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Should we be afraid of Russia?

Is Vladimir Putin's Russia a threat to the liberal west? Our contributors duke it out

By Kendall and Lieven  
September 25, 2017
November 2017

Should we fear Putin’s Russia? Photo: PA

Bridget Kendall: Yes

If by “Russia” we mean President Vladimir Putin’s government and not the Russian people, and if “we” means western liberal democracies, then yes, I think it would be wise to fear the Russian bear.

I am not saying that Russia is a bigger threat than Islamic jihadists or North Korea. But nor do I accept that Russia is benign. It could be an important collaborator. Instead at the moment it seems bent on being a dangerous disrupter.

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Kendall and Lieven

Bridget Kendall is Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Anatol Lieven is a professor at Georgetown University in Qatar

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