First, to Putin the phoniness of EU liberalism is no different than the phoniness of the USA ideology. He opposes all of us simply because NATO stands in his way of expansion.
Buchanan, however, wrote about Putin being "one of us" based on some cultural-conservative trends in Russia. That, it is now clear, was a huge mistake.
“Buchanan, however, wrote about Putin being “one of us” based on some cultural-conservative trends in Russia. That, it is now clear, was a huge mistake.”
That much is clear. AND it is as much a belief in myth to think Putin’s “conservatism” has a principle base similar to American Conservatism - which it does not - as it is to think the EU is not about empire building.