It is unfortunate that a paper of The Post’s stature provides an outlet for politically oriented hyperbole masquerading as a substantive policy critique. In his June 19 op-ed column, “Loosening Putin’s grip,” Robert Kagan continued a history of being wrong on a number of issues involving Russia.
Mr. Kagan’s column suggested that foreign investors won’t flock to Russia. That must be surprising news to the many multinational companies, such as Ford, PepsiCo, Alcoa and Boeing, that have made major investments in the Russian market within the past year. Had Mr. Kagan attended last week’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, he would have seen firsthand the successes that the government’s initiatives in various fields have begun to produce.
Mr. Kagan’s casual disregard for our economic growth, foreign investment and democratic reforms raises a larger question about his objectivity on Russia.
Dmitry Peskov, Moscow
The writer is deputy chief of staff and press secretary to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.