Russian scholars say Moscow's support for European right-wingers is hurting Russia

The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration recently published a study that says Moscow’s support for right-wing groups in Europe and the U.S. is causing tangible harm to Russia’s image abroad, without producing many meaningful benefits.

The report argues that support for groups like Alternative for Germany and the National Front “sends the wrong message” domestically, and it isn’t enough to overcome “institutional inertia” or the preferences of the “EU elite.” This support only aggravates Moscow’s isolation, which Russia could help overcome by absorbing some of the migrants coming to Europe, says the Presidential Academy’s study.