Hungary, Austria, Greece added to the Economist’s list of Putin’s ‘useful idiots’ in Europe
Wed, July 5, 2023 at 1:42 AM PDT·1 min read
Some European countries help Russia in various ways
The Economist magazine has compiled a ranking of European countries that are currently the biggest facilitators of the Russian regime in Europe – but there’s no prizes for guessing which states make it to the list.
“The spectrum of Europe’s Useful Idiots, a cold-war term for unwitting allies of communism, is wide,” the publication wrote on July 3.
“In politics, parties on both the far right and far left disagree on much; but over Ukraine these extremes have often converged in demanding an instant ‘peace’ that would in effect reward Russian aggression with land.”
The most obvious ally of the Kremlin in Europe, according to the publication, is the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán, who has been in power since 2010. This country criticizes support for Ukraine, continues to import Russian gas, and also prohibits the transit of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine on its territory.
Austria has also made it onto the ranking.
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“Next-door Austria has, more quietly but equally profitably, largely sat out the struggle, too, citing its non-membership of NATO and self-appointed role as a bridge between East and West, offering little aid to Ukraine even as its trade with Russia has surged,” the article reads.
Greece, which continues to resist stronger sanctions on Russian oil supplies, and Cyprus, which recently closed Russian bank accounts under pressure, are also on the Economist’s list.
“Facing less pressure, non-EU countries such as Turkey and Serbia don’t even bother to disguise the lucrative back-door service they provide to Russia,” the publication wrote.