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A Strong Leader.

Since the 2014 invasion of Crimea and then the 2022 invasion of Ukraine Vladimir Putin has become a cartoon villain in the west. Although one cannot condone an invasion of a sovereign state, is Putin the monster that he is portrayed to be? Philip Short does an excellent job on trying to understand Putin and twenty first century Russia.

Like the opposite of Mikhail Gorbachev, Putin is generally loved in Russia and loathed abroad. Opinion polls there regular place him with an extremely high percentage. One may argue it is a corrupt system, there aren’t many alternatives and rivals are stuck in a bureaucracy so frustrating it makes Victorian chancery courses seem straight forward. However, what cannot be argued is that Putin has a grip power and is a strong almost monarchical leader.

Putin is not hard to understand in my opinion. A product of the Soviet Union, he had family members which felt the purge under Stalin. Putin always has ambition and so studied law, much to his peers dismay, to join the KGB. Unremarkable in features, cold and determined, he was perfect for the job. Eventually being placed in Germany, a well desired posting, due to the wages and opportunities there. Everything in his life has always been calculated, measured to his end goal, whether to get that said posting or to climb the greasy pole as Benjamin Disraeli would say. Putin has steered Russia into stability and confidence following the disastrous Boris Yeltsin years, however the question now asks ‘where does he take Russia now?� And ‘what will happen after Putin?� His third term will of course end in 2024 and he knows he cannot go on forever.

The road to Ukraine is one steeped in 1200 years of Russian history, from the inheritance of the Kievan Rus. A medieval principality in an area that straddles, modern Poland, Ukraine and Russia. The stories of both Ukraine and Russia have been intricately tied for a millennium. However, the modern journey begins with in the 1960s when Nikita Khrushchev transferred the Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic, in the USSR. Following the breakup of the Union, the new state of the Russian Federation has always feared growing influence and power of NATO, which Putin says is essentially military arm of the United Nations.

When Putin came to power, the relationship with the West and US president George W Bush was positive, the future looked bright. However, as Putin has learnt realpolitik over 22 years in power, being friendly with the USA will only suit one country: the USA. The relationship has not been two sided and Putin has felt this wraith. Allowing America to use his country for airbases in the war on terror to supporting their Middle Eastern causes, Putin has found this is only a one way street. The recognition of Kosovo (to Russia’s ally Serbia’s dismay) to almost building nuclear missile bases in Eastern Europe, to canvassing former Soviet countries for NATO agreements, the relationship has turned sour. But with this Putin’s confidence has grown. He has rejected the western lead and travelled down his own path, doing what he sees is best for Russia.

Russia needs a strong rule, it always has. With this the values do not fully align with Western politics or ideals. But is this because we just report on them in outrage? Western countries have invaded over sovereign states over recent years, so why different for Putin? All of these wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine) will turn out to be long and costly for the invader. Assassinating journalists and rivals has also hit the news in recent years, but Western Governments have also been caught with their pants down in the great game of espionage.

What Short does it put this into perspective from the man in control of the ‘wild east�. A hard man who has shown vulnerabilities, has made mistakes but isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. This is not a condoning of the actions, but a study. Done excellently. I really enjoyed this study of the modern Russia and Europe.