- Vladimir Putin is about to take office for a second six-year term.
- Putin’s primary focus is the war in Ukraine, and he is not indicating that he will change his course.
- European nations worry that Putin would be inspired to take military risks in the Baltics or Poland.
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, is about to take office for a second six-year term, giving his administration unparalleled authority. Since taking over as acting president in 1999, Putin has consolidated his power and homogenized Russia, driving out independent media and encouraging a growing adherence to traditional values.
His power is so great that other authorities were forced to watch him wage war in Ukraine in silence, even though everyone knew the invasion would result in harsh economic sanctions and worldwide criticism.
Russia’s president
Putin’s primary focus is the war in Ukraine, and he is not indicating that he will change his course. His present political project is around the war in Ukraine, which has an impact on the economy, the population, the allocation of resources, and the degree of internal repression.
Putin promised to uphold citizens’ security and sovereignty while pursuing Moscow’s objectives in Ukraine in his State of the Nation speech in February. But this will be very expensive, and it may take funds away from large-scale domestic programs including welfare, education, and poverty alleviation policies.
If either side loses the conflict but not completely, European nations worry that Putin would be inspired to take military risks in the Baltics or Poland. After the war in Ukraine ends, Harvard professor of international relations Stephen Walt stated in the journal Foreign Policy that Russia will not be able to wage more aggressive wars.
According to Maksim Samorukov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Moscow is prone to making mistakes that will backfire because of Putin’s whims and illusions.
All things considered, Putin might not have as strong of a hold on power as he seems going into his next term. Russia’s weaknesses are readily apparent, and the Kremlin makes choices in an arbitrary, individualized manner with little regard for even the most fundamental checks. Putin’s opposition to the West is a result of his perception that Russia’s moral fiber is being undermined, in addition to his resentment of the West’s support for Ukraine.
