It seems to me the author wants to have it both ways. It’s OK for Zubov to compare Putin to Hitler based only on Hitler’s anschlus of German lands, while ignoring everything else Hitler had done up to that point, but if Migranyan responds based on the same, it’s a new low in propaganda. Anyway, since when has being a despot and being a politician of the highest order been mutually exclusive? A lot, if not most of the greatest political leaders throughout history have been despots as well.
You are confusing “greatness” with notoriety.