Prince Albert, Monaco’s head of state, was notoriously chummy with Vladimir Putin. He was the only foreigner on the 2007 Siberian hunting trip that produced the infamous picture of a shirtless Putin on horseback. Because of their friendship, Prince Albert enthusiastically supported the Russian president and occasionally did his bidding. I’d heard stories about Putin’s enemies checking into Monaco hotels, presenting their passports, and finding themselves arrested within minutes by the local police.
