‘Pragmatic conservative’ Putin rejects totalitarian rule, but won’t embrace Western liberal democracy as Russia goes its own way

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‘Pragmatic conservative’ Putin rejects totalitarian rule, but won’t embrace Western liberal democracy as Russia goes its own way

Western pundits use Vladimir Putin’s rejection of the idea of Western liberal democracy as a universal model to imply he rejects the concept of democracy outright. His latest comments reveal the reality is rather more complex.On Thursday, the Russian president gave his annual speech to the gathering of the Valdai Discussion Club – a select group of Russian and foreign experts who meet once a year to ponder the fate of the world. The 2020 event, …