David J. Kramer: The West should take on the Putin PR machine
Journalists gather at a media centre as they watch a TV broadcast of Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual televised phone-in with the nation in Moscow on April 16, 2015.
Even before Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed forces to Syria, U.S. military officials described his regime as an "existential threat" in light of his invasion of Ukraine. Putin, who oversees one of the most corrupt, kleptocratic regimes in the world, has been driving the international agenda of late - from Ukraine to Syria - while Western leaders, including President Obama, have been reactive and defensive. Wouldn’t it be nice to go on the offensive, in a nonmilitary way, to knock Putin on his heels, while also shutting down his odious propaganda machine?
