Russian President Vladimir Putin has been described in the past as a pragmatic leader and superb tactician. Yet Putin’s choice to take over Ukraine militarily stems more from an ideological impulse than from sound strategic planning that examines both the intended and unintended consequences.
In all the diplomatic activity that preceded the Russian invasion, Putin appeared as a “lone leader in the Russian elite.” He attempted to demonstrate that he alone takes the decisions, and formulated an absolutist security approach regarding force application to advance his goals at home and abroad – with the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin as his model. This is a recurring historical phenomenon: a leader sits on the throne of power for many years – in Putin’s case, 22 years – and loses the ability to distinguish between his personal desires and the needs of the country and its civilians.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been described in the past as a pragmatic leader and superb tactician. Yet Putin’s choice to take over Ukraine militarily stems more from an ideological impulse than from sound strategic planning that examines both the intended and unintended consequences.
In all the diplomatic activity that preceded the Russian invasion, Putin appeared as a “lone leader in the Russian elite.” He attempted to demonstrate that he alone takes the decisions, and formulated an absolutist security approach regarding force application to advance his goals at home and abroad – with the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin as his model. This is a recurring historical phenomenon: a leader sits on the throne of power for many years – in Putin’s case, 22 years – and loses the ability to distinguish between his personal desires and the needs of the country and its civilians.