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The Daily Mirror of the Great Britain

Bully Putin has put Russia ‘on top of the world’ – German newspaper hails leader’s power

The praise for the Russian premier comes as tension builds between Moscow and Kyiv over the ongoing build-up of Mr Putin’s troops on the border of Ukraine. Multiple efforts have seen calls and visits from world leaders to Moscow, which German media arguing that Mr Putin has bullied his way into becoming the centre of attention.

According to German media outlet Die Welt “Russia has long complained to the West that it is not being taken seriously”.

However, the sudden increase in attention has shown that the Kremlin means business when it comes to defending Russian sovereignty and national interests, as well as standing up to the West, and in particular NATO at the same time.

Along with President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Moscow, the German publication states that making a “pilgrimage” to Moscow stating: “Day in and day out, Presidents, Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers are taking turns to keep in touch with Moscow.

“This week alone, the German Chancellor, French President and the German Foreign Minister are either visiting the Kremlin and Kyiv or just Kyiv.”

The piece argues that Mr Putin has been seeking this kind of attention for many years, in fact, since the Munich Security Conference in 2007.

The tension turned sour when then-President Barack Obama made ties worse when he mocked the notion that Russia was a regional power.

Tension is also high between NATO and Russia.

Towards the end of last year, ties between Moscow and the alliance broke down when multiple Russian diplomats were declared persona non grata and expelled from the mission headquarters in Brussels.

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Concluding how Mr Putin used the situation to accelerate Russia to the top of the world, the column said: “Whether you love Russia or hate the Kremlin, everyone must acknowledge that Putin’s bullying on the border with Ukraine has brought his country back to the top of the world.

“Without firing a single shot, he has managed to be the talk of the world.

“The conclusion drawn from this is simple: keep talking, keep negotiating, keep visiting!”

Mr Putin has systematically demanded that NATO never accept Ukraine into the alliance as a member.

NATO Deputy Secretary-General, Mircea Geoana said: “Nobody says that Ukraine will join NATO any time soon.

“Ukraine has lots of things to reform domestically.

“And also we need NATO to have consensus – today we don’t have consensus for eventual membership of Ukraine into NATO.

“But having said that, no third party has a veto right on a decision that is sovereign of the country, and the organisation they want to join. So it’s up to us.”

IS VLADIMIR PUTIN A BULLY, OR JUST A PRESIDENT DEFENDING HIS COUNTRY? CAN DIPLOMACY SOLVE THE CRISIS? SHOULD RUSSIA BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY? HAVE YOUR SAY BY CLICKING HERE AND ADDING TO OUR COMMENTS SECTION

Russia, for now, continues to maintain 100,000 troops on the border of Ukraine, and diplomacy remains ongoing between Moscow, Kyiv and brokers from the West.

However, in spite of many opposing the actions of Mr Putin when it comes to Ukraine, China has pledged its support for Moscow.

In a recent meeting between Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and Mr Putin, the pair declared mutual support over Ukraine and Taiwan and vowed to maintain the 2001 Treaty of Friendship between the two superpowers.

In the joint statement released by the Kremlin after the meeting, Mr Putin and Mr Xi called on NATO to rule out expansion in eastern Europe, denounced the formation of security blocs in the Asia Pacific region, and criticised the so-called AUKUS trilateral security pact between the US, UK and Australia.