable majority of two-thirds in parliament. This gave Orban his fourth consecutive term at the helm. Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia’s President, avoided a runoff election and won close to 60% of the vote. He was able to secure another five-year term in office after a decade of being in power.

OSCE, which observed both elections, stated that the votes were competitive but that the voting system was uneven and gave “undue advantages” to the ruling parties. Putin quickly congratulated both Orbans and Vucic. The Russian president sent a message to Vucic, expressing his “confidence” in the future of the ties between Moscow and Budapest. He also stated that he would continue to strengthen the Kremlin’s “strategic partnerships” with the former.

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