From the autocrats’ perspective, there is no such thing as idealistic,
value-based democracy promotion. Rather, it is all hypocrisy: The West
plays its old power games, but this time calls them “democracy-promotion efforts” or, in extreme cases, “humanitarian interventions.” In
particular, this has been the clear and consistent rhetoric of Vladimir Putin—rhetoric, moreover, that he gives every sign of sincerely believing.
The West, led by the United States, uses talk of democracy and human
rights as part of a strategy to encircle, weaken, and humiliate Russia.