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Tsar Putin

The Rise and Power of Vladimir Putin

By Kevin TennertPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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In the 1990s, the Russian Federation was in the depths of a disparaging identity crisis. The Soviet Union, a massive continental geopolitical behemoth that had lasted for around seven decades, collapsed, and in 1992, a new Russian Federation rose from its ashes. The fall of the Warsaw Pact and Iron Curtain contributed to its fall but crumbling internal and external blunders also had defining roles to play. The failed war against Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989 and the Perestroika and Glasnost reforms paved the way to internal and international destruction of Soviet influence. A strong number of people still remember the so-called glory days of the Soviet Union. It was all they've ever known at the time. One of them was undoubtedly Vladimir Putin.

I believe Putin is drooling to experience those days once again. He sees himself as a born leader, inherited to sit on the Soviet throne like an imperialist Tsar of the 19th century. Two forces are at play here. He fancies a massive chunk of Tsardom, as it was responsible for global influence and geopolitical dominance in the world and another equally large piece of Soviet stardom as it exercised incredible power during the Cold War, most notably over China, Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and, of course, Eastern Europe in the twentieth century. By balancing both worlds, Putin would have the entire world at the palm of his hand. That's his ultimate goal. The only way to do it would be to weaken the West. He sees them responsible for the downfall of the Soviet Union - his previous home.

Putin had to wrestle power from Oligarchs from the start. After he consolidated his power, he relinquished trouble spots in different parts of the country such as Chechnya. Furthermore, to keep a stiff hold on his power, state control increased. Freedom of the Press was limited. Even journalists and political opponents, critical to the Kremlin under Putin's watch, disappeared and were murdered either in Russia or abroad. Putin has to have control over the entirety of Russia before commencing his most ambitious plan yet.

Many countries in the West distrust Russia for a myriad of reasons. They've seen and have continued to see the Federation as a political, economical and social troublemaker. Russia, on the other hand, has distrusted the West almost as equally. The encroachment of NATO and the EU on its Western borders became increasingly worrisome to the Kremlin. The dominance of the United States of America on the world economic market and global initiatives has been a gigantic thorn since the birth of the Federation in 1992. Sanctions and pressure from the international community only worsened their relationship with the Russians. To alleviate these problems, Putin was forced to become aggressive. He knew ordinary meetings and gatherings did nothing to help him and Russia. His most aggressive approaches to date was military support to war-torn Eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. They drew widespread condemnation and sanctions from the international community. But Putin wasn't fazed by them.

In 2016, an event occurred which many Russians including Putin thought was impossible in the past. They achieved a powerful ally at the very top that legitimizes Putin's authoritarian hold on power and ambitions to gain more of it abroad. Putin and the Kremlin saw something in Donald Trump. My guess is that Trump owes the Russians a lot for something. Perhaps debt or a political favor. At any case, Putin has got something on him and wants to collect. By supporting Putin's regime, Trump had undermined American global influence. In addition, problematic confrontations with NATO, the EU, and WTO have weakened Western influence on the international stage gradually. Trump is doing what Putin wants all along - to destabilize the West. The fact that Russia meddled in the 2016 election and caused confusion among voters in the United States of America is also highly disturbing. How they were able to do this is mind boggling. At the moment, the House of Representatives is trying to clean up the mess domestically.

Despite what Putin has done in the last twenty years, I don't hate him. I know many people do based on what he has done and I understand them. From Putin's point of view, he's trying to do the best he could for Russia. Any statesman- and woman have their own ways in making their countries influential and powerful. Any of them want the best for their homes. Unfortunately, their decisions have caused pain, suffering and destruction not only for their countries but for neighboring ones and ones that have no cultural and linguistic ties to them as well. Putin belongs within those ranks.

Putin is just part of the problem. There are many of them who are like him and are rising in different parts of the world. Their impacts have been felt time and time again and have eroded the columns of democracy and liberty piece by piece. Hopefully, it won't last too much longer.

politicians
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About the Creator

Kevin Tennert

I think expressing yourself in fundamental and categorical topics help create a more transparent, concise, and educational environment. For me, I like to explain key issues that dominate current events in society and encourage dialogue.

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