It's always been a strained and troubled bond. It's always been more of an alliance of convenience than one of conviction.
Putin's Kremlin and Russia's nationalists have long used each other. And they've long eyed each other with suspicion and apprehension.
The Ukraine crisis appeared to unite Putin and Russia's nationalists as never before. But on the eve of the seminal event on the nationalist calander, the annual Russian March, the old cracks in this dysfunctional partnership are again becoming manifest -- with unpredictable consequences.
On this week's "Power Vertical Podcast," I discuss Putin's complex relations with Russia's nationalist movements.
Joining me are co-host Mark Galeotti, a professor at New York University, an expert on Russia's security services, and author of the blog "In Moscow's Shadows," and guests Kevin Rothrock, editor of RuNet Echo at Global Voices and Alina Polyakova, a senior research fellow at the University of Bern and expert on the far right in Europe.
Enjoy...
Listen to or download the podcast above or subscribe to "The Power Vertical Podcast" on iTunes.
