“You can love him or hate him, but you cannot ignore him.” The phrase once used to describe Augustine, the fifth-century Christian theologian and bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa, has been used to refer to many later leaders, including Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. His visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shaken up several Western capitals.

The West has made many unsuccessful attempts to tame Putin. Russia was suspended from the G8 in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea. Instead of pleading with the West, he announced Russia’s permanent withdrawal from the group. Then, in 2022, he launched a military challenge to the regime in Ukraine over its treatment of Russian-speaking populations in Donbas region. Putin also strongly objected to Ukraine’s m

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