Putin, from returning lost pride to his people to making them hostage to his ambitions | PROFILE

The head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putinwho was re-elected this Sunday for a fifth six-year presidential term, came to power a quarter of a century ago to restore to Russians the pride lost after the fall of the USSR, but made his people hostage to his imperialist ambitions in Ukraine, a war on the outcome of which your future and that of your country depend.

“It depends directly on our soldiers, officers, volunteers, all the soldiers who are now fighting at the front. Of the bravery and determination of our battle comrades who defend the Fatherland,” he said during his final state of the nation address.

WATCH: Russia 2024 elections LIVE: Putin is re-elected for a fifth term with 88% of the vote

put onwho admitted that at the time he proposed to his Western colleagues the entry of Russia in NATO, fought several wars before invading Ukraine -Chechnya, Georgia, Donbass and Syria-but all these contests were limited in scope.

A spiral of involution

He Russian president71 years old, now runs a police state where the laws of war persecute freedom of speech and assembly; Any criticism is punishable by imprisonment and there are no political parties other than those that have the approval of the Kremlin.

What is more, In the last two years, all publications by the free press and the main human rights organizations have been closed; while Parliament, the courts and the Electoral Commission are openly at the service of power. Putin calls this the “purification” of Russian society.

The current involution Russia towards an authoritarian regime actually began when put on He returned to the Kremlin in 2012 after four years as prime minister.

The massive protests against electoral fraud organized months earlier by Alexey Navalnya charismatic leader with a great ability to attract people, convinced put on that the strong hand was the only language the opposition.

Navalny’s recent death in prison, where he was serving almost 30 years of sentence, closed the circle of persecution to any sign of dissent in Russia.

Out of the masks

The trigger at international level was the death in 2011, at the hands of the rebels, of the Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. The Russian leader saw this murder as a warning to sailors. The overthrow of the Ukrainian president in 2014Viktor Yanukovych, agreed with him. The West was the enemy.

Putin’s revenge began to be consummated with the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, incorporation that provoked an outbreak of popular jubilation not remembered since 1991. He then supported an armed pro-Russian uprising in Donbassorigin of the current war.

When announcing the military campaign, he denied that the mission of the Russian troops was to maintain ownership of the conquered territory, but rather the “noble” objective of defending the conquered territory. Russian-speaking minority in the east of Ukraine.

Shortly afterwards, he dressed up as a Russian emperor and remembered that Peter the Great always dreamed of becoming the Azov in an inland sea, after which it annexed four regions of the neighboring country. Although not for lack of ambition, Putin was unable to let Ukraine no way out Black Sea.

This revanchist war meant isolation for his country and for him, an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.

New social contract

To remain in power, the head of the Kremlin signed a new social contract with the Russians. The dilemma between the refrigerator – the true standard of living – and television – advertising – has long expired.

Fulfillment of this contract is closely linked to victory in the war in Ukraine. Regardless of the drop in purchasing power, the increase in the cost of living and the impossibility of traveling abroad, everything is subject to the military campaign.

Defeat is not an option for a country that dedicates 6% of its Gross Domestic Product to defense. Putin spares no expense. The motto “Everything for victory” means a war economya costly arms race and hundreds of thousands of casualties.

The strategy is risky since, although the majority of Russians continue to support the military campaign, more than half would prefer the fighting and, of course, only a minority is willing to fight to the end in the neighboring country.

Hope in Trump

The Western threat of not recognizing the results of the Russian presidential elections is not a concern put onWho He placed all his hopes on Donald Trump’s victory in the US elections in November.

To this end, he gave an interview to the “Trumpist” journalist par excellence, Tucker CarlsonIt is He guaranteed that the American elections won in 2020 by Joe Biden were fraudulent.

What is more, gave Biden a poisoned gift by saying Moscow preferred his victorysince, he argued, “he is a person with more experience, predictable, an old school politician”.

Trump accepted the challenge: “Actually, Putin just paid me a great compliment.”

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.