As COVID-19 continues to claim lives and roil markets, it is also transforming political fortunes – not least those of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Both have faced blistering criticism for their oversight – or lack thereof – of the pandemic response in their countries. Both have doubled down on longstanding habits of deflection and delegation that are ill-suited for coping with a global pandemic. And both might discover that the coronavirus crisis will affect their ability to stay in power.
OP-ED
David Kramer: Putin, Trump, and the pandemic
A picture taken on July 5, 2017 shows a souvenir shops offering among others cup a tin mug depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, in Moscow.
