Putin has seen some of the most powerful Western leaders align with Russia on many occasions. These relationships have the potential to block Western countries from uniting against Putin.
For example, while he was in office, Gerhard Schroeder, former German chancellor, endorsed key cooperation between Russia and Europe. In 2017, he became associated with Rosneft, a Russian oil company, and became its chairman.
There are also other important European men who decided to associate with the boards of companies owned by the Russian state after leaving offices, such as French Prime Minister François Fillon and former Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl.
