they have always had a secret and at times not so secret admiration of Putin and loved all the things he made happen over in Russia with his hatred of gays and his giving the control of morality in Russia pretty much to the Patriarch.   Even though that would not work out well for any of them were they try to set up camp in Russia.   They see Putin as a strong ruler who is making Russia "great" again, although in reality things are probably not much different now than they were under communism.