Collapse of Russia’s Image in Germany: Who Is to Blame?
Identifying and deconstructing Germans’ increasingly negative outlook on Russia and President Vladimir Putin, Hannes Adomeit notes a turn in perceptions in the early 2000s as the German public became disillusioned with Russia’s growing authoritarianism and corruption—contrasting with the prevailing perspective on Putin at the time as a laudable, democratic leader. Faulting not “Russia bashing,” but largely unbiased reporting of Putin’s escapades, Adomeit goes on to argue that the strong tendency to equate an increasingly authoritarian state with its leader—Putin—has only led German public opinion to decrease further. To read this insightful essay from upcoming AGI/DAAD Fellow Hannes Adomeit, read his recent essay in “Eurasia Outlook,” a series from the Carnegie Moscow Center.
