Russia isn’t even leftist? It’s oil oligarchy and kleptocracy. They love authoritarianism, they don’t give a shit about economics.
They turn all the lights out at night because everyone voted for it, not because they are a failing authoritarian state that struggles to keep their grid running. Allows for great stargazing from the very normal hard labor camps.
Regressives like him want to return to bullying anyone who doesn’t confirm to their thoughts on cishet Christianity. That’s what they consider masculine, you guessed exactly right.