Vladimir Putin

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[[File:Владимир Путин (18-06-2023) (cropped).jpg|thumb|165px|right|Elderly imperialist Elmer Fudd and Daniel Craig’s evil twin.]]
{{politics}}

{{hatnote|Were you looking for the popular [[fun:Poutine|Quebecois snack]]?<ref name=safire>[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/magazine/putinpoutine.html Putin/Poutine] by William Safire (April 3, 2015) ''The New York Times''. Yes, in French, his surname is spelled the same as that big sloppy mess of French Canadian food.</ref> Or perhaps you were looking for a French putain?<ref name=safire/> Or perhaps you have been [[Fart|pootin']]? Or perhaps you were looking for a place to put doggie doo, a [[poo]] tin?<ref>[https://archive.is/mBtkd/ Poo Tin Meme] (March 12, 2022) ''Daily Memes''.( archived on 18 November 2023) </ref>{{efn|Following a 2025 meeting in ex-Russian Empire territory of Alaska between Putin and Trump, the the Trump team carelessly left behind briefing documents in a hotel printer. One of the documents gave phonetic instructions on how to pronounce the name of all attendees, including "Mr. President POO-tihn."<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2025/08/16/nx-s1-5504196/trump-putin-summit-documents-left-behind Government papers found in an Alaskan hotel reveal new details of Trump-Putin summit] by Chiara Eisner (August 16, 20251:56 PM ET) ''NPR''.</ref>}}}}

{{cquote|If somebody decides to destroy Russia, then we have a lawful right to respond. Yes, for humanity, it would be a global catastrophe. But I, as a citizen of Russia and head of the Russian state wish to ask a question: What good is the world for us if it is a world without Russia?|||Putin explaining his [[worldview]] to Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who put the interview in his film "World Order 2018."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwU13-4SakE You can see the specific quote at 36:36 of this video.]</ref>}}

'''Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin''' (Владимир Владимирович Путин) {{lived|1952}}, a.k.a. "Pootie-Poot",<ref>[[W]]'s {{wpl|List_of_nicknames_used_by_George_W._Bush#Foreign_leaders|nickname for Putin}}</ref> {{wpl|Putin khuylo!|''khuylo''}}, {{wpl|Vladolf Putler}}, among others, a [[plagiarist]],<ref>[https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Putin-Dissertation-Event-remarks-with-slides.pdf The Mystery of Vladimir Putin’s Dissertation] by Igor Danchenko and Clifford Gaddy (March 30, 2006) ''Brookings Institution''.</ref> is a "former" [[KGB]] agent<ref>[https://archive.is/4N2my "The making of a neo-KGB state"], ''Economist'' 23 August 2007 (archived on 23 Jun 2015).</ref> (by which we mean "boring desk-job")<ref>Hoffman, David, [https://archive.is/2JLqB "Putin's Career Rooted in Russia's KGB"], [[WaPo]] By David Hoffman Washington Post Foreign Service Sunday, January 30, 2000; Page A1 ( archived on 24 Dec 2022) .</ref>, Biden "supporter",<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68303231 "Why Russia's Putin backing Biden for the US presidency is not what it seems"] - ''BBC'' (February 15, 2024)</ref> war criminal<ref>[https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/04/ukraine-russian-forces-extrajudicially-executing-civilians-in-apparent-war-crimes-new-testimony Ukraine: Russian forces extrajudicially executing civilians in apparent war crimes – new testimony] ''Amnesty'' (April 7, 2022)</ref>, [[dictator]]/"president" of [[Russia]], mass murderer, and inspiration for [[RationalWiki]] [[:Fun:Wandalism|vandals]]. The longest-serving Russian leader since [[Joseph Stalin]] (whom he admires and shares many ideological similarities to<ref>[https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/03/24/russia-putin-stalin-soviet-election-war-repression-political-prisoners/ Russia Is Back to the Stalinist Future] Foreign Policy</ref>), he served as President (2000-2008, 2012-onward) and Prime Minister (1999-2000, 2008-2012). In 2008, the Russian government extended the Presidential term of office from four to six years.<ref>Sefanov, Mike (22 December 2008) [https://archive.is/MHOw4/ Russian presidential term extended to 6 years] ( archived on March 8 2015)</ref> In a 2020 referendum, the government [[Voter fraud| pulled numbers out of thin air to show overwhelming support]] for constitutional changes, which would allow Putin to serve two more six-year terms, meaning Putin can legally serve as president until 2036.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2020/07/01/886440694/referendum-in-russia-passes-allowing-putin-to-remain-president-until-2036 Referendum In Russia Passes, Allowing Putin To Remain President Until 2036], NPR By Scott Neuman (1 July 2020)</ref> He presides over an imperial nation engulfed by political corruption at the highest levels of the government.<ref>''Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present'' by Ruth Ben-Ghiat (2021) W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0393868419.</ref>{{rp|157-159}}

His [[rhetoric]] and governing style has been observed by many as a form of authoritarianism, gaining a neologism referred to as [[Putinism]]. After the turmoil of the [[Boris Yeltsin| Yeltsin]] years (1991-1999), Putinism harkens back to something more similar to the {{wpl|Leonid Brezhnev| Brezhnev}} days (1964-1982), when the [[USSR]]/Russia engaged heavily in imperialism (hard power and soft power) and flipped the bird at [[the West]] while doing so. For Russians who endured the political turmoil of the 1990s, this return to strength (even if it's just macho posturing) is incredibly popular. It's quite a departure from what actually seems to be a depressing personal life.<ref>[https://archive.is/LwSOJ Behind the Scenes in Putin's Court: The Private Habits of a Latter-Day Dictator], ''Newsweek'' ( archived on 25 Jul 2014).</ref>

The thing is, Putin has done a very successful job of getting rid of any viable opposition, meaning the only people left are more insane than he is (his main opposition are [[Communist Party of the Russian Federation|tankies]] and [[National Bolshevism|neo-nazis]]), which barely even count as a good opposition due to their lack of power and political extremism.<ref>Shekhovtsov, Anton, [https://archive.is/1sVXe/ "Vladimir Zhirinovsky and the LDPR"],''Foriegn Policy Journal'' By Anton Shekhovtsov  (Nov 7, 2011) ( ARCHIVED ON october 18 2023)</ref><ref>Bennetts and Alexander, [https://archive.is/gz4PO "Vladimir Putin's Red Scare? Inside Russia's Resurgent Communist Party"], ''Newsweek'' via Reuters BY MARC BENNETTS 31 July 2016 AT 2:00 PM ( archived on 15 Jan 2017).</ref> A rare possible exception to this rule had seemed to be Alexei Navalny,<ref>{{wpa|Alexei Navalny}}</ref> was first poisoned with novichok, saved from near-certain death by German doctors, then imprisoned on trumped-up charges and sent to a Siberian gulag, where he could not survive the harsh conditions under his already ill health, in short slowly killed by Putin's minions.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-death-global-reactions-putin-19e7fd6318763627f6917a92678cd190 Western officials and Kremlin critics blame Putin and his government for Navalny’s death in prison] by Dash Litvinova (February 16, 2024) ''AP''.</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2020/09/03/909243842/no-doubt-that-navalny-poisoning-was-russian-operation-former-cia-russia-chief-sa?t=1627073311777 'No Doubt' That Navalny Poisoning Was Russian Operation, Former CIA Russia Chief Says] ''NPR'' 3 September 2020 September 3, by Bill Chappell.</ref> Other possible rivals to Putin are candidates in the 2024 Russian presidential election, such as Nikolay Kharitonov (a member of the [[Communist Party of Russia]]).

On February 24<sup>th</sup>, 2022, Putin launched 
a "special military operation"
 an invasion of [[Ukraine]], igniting the largest conventional-warfare operation in [[Europe]] since [[World War II]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220227052443/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/24/politics/us-military-ukraine-russia/index.html "US orders 7,000 more troops to Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine," CNN] ''CNN'' By Jeremy Herb, Barbara Starr and Ellie Kaufman, CNN
Updated 2313 GMT (0713 HKT) February 24, 2022 ( archived on 27 febuary 2022)</ref><ref>[https://www.vox.com/2022/2/23/22948534/russia-ukraine-war-putin-explosions-invasion-explained "Putin's invasion of Ukraine, explained", Vox] ''Vox'' By Jen Kirby and Jonathan Guyer  Updated Mar 6, 2022, 10:20am EST </ref> The attack also caused Europe's largest refugee-crisis since World War II, with over a million refugees in the first week.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/06/ukraine-fastest-growing-refugee-crisis-since-second-world-war "Ukraine has fastest-growing refugee crisis since second world war, says UN", Peter Beaumont, ''The Guardian''.] Peter Beaumont  (6 Mar 2022 16.12 GMT)</ref><ref>[https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-02-22/h_085a6dc9035cfa03a2ab888e96f58b25 "1 million refugees have fled Ukraine in a week, UN says", CNN.] By Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt, Meg Wagner, Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton, Maureen Chowdhury, Jason Kurtz and Mike Hayes, CNN Updated 4:01 p.m. ET, March 7, 2022
</ref>

Due to credible allegations that Putin has criminal responsibility for the war crime of kidnapping children from Ukraine and transferring them to Russia, Putin was indicted by the {{wpl|International Criminal Court}} on March 17th 2023.<ref>[https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and "Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova"], International Criminal Court, 2023 March 17</ref> Putin has accused Ukraine of Nazi ideology, yet the resemblance this war crime bears to the {{w|kidnapping of children by Nazi Germany||,}} including children from both [[Poland]] and the Soviet Union, has not gone unnoticed.<ref>(September 25, 2024). [https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/09/25/polish-foreign-minister-likens-russian-kidnapping-of-ukrainian-children-to-nazi-crimes-in-un-speech/ "Polish foreign minister likens Russian kidnapping of Ukrainian children to Nazi crimes in UN speech"]. ''Notes from Poland''.</ref>

==Rise to power==
[[File:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png|thumb|right|200|The KGB's spook #1 in East Germany]]
Back in Soviet times, Putin held a minor KGB post in [[East Germany]]<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|44}} from 1985 to 1990. As President Yeltsin's health declined in the 1990s, his entourage tried to find a successor by first taking two popular opinion polls of fictional heroes; on the second place in one poll and at the fourth in the other was Max Otto von Stierlitz of the 1973 TV serial ''Seventeen Moments in Spring''.<ref>[https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/15481]</ref> <ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069628/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ''Semnadtsat mgnoveniy vesny''] (1973) IMDb.</ref> Stierlitz was portrayed as a KGB agent in Germany during the final year of [[World War II]],<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069628/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' (1973) Plot] IMDb.</ref> and Putin was seen as the closest match.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|44}} Yeltsin subsequently appointed Putin as Prime Minister of Russia in August 1999; Putin was then generally unknown to the Russian public, having an approval rating of 2%.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|45}} In September 1999, a series of bombs exploded in Russian cities, killing 307 people.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|45}}<ref>{{wpa|Russian apartment bombings}}</ref> The bombings were blamed on [[Chechnya | Chechen]] separatists, resulting in the widening of the {{wpl|Second Chechen War||.}} Conspiracy-theorists portray the "apartment bombings" as a [[false flag | false-flag]] operation to improve Putin's image before Yeltsin's imminent political demise;<ref name=unfreedom></ref><ref>
[https://books.google.com/books?id=iuA3BAAAQBAJ ''The Moscow bombings of September 1999: Examinations of Russian terrorist attacks at the onset of Vladimir Putin's rule''] by John B. Dunlop (2014) Ibidem-Verlag. ISBN 9783838266084, page 162: "'The suggestion that the apartment block bombings were a "false flag" operation by the FSB has long been bruited in conspiracy circles.'"
</ref> for example, three FSB agents who had planted bombs were arrested by Ryazan local police.<ref>
[https://books.google.com/books?id=iuA3BAAAQBAJ ''The Moscow bombings of September 1999: Examinations of Russian terrorist attacks at the onset of Vladimir Putin's rule''] by John B. Dunlop (2014) Ibidem-Verlag. ISBN 3838206088.
</ref>
Putin's first presidential election in March 2000 set the stage for electoral fraud both within Russia and as an item for export, using a combination of unequal [[media]] coverage, vote-tally manipulation, and exploitation of [[war]] [[propaganda]].<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|45}} Putin has never won a fair election, but only the ''appearance'' of winning matters to him.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|45-51}}

{{cquote|The problem is that, from the very beginning, corruption was not the most terrifying aspect of the [[Putinism|Putin regime]]. Vladimir Putin came to power as a war president. The second Chechen war raised and solidified his ratings, turning him into a national leader. Before 2014, before the annexation of Crimea and the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|war in Ukraine]], Chechnya was Putin’s greatest crime. Without acknowledging the guilt and punishing the perpetrators in the two wars against Chechnya, which set Russia back on its old [[imperial]] and colonial path, unleashed the spiral of [[Extrajudicial punishment|state violence]] and turned Chechnya into a zone of lawlessness from which lawless practices spread throughout Russia&nbsp;— without confronting all this, no bright and real “Russia of the future” would be possible. Without an answer to the cardinal question of the right to secede, without a recognition of the centuries of [[Racism|repressive policies toward ethnic minorities]], the Russia of the future will always be the Russia of the past.|||Sergei Lebedev<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/07/22/alexei-navalny-russia-totalitarian-history/ How Alexei Navalny got trapped by Russian history: The opposition leader would not recognize the continuity of state violence and its social consequences.] by Sergei Lebedev (July 22, 2024 at 7:15 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref>[https://libertiesjournal.com/articles/the-heroic-illusion-of-alexei-navalny/ The Heroic Illusion of Alexei Navalny] by Sergei Lebedev (Summer 2024) ''Liberties'' 4(4).</ref>}}

==Political affiliations==
Arguably, Putin has no political views other than {{sl|If I Were A Rich Man|consolidating money}} and power because he has held seemingly contradictory views over his lifetime: right-wing Christianity, [[Stalinism]], and [[Ruscism]]. His bizarre ideological mix makes him the poster child for [[utilitarianism]], or perhaps [[Horseshoe theory]]. He also has staked out a position similar to [[National Bolshevism]], "He wanted a reconciliation of what he called the tradition of Red and White, communist and Orthodox, [[Terrorism|terror]] and [[God]]."<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|58}}

Putin most likely joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1970 and 1975 when he was attending law school at Leningrad State University. The university was a recruiting ground for KGB agents, and the KGB targeted him for recruitment before 1975,<ref name=hoffman>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/russiagov/putin.htm Putin's Career Rooted in Russia's KGB] by David Hoffman (2000) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> and becoming an agent required party membership. Putin claimed to have been eager for recruitment;<ref name=hoffman/> regarding party membership, Putin stated, "I wasn't a party member through necessity. I can't say I was totally an [[Ideology|ideological]] Communist but I did really treasure it [having a Communist Party card]."<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/putin-still-communist-party-card-likes-socialist-ideals-183734163.html Putin still has his Communist Party card, likes socialist ideals] (January 25, 2016) ''AFP'' via ''Yahoo News''.</ref> Putin remained in the party until its dissolution in 1991.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090630150907/http://www.kremlin.ru/articles/bookchapter6.shtml ''От первого лица разговоры с Владимиром Путиным''] (2000) Vagrius. ISBN 5264002576. Excerpt reprinted by The Kremlin (archived from June 30, 2009).</ref> Regardless of his alleged lack of ideological fervor, he eagerly did the Communist Party's bidding in the KGB from at least 1977-1991, working on international espionage and eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.<ref name=hoffman/><ref>''Putin: Russia's Choice'' by Richard Sakwa (2004) Routledge. ISBN 0415296633.</ref>{{rp|9-10}}

Close to the beginning of Putin's autocratic rule in 2005,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121030025350/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2005/russia Russia] (2005) ''Freedom House''.</ref> Putin had fascist [[philosopher]] {{wpl|Ivan Ilyin|Ivan Ilyin's}} remains transferred from Switzerland and reburied in Moscow, where he later personally consecrated them.<ref name=unfreedom>''The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America'' by Timothy Snyder (2018) Tim Duggan Books. ISBN 0525574468.</ref>{{rp|17}}<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/04/opinion/brooks-putin-cant-stop.html Putin Can’t Stop] by David Brooks (March 3, 2014) ''The New York Times''.</ref> In 2006, Putin sent an emissary to Michigan State University to claim Ilyin's personal papers.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|17-18}} Putin had by then been citing Ilyin in presidential addresses to the Russian legislature.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|18}} By the 2010s, Putin used Ilyin to undermine the [[European Union]] and justify invading [[Ukraine]].<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|18}}On September 30th, 2022, Putin quoted Ilyin in a speech celebrating the unilateral annexation of four territories in Ukraine, saying that Russia's "destiny is my destiny," among other things.<ref>[https://archive.is/1p0A8 7 key moments in Putin’s annexation speech] ''The washington post'' By Adam Taylor (September 30, 2022) ( archived on 13 Jun 2023) </ref>

Based on Ilyin's writings and a mythic, ahistorical view of {{wpl|Vladimir the Great||,}} Putin has made [[Irredentism|irredentist]] arguments that Ukrainians and [[Belarus]]ians did not exist as peoples separate from Russians. These arguments set the stage for the annexation of Crimea and the Russian-sponsored war in eastern Ukraine.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|61-66}}

==Reality-defying good stuff?==
{{main|Stopped clock}}

{{cquote|You can be a three-headed tyrant as long as everyone has jobs and is working.|||Jack Ablin<ref>[https://archive.is/xwKOe Will Putin run for his money?], ''Toronto Star'' By Tanya Talaga  (Mar 04 2014) ( archived on 5 Mar 2014)</ref>}}

There was high economic growth during Vladimir Putin's first term as president, commonly explained by the effect of liberal reforms of the nineties under the previous president and by reforms undertaken by the cabinet of prime minister Kasyanov (2000-2004), as well as high oil pices, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_base_effect low base effect], and underutilized production capacities.
<ref>
{{cite web
 |url= https://liberal.ru/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/zastoj-2.pdf
 |title= Застой-2: Последствия, риски и альтернативы для российской экономики
 |last=
 |first=
 |author-link=
 |author-link2=
 |date= 2021
 |publisher= "Liberal Mission" foundation
 |page= 64
 |access-date= 2024-04-12
 |quote= Докризисные источники роста — низкая база, незагруженные мощности, реформы
1990-х и начала 2000-х, быстрый рост цен на нефть в нулевых годах — были исчерпаны как
раз к моменту начала кризиса. 
}}
"Pre-crisis sources of growth - low base, underutilized capacities, reforms of 1990's and early 2000's, fast growth of oil prices - were exhausted by the beginning of the [2008] crisis."
</ref>

The 
budget was balanced
 wait, ''the national debt was reduced by 90%?''<ref>[http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:GOSDOLGRF.png Ruskie Wikipedia]</ref> Russia achieved this primarily by boosting [[GDP]], making the national debt a smaller fraction of a larger GDP.<ref>[http://www.tradingeconomics.com/russia/government-debt-to-gdp Russia Government Debt to GDP], Investopedia</ref>

The Russian economy grew for eight straight years, seeing GDP increase by 72% in PPP (sixfold in nominal). Wages tripled, incomes increased, unemployment and [[poverty]] more than halved, and Russia's self-assessed [[life]] satisfaction rose significantly, if only because Russians had [[money]] in their pockets for once. The ideal model is "corrupt but somewhat-competent", we guess.

Most of Russian exports are [[oil]] and [[natural gas|gas]],<ref>
[http://www.oecd.org/economy/economic-survey-russian-federation.htm Overview of the Economic Survey of the Russian Federation], OECD
</ref><ref>
{{cite web
 |url= https://www.academia.edu/7235924/Russias_impact_on_the_European_Unions_energy_security
 |title= Russia's impact on the European Union's energy security
 |last= Makhatadze
 |first= Ekaterine
 |author-link=
 |author-link2=
 |date= 2014-05-30
 |publisher= Academia.edu
 |page= 5
 |access-date= 2017-06-14
 |quote= In 2007, the European Union imported from Russia 185 million tons of crude oil that accounted for 32.6% of total oil import, and 100.7 million tons of oil equivalent of natural gas, which accounted [sic] 38.7% of total gas import.
}}
The [[EU]] encompasses [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26436291 41% of all Russian trade.] And as you know, relations between both powers have gone quite well recently.
</ref>
which are integral to the Russian economy. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/12/15/russias-economy-is-doomed-its-that-simple/ ''*cough*''] To make sure Russia stays on the map for decades to come, Putin's energy policy made Russia into a [[nuke|nuclear]] power (again). The [[police]] and [[MIC|military]] have been "[[Police state|reformed]]", the [[car|automotive]] industry boomed, and the general land-laws underwent modernization. 

The [[Serbian | Serbs]] have historically been pro-Russian because of Brother Russia's image as a protector of [[Ottoman Empire | Ottoman]] {{wpl | Slavs}} and of [[Eastern Orthodox Church | Orthodox Christianity]] in general. Putin is very popular in [[Serbia]] because he brought up Russia from the ashes, restored national pride, and struck a pro-Serbian stance on the [[Kosovo]] issue, calling the Europeans hypocrites. It's a popular saying in Serbia that if Putin stood as a candidate for president there, he would come away with 100% of the vote.

Putin signed the [[Kyoto Protocol]] (though the terms were easy for Russia), something the [[United States]] never did. Speaking of the US, he granted asylum to American whistleblower [[Edward Snowden]] in 2013, if for no other reason than to stick it to [[Washington DC|Washington]].

As brutal as Putin was to the Chechens, they've not been angels to Russian civilians either. Between creating hostage situations in theatres <ref>[https://brill.com/view/journals/iner/8/3/article-p577_7.xml The Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis: The Perpetrators, their Tactics, and the Russian Response] ''Brill'' by  Richard Pilch and Adam Dolnik ( January 1 2023) </ref> and elementary schools,<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39586814 Beslan school siege: Russia 'failed' in 2004 massacre] ''BBC'' (13 April 2017) </ref> and suicide bombings,<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=84588&page=1 U.S. Sources: Suicide Bombers Struck Russian Planes] ''ABC News'' (August 27, 2004, 6:02 PM) </ref> there was a period where Chechen separatists posed a real threat to safety in Russia. The installation of strongman [[Ramzan Kadyrov]] in Chechnya, while creating numerous issues, has at least ended these.

Putin accrues another bonus simply by not being [[Boris Yeltsin]]. After the disastrous 1990s, many Russians are pretty happy with a leader who is at least sober as opposed to a vomit- and vodka-soaked lunatic. However, this success and his predecessor's failure also made most Russians enormously disappointed with a democratic government.

==And the reality-returning bad stuff==
{{cquote|The Genialissimo is simultaneously the general secretary of our party, holds the military rank of generalissimo, and, moreover, stands apart from everyone.|||''Moscow 2042'', a [[dystopian]] novel fortelling the rise of Putin.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/03/21/moscow-2042-voinovich-putin/ A 1986 dystopian Russian novel basically predicted Vladimir Putin] by George Bass (March 21, 2022) ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref>''Moscow 2042'' by Vladimir Voinovich, translated by Richard Lourie (1987) Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 0151624445.</ref>{{rp|125}}}}

===Resource economy===
Russia has been in a recession since 2014.<ref>[http://www.tradingeconomics.com/russia/gdp-growth Russia GDP Growth Rate 1995-2017], Trading Economics.</ref> Their economy is still too dependent upon oil,<ref>[https://knoema.com/yxptpab/crude-oil-price-forecast-long-term-2016-to-2025-data-and-charts "Crude Oil Price Forecast: Long Term 2016 to 2025"], knoema.</ref> and the price of oil is projected to remain at or below $75 through 2020. As a result, growth in Russia is going to stagnate for many years.<ref>[https://knoema.com/mgarnze/russia-gdp-growth-forecast-2015-2020-and-up-to-2060-data-and-charts "Russia GDP Growth Forecast 2015-2020 and up to 2060, Data and Charts - G20 Economic Forecast], knoema.</ref> But he's definitely "eating Obama's lunch."<ref>[https://archive.is/o7Av6 Trump: Putin has "eaten Obama's lunch"], ''Today'' 31 December 2016 ( archived on October 19 2023 )</ref> He also once speculated that warming by “two or three degrees” could be a good thing for the economy since they'll spend less on fur coats.<ref>Pierce, Fred, [https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4232-global-warming-will-hurt-russia/ "Global warming ‘will hurt Russia’"], ''New Scientist'' 3 October 2003. Global warming will soon be pushed out of a window or accidentally drink radioactive tea.</ref> By fur coats, he means all that Arctic oil that will be open for exploration by the state enterprises he and his friends control.<ref>Cheng, Selia, [https://qz.com/946285/vladimir-putin-visited-the-arctic-to-strengthen-the-image-that-russia-is-master-of-the-region/ "Putin went to the Arctic to strengthen Russia’s foothold in the region with his own two feet"], Quartz 31 March 2017.</ref>

Russia has been decimated by heatwaves, wildfires, and crop losses over the past decade, so climate change hasn't entirely been a bowl of cherries for the country.<ref>Framer, Andrew E., [https://archive.is/skwpC "Russia, Crippled by Drought, Bans Grain Exports"], NYT 5 August 2016. ( archived on 19 october 2023) There's a reason Russia's had so many famines.</ref><ref>[https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2016/nasa-spots-fires-and-smoke-from-eastern-russia-wildfires/ "NASA Spots Fires and Smoke from Eastern Russia Wildfires"], NASA 12 August 2016.</ref><ref>[http://siberiantimes.com/ecology/casestudy/news/n0690-record-heat-and-abnormal-flooding-as-siberia-gets-freak-weather/ "Record heat and abnormal flooding as Siberia gets freak weather"], Siberian Times 4 July 2016.</ref> And considering Russia is mainly a landlocked country, there's a considerable risk of severe droughts. But, as [[George W. Bush|Bush's]] anti-environmental cohort has said, 
There is still debate on climate change
<ref>Nick Paton Walsh and Paul Brown, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/sep/30/sciencenews.environment "EU alarmed as Putin backtracks on Kyoto"], ''Guardian'' (30 September 2003, 5.40 EDT).</ref> 
There is no climate change
<ref>Kuzmin, Andrey, [https://archive.is/InSYU "Russian media take climate cue from skeptical Putin"], Reuters (29 Oct 2015, 7:52am EDT) ( archived on October 19 2023).</ref> it will be good for some regions.<ref>Seth Meredith and Geoff Cutmore, [https://archive.is/SMJCK "Climate change doubters may not be so silly, says Russia President Putin"], MSNBC (30 Mar 2017, 9:45 AM ET) (archived on october 19 2023).</ref> Soon we'll feed everyone with food grown in the temperate and hospitable Siberia. The problem is that Siberia has no groundwater<ref>Killalea, Debra [https://archive.is/Xw4k8 "Siberia crater ‘Gateway to the Underworld’: Melting permafrost a huge problem for the planet"], [[ABC]] (8 Junes 2016, 7:51am) ( archived on October 19 2023) .</ref> and is far too arid to support agriculture on a relevant scale.<ref>Flintoff, Corey, [https://archive.is/Ng3V2 "For Russian Farmers, Climate Change Is Nyet So Great"], NPR (21 February 2016, 12:11 PM ET) ( archived on 23 Nov 2020) .</ref> Turn the crank and see which excuse comes out next. As a result (or just given life in rural Russia), Russia's birthrate is falling off a cliff, as the enormous drunken underclass historically press-ganged into a bullying, ill-equipped army and used as cannon fodder is fading away. As Russia has always used its numbers (and some scorched earth policies) to win wars, this must count as a big hole in their historic 'defense' plans.<ref>CIA World Fact Book [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html " CIA World Fact Book: Birth Rates] 2017</ref>

In 2021, Russia was the sole member to veto a [[United Nations]] Security Council resolution to recognize climate change as a global security threat.<ref name=pannett>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/14/russia-veto-climate-change-united-nations/ Russia blocks U.N. move to treat climate change as a global security threat] by Rachel Pannett (December 14, 2021) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>{{efn|India also opposed the resolution but does not have veto power.<ref name=pannett/>}}

===Human rights violations===
His record on [[human rights]] has been marked by the flattening of [[Chechnya]], the demolition of Georgia, the crackdown of all media, especially independently-owned media that has been critical of the Kremlin such as NTV,<ref>Kara-Murza, Vladimir. (June 20, 2013) [https://imrussia.org/en/politics/496-the-kremlins-voice-10-years-without-independent-tv-in-russia The Kremlin’s Voice: 10 Years Without Independent TV in Russia.] ''Institute of Modern Russia''. Retrieved March 23, 2013.</ref> the instigation of an armed conflict in eastern Ukraine that culminated in [[MH17|the accidental downing of a civilian aircraft]],<ref>Somini Sengupta and Andrew E. Kramer, [https://archive.is/uiPoX "Dutch Inquiry Links Russia to 298 Deaths in Explosion of Jetliner Over Ukraine"], NYT September 28 2016 ( archived on September 29 2016).</ref> the bombing of aid convoys,<ref>Vaux, Pierre, [https://archive.is/oxGZz "This Is How Russia Bombed the U.N. Convoy"], Daily Beast (16 September 2016 12:06 PM ET) ( archived on 15 Jan 2017 ). ''In a heavy Russian accent*'': Proof, what proof? show us proofs!</ref> the slew of Kremlin opponents dropping dead from [[polonium]] poisoning,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35370819 President Putin 'probably' approved Litvinenko murder]</ref><ref>Kramer, Andrew E., [https://archive.is/XyLBz "More of Kremlin’s Opponents Are Ending Up Dead"], NYT 20 August 2016 ( archived on 2 May 2017).</ref> Russian soldiers taking long "vacations",<ref>McCoy, Terrence, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/28/russians-troops-fighting-in-ukraine-naw-just-on-vacation/ "Russians troops fighting in Ukraine? Naw. They’re just on ‘vacation.’"], WaPo 8.28.14.</ref> and the suppression and abuse of protestors.<ref>Herszenhorn, David M., [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/09/world/europe/putin-signs-law-with-harsh-fines-for-protesters-in-russia.html "New Russian Law Assesses Heavy Fines on Protesters"], NYT 6.8.12.</ref><ref>Bennetts, Mark, [https://archive.is/wWRza "Torture and Abuse by Police Is the Norm in Russian Prisons"], ''Newsweek'' (29 March 2016 at 6:31 AM) (archived on 15 Jan 2017 ).</ref> Only in 2017 could you be arrested for protesting a ban on protests.

==="And Russia has no gay people."===
[[File:Putin-gay-clown.jpeg|thumb|right|165px|This image is banned in Russia<ref>[https://archive.is/cbrNc/ It’s now illegal in Russia to share an image of Putin as a gay clown] by Avi Selk & David Filipov (April 5, 2017) ''The Washington Post'' ( archived on 6 Apr 2017 ).</ref> because gay clown Putin is ''weak''!]]
[[File:Putin horse oemiiq.jpg|165px|thumb|right|Well known photo of Putin shirtless on a horse.]]
In 2012, he banned [[LGBT|gay]] pride parades and protests in Moscow for 100 years,<ref>[https://archive.is/SN8R0/ Gay parades banned in Moscow for 100 years], BBC (17 August 2012) ( archived on October 20 2023)</ref> along with a variety of other draconic restrictions on homosexual rights, doubtlessly as a way to court the [[fundamentalist]] vote.<ref>[https://archive.is/hOAFO Homophobe of the Year: Vladimir Putin], ''The Advocate'' (archived on 3 May 2016)</ref> Shortly after, he continued to uphold the [[Family values#The "traditional" family|traditional family]] by getting [[divorce]]d.<ref>[https://archive.is/jnNTT Russia's Vladimir Putin and wife Lyudmila divorce], BBC (6 June 2013) ( archived on 15 June 2013)</ref> His support relies primarily on a "diminishing political base of older, rural, less educated citizens, blue-collar workers, and persons with a strongly [[nationalist]] bent" — oh wait, [[Donald Trump|wrong politician]].<ref>[https://archive.is/iETWq Milosevic relied on a diminishing base of older, rural, less educated citizens, blue-collar workers and nationalists]( archived from Google books 20 October 2023)</ref><ref>[https://archive.is/3BcYx Putin’s Milosevic moment] ''No Yard Stick''  August 21, 2014 by ATCz ( archived on 15 Dec 2014)</ref>

Putin's hyper-masculine posturing (bareback on a horse, etc.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/putins-macho-image-idUSRTR2UVJN Putin's macho image] (Dec 5, 2011) ''Reuters''.</ref>) and his state-sanctioned [[homophobia]] are part of a calculated plan of both domestic and foreign policy. It doesn't matter that being hyper-masculine and being gay are not mutually exclusive in the real world.<ref>{{wpa|Tom of Finland}}</ref><ref>{{wpa|Village People}}</ref> Russian targets of homophobia have included Ukrainian politicians, the European Union, and the [[Western world|West]].<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|51-53,133}} For the Russian state, attempting to smear with assertions of homosexuality is usually couched in that age-old Soviet fallacy of [[whataboutism]] ("when the subject is inequality, change it to sexuality").<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|100}}

In Russia, being openly gay is very difficult due to all the anti-gay laws by its rubber-stamp parliament.<ref>[https://meduza.io/feature/2023/11/30/kogda-ne-stanet-nas-pridut-za-vami «Когда не станет нас, придут за вами» Сегодня в России «запретили ЛГБТ». Власти хотят, чтобы квир-люди замолчали — и исчезли. Но у властей ничего не получится] (RUS language, opposition website Meduza)</ref> Putin has also commonly used homophobia in the propaganda he produces domestically. In 2018, Putin encouraged his supporters to vote in a then-upcoming election warning that if he were to lose, gay men would come to your house and sleep in your bed.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-not-voting-video-presidential-election-homophobic-gay-putin-russians-voters-a8218241.html Russians warned against not voting in homophobic video ahead of presidential election The Independent]</ref>

====Homophobic Americans united with Putin====
[[File:Decision 2014 03 Cover-175x229.jpg|165px|thumb|right|Cover of the March 2014 edition of ''Decision Magazine'', a religious right publication led by the Billy Graham Association. The article that this cover is discussing defends Putin, arguing he is a voice against [[secularism]] in an increasingly secular world.<ref>[https://decisionmagazine.com/putins-olympic-controversy/ Putin's Olympic Controversy] ''Decision Magazine''</ref>]]
One of the places where Putin's homophobic views have been complemented is right-wing media, which commonly shows him as a man of traditional values pushing back against secular culture. In 2013, right-wing columnist [[Pat Buchanan]] published an article with the headline "Post v. Putin — Whose Side Are You On?," where he defends Putin's homophobic comments. Buchanan asks "if we seek to build a Good Society by traditional [[Catholic]] and Christian standards, why should not homosexual propaganda be treated the same as racist or anti-Semitic propaganda,"<ref>[https://buchanan.org/blog/post-v-putin-whose-side-are-you-on-5760 Post v. Putin — Whose Side Are You On?] buchanan.org</ref> which is an odd question to raise while defending somebody who is an Orthodox Christian, not a Catholic.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/06/vladimir-putin-a-miracle-defender-of-christianity-or-the-most-evil-man Vladimir Putin: a miracle defender of Christianity or the most evil man?] The Guardian</ref> Other conservative Christian influencers applauded his authoritarian and anti-LGBT stances on the basis that “(Putin) is a conservative Christian”.{{cn}}

Another column of his from later that year, titled "Is Putin One of Us?," sees Buchanan positively commenting on Putin's statement about the United States.<ref>[https://buchanan.org/blog/putin-one-us-6071?doing_wp_cron=1729369383.7479169368743896484375 Is Putin One of Us?] buchanan.org</ref> The following year saw Putin get even more popularity with the religious right for his already existing battle against homosexuality along with his support for the Assad regime, which many in the movement felt was done to help "protect persecuted Christians," as one ''Slate'' article puts it.<ref>[https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/03/christian-conservatives-vladimir-putin-ukraine-invasion.html Can the Christian Right Quit Putin?] Slate</ref> People For the American Way wrote at the end of that year:
{{clear}}

{{quotebox|Matt Drudge has called Putin the “leader of the free world.” Sarah Palin has fawned over the Russian leader’s wrestling abilities. Franklin Graham has hailed Putin for “protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda” and having “taken a stand to protect his nation’s children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.” Larry Jacobs of the World Congress of Families, the group that helped organize the Kremlin meeting, praised Putin last year for “preventing [gay people] from corrupting children.”

Religious Right leader and Iowa GOP kingmaker Bob Vander Plaats has upheld Putin as a world leader in morality. Josh Craddock, who represents Personhood USA at the United Nations, came back from the Kremlin conference cheering on Russia as a “light to the world.” Liberty Counsel chairman Mat Staver expressed offense last year that Obama would dare criticize Putin. One Fox News host wished that Putin could be president of the United States, even for just 48 hours.

Any violence against Russian gays, one Religious Right group explained, is probably “provoked by homosexual activists.” Massachusetts-based pastor Scott Lively, who has taken credit for inspiring Russia’s “propaganda” law, dismissed anti-LGBT violence in Russia as a “hoax” and told right-wing radio show host Linda Harvey that if violent anti-gay incidents occur, other gay people were likely the perpetrators.<ref>[https://www.peoplefor.org/rightwingwatch/post/religious-right-cheers-on-vladimir-putin-as-anti-lgbt-violence-in-russia-surges Religious Right Cheers On Vladimir Putin As Anti-LGBT Violence In Russia Surges] People For the American Way</ref>}}

===Gimmie a "K", gimmie a "G", gimme a "B"===
[[File:RIAN archive 140276 Removing rubble at site of damaged apartment house on Kashira Highway.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Putin's rise to power required the downfall of Russian apartment buildings]]
{{cquote|He has said it to the President, to Secretary [[John Kerry|Kerry]]. He even believes we sparked the [[Arab Spring]] as a [[CIA|C.I.A.]] operation.... He really does kind of superimpose the way his system works onto the way he thinks our system works. He grossly exaggerates the role of the C.I.A. in the making of our foreign policy.|||Michael McFaul, diplomat<ref>Remnick, David, [https://archive.is/cs1Ne "Watching the Eclipse"], ''New Yorker'' August 3 2014 ( archived on 5 Mar 2021) .</ref>}}

In 1999, there was a disgusting terror attack in which several buildings were bombed (with people sleeping in them). According to a popular conspiracy theory, this was a false flag operation by FSB to provide a [[False flag|pretext]] for another war with Chechnya.<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|45}} The attacks boosted Putin's popularity and delivered him the presidency.<ref>Tyler, Patrick E., [https://archive.is/XKvnL "Russian Says Kremlin Faked 'Terror Attacks'"], NYT 1 February 2002 (archived on 18 Mar 2014).</ref> That case is still open, but activists, investigators, lawyers, politicians, and [[journalist]]s have been dropping like flies around him for years, and no one ever bats an eye, it seems.<ref>Filipov, David, [https://archive.is/hqXHn "Here are 10 critics of Vladimir Putin who died violently or in suspicious ways"], WaPo 23 March 2017 ( archived on 30 May 2022).</ref><ref>[http://www.snopes.com/2017/03/22/nikolai-gorokhov/ "Russian Lawyer Injured in Mysterious Fall Before Court Appearance"], [[Snopes]] 22 March 2017.</ref>

Remember the anti-gay propaganda bill from above? That was sponsored and proposed by extremist Irina Yarovaya, the Russian equivalent of [[Ted Cruz]]. Why bring her up? Putin signed another Yarovaya bill into law, allowing for NSA-style surveillance of Russian citizens and explicitly bans door-to-door missionary work, which affects many of the same social conservatives ''who helped ban gay propaganda'' - except the Orthodox Church, of course. [[Edward Snowden]] called it the "Big Brother law"; critics say it's basically the Russian version of the [[PATRIOT Act]].<ref>[https://archive.is/hDb9e How Russia’s New Anti-Extremism Law Affects Mormon Missionaries] ''HuffPost'' 12 July 2016 ( archived on 14 Jul 2016)</ref> The new measures include massive restrictions on privacy, speech, freedom of conscience, and religious expression.<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/06/23/draconian-law-rammed-through-russian-parliament Draconian Law Rammed Through Russian Parliament - Outrageous Provisions to Curb Speech, Privacy, Freedom of Conscience] ''Human Rights Watch'' 23 June 2016</ref> Even then, some parts of it are just unenforceable&nbsp;— it demands that phone and [[internet]] providers keep all data for 3 years, and every major Russian telecom company has declared that impossible.

===What happens after him?===
{{cquote|The very dread of what comes next generates a sense of threat that can be projected upon others as foreign policy. [[Totalitarianism]] is its own worst enemy, and that is the secret it keeps from itself by attacking others.|||Timothy Snyder<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|29}}}}
Although the constitution grants enormous powers to the President, you don't think of "power" when you look at Dmitry Medvedev. If Medvedev held the cards, Putin owned the deck, and life after Putin is the great unknown for Russia. He brought the country back from a disorganized, hyper-capitalist, brutally anarchic hell and re-centralized federal authority behind a strongman whom the country adores, the typical standard of living for most of Russia's existence. But it comes with a price. 
With
 without the towering figure of Putin, Russia faces a failing economy, the threat of secession (see Chechnya), a bloated bureaucracy, and an ever-present oligarchy and military-security establishment unwilling to give up their power. There is no ruling class: the oligarchs are paper tigers in the face of a strongman, the mafia is so powerful even the Kremlin has to work out deals with them, and their puppet oligarchs, the siloviki (military-security types), are basically a junta riding the coattails of the President. The actual government (from the Federal Assembly to the Prime Minister) is not popular. This Putin-centered status quo will likely not last without the man himself, and there will be jockeying for power once he finally kicks the bucket.<ref>[https://archive.is/YUAuY Opinion: What Russia After Putin?] ''The New York Times'' 8 November 2016 
By Masha Gessen ( archived on 20 October 2023)</ref><ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-13/a-fallen-russia-oligarch-sends-warning-to-rest-of-putin-insiders A Fallen Russia Oligarch Sends Warning to Rest of Putin Insiders] ''Bloomberg'' 13 January 2016</ref> Expect some murders.

===Back to the Purges===
[[File:Apotheosis.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Apotheosis of War: illegal to display in Russia since March 2022]]
{{cquote|What does this mean? In sum: a rooting out of anyone accused of being 'un-Russian' in thinking or culture — a [[racist]] and political purge; carte blanche to build a new empire all over the old USSR; and a full embrace of a new [[state religion]].|||Ian Garner<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220322161039/https://twitter.com/irgarner/status/1506302171750535170 What does this mean? In sum: a rooting out of anyone accused of being 'un-Russian' in thinking or culture - a racist and political purge; carte blanche to build a new empire all over the old USSR; and a full embrace of a new state religion. Utterly terrifying.] by Ian Garner (9:09 AM - 22 Mar 2022) ''Twitter'' (archived from March 22, 2022).</ref>}}
In 2016, Putin enacted a purge against some of the titans of the country. Many of these men were friends, business partners, members of the Saint Petersburg establishment, or fellow colleagues in the KGB. Their removals were sudden and unexpected. Their replacements consisted of sycophants like Anton Vaino (Kremlin Chief of Staff), who grew up only knowing Putin as the head of the country. The purged names include Vladimir Yakunin, CEO of the Russian Railways; former Chief of Staff Sergey Ivanov, his longtime ally and one-time rival to Medvedev for the Presidency; Yevgeny Murov, former head of the Federal Protection Service; Viktor Ivanov, former head of the Federal Narcotics Service; Konstantin Romodanovsky, former head of the Migration Service; Andrei Belianinov, former head of the Customs Service; and Sergey Naryshkin, former Chairman of the State Duma.<ref>[https://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/08/24/putins-great-purge Putin’s Great Purge] ''The American Interest'' 24 August 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/18/vladimir-putin-purge-kremlin-russia-elections Putin's purge of old friends points to tightening grip on power] ''The Guardian'' 18 August 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/putin-purge-puts-kremlin-elites-notice-493512 OPINION: Putin's Purge Puts Kremlin Elites on Notice] ''Newsweek'' 28 August 2016</ref>

Leading up to and during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia began purging all dissent from the country. The purges have resulted in large-scale arrests of public protesters,<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2022/03/07/1084967986/russia-arrests-more-protesters Russia arrests nearly 5,000 anti-war protesters over the weekend] by Rachel Trisman (March 7, 20222:08 PM ET) ''NPR''.</ref><ref>[https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/03/09/russia-brutal-arrests-and-torture-ill-treatment-anti-war-protesters# Russia: Brutal Arrests and Torture, Ill-Treatment of Anti-War Protesters: Thousands Arrested on March 6; Protesters Abused in Detention] (March 9, 2022 8:57AM EST) ''Human Rights Watch''.</ref> and the shutting down of nearly all independent media within Russia.<ref>[https://rsf.org/en/news/war-ukraine-putin-delivers-final-blow-russias-independent-media War in Ukraine: Putin delivers the final blow to Russia’s independent media] (March 5, 2022 - Updated on March 6, 2022) ''Reporters Without Borders''.</ref> It is now so bad that people have been arrested for holding blank placards in public or for displaying the 1871 painting by Russian Vasily Vereshchagin, "The Apotheosis of War".<ref name=dixon>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/26/russia-media-putin-ukraine/ Putin’s purge of ‘traitors’ scoops up pensioners, foodies and peaceniks] by Robyn Dixon & Mary Ilyushina (March 26, 2022).</ref> People are being encouraged to denounce each other.<ref name=dixon/>

===USSR cover band===
{{cquote|People in Russia say that those who do not regret the collapse of the Soviet Union have no heart, and those that do regret it have no brain.|||Vladimir Putin Mk. MMV, before losing his brain nine years later<ref>Interview with German television channel ARD and ZDF, May 2005. [https://archive.is/YoSjd Statements on Major Issues] ( archived from archive kremin 6 July 2013)</ref>}}

[[File:ObamaPutin1.JPG|thumb|right|250px|He's not exactly fun to be around. [https://archive.is/27PDQ But...]]]

Russia continues to back separatists in [[Transnistria]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Moldova]], and, er...[[Texas]]?<ref>Salopek, Paul, [https://archive.is/FRJsL "Vladimir Putin’s Mysterious Moving Border"], Politico 3 April 2016. ( archived on 27 Jan 2017)</ref><ref>Ragozin, Leonid, [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-12-07/how-to-make-california-great-secede-with-a-little-help-from-putin "How to Make California Great: Secede, With a Little Help From Putin"], Bloomberg (12/7/16 at 5:00 AM PST).</ref>

Putin has said that [[Stalin]]'s legacy [[Not even wrong|can't be judged in black and white]].<ref>[https://archive.is/a4BmF This is who we're dealing with.] Eu rian 3 December 2009 ( archived on 2 Aug 2013 )</ref> Putin's policies have been likened to the [[Soviet]] era, which has received a lukewarm response from [[Communist Party of the Russian Federation|Russian Communist]] leader Gennady Zyuganov.<ref>[https://archive.is/4YxPj Kremlin has plan B for poll run-off], ''Financial Times'' By Charles Clover in Moscow FEBRUARY 9 2012 ( archived on October 20 2023)</ref>
Within days of wrapping up an international celebration of peace and cooperation through sport, he [[Ukraine#Euromaidan, Crimean crisis and further dickery|annexed parts of Ukraine]] after they kicked out their pro-Putin president. It was a significant PR blunder,<ref>[https://archive.is/Yt7u7 The end of the Putin mystique], ''Washington Post'' BY M. STEVEN FISH
2014 April 3 at 11:20 am ( archived on april 4 2014)</ref><ref>[https://archive.is/OTMGt Trapped in His Own Labyrinth: Putin, Ukraine, and MH17], ''Bloomberg Businessweek'' By Joshua Yaffa July 24, 2014 ( archived on JUly 31 2014)</ref> leading some commentators to wonder if Putin had finally lost his marbles.<ref>Ioffe, Julia, [https://newrepublic.com/article/116852/merkel-was-right-putins-lost-his-mind-press-conference "Putin's Press Conference Proved Merkel Right: He's Nuts"], ''New Republic'' Julia Ioffe
 3 April 2014.</ref>

Russia has basically been waging economic war on the EU for years. That's a significant reason they invaded Ukraine: it was getting too close to the EU, e.g., major gas pipelines<ref>Krisztina Than and Michael Kahn, [https://archive.is/NRwHm "Pipeline politics: new gas route revives Russian rivalry with West"], Reuters (24 Febuary 2015 at 3:52pm EST) ( archived on 1 Jul 2016).</ref> (more importantly, Ukraine was making noises about joining [[NATO]].<ref>[https://archive.is/bhpBa "Stealing Their Dream"], ''Economist'' 30 November 2013 ( archived on 14 March 2014).</ref> Putin went in before they could).

Contrary to popular opinion, Putin most likely doesn't want the EU to disintegrate (Russia has very strong economic ties to the European Union, and if the EU ceased to exist, it would be a disaster for the Russian economy);<ref>[https://archive.is/AzGkU Vladimir Putin is not ready to toast Brexit] ''Financial Times'' Mary Dejevsky JUNE 2 2016 (archived on 21 Mar 2022) </ref> however, he certainly wouldn't mind it becoming somewhat less united and more amenable, and [[RT]] is producing propaganda to that end. The [[Eurozone crisis]] significantly weakened the EU when Russia was pushing itself forward. Brussels can't speak with a single voice for Europe. It is absolutely in Putin's character to try to control the narrative in areas previously part of the Soviet {{wpl|sphere of influence}}. This would include some non-NATO countries, like [[Georgia]] and Ukraine; judging by Putin's more interesting adventures, the goal seems to be preventing them from ''ever'' joining NATO. It won't be surprising if a few countries have more pro-Russian agitators than in years past.<ref>Meyer, Henry, [https://archive.is/4ZPfE "Putin's Propaganda Machine Is Meddling With European Elections"], Bloomberg (April 19, 2016 — 7:00 PM PDT) ( archived on 25 Jun 2016) .</ref><ref>Higgins, Andrew, [https://archive.is/J0EhR "Effort to Expose Russia’s ‘Troll Army’ Draws Vicious Retaliation"], ''[[NYT]]'' 30 May 2016 ( archived on 21 Aug 2021). It's [[4chan|/pol/]]servatism, and it's the future. Everyone talks about brownshirts, but what about [[Mao]]'s Red Guard?></ref>

===If I Were A Rich Man===
Bill Browder, a former fund manager in Russia, estimated that Putin has amassed US$200 billion, but officially he is worth only about $200,000.00 (!). He spent most of it on [https://archive.is/IXwyJ botox], though.<ref>[https://archive.is/0pwKQ "Botox trends on Twitter amid Vladimir Putin surgery rumours"], ''Telegraph'' ( archived on 4 Jul 2016 ).</ref>

For comparison, in late 2017, the "official" richest person in the world (the person who verifiably has the most wealth in their own name) was Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, whose net worth was around $100 billion (though fluctuating wildly). Second was [[Microsoft]] co-founder [[Bill Gates]], at around $90 billion. According to Browder, Putin doesn't really need any wealth because he has absolute power and there is just an illusion of [[oligarchy]].<ref>[https://archive.is/0Nt43/ Putin's net-worth is $200 billion says Russia's once largest foreigner investor] ''CNN Press Room'' (February 15th, 2015) ( archived on october 21 2023)</ref> The lack of a real oligarchy became apparent when Mikhail Khodorkovsky was imprisoned and later exiled for annoying the boss.<ref>[https://archive.is/2HPh Profile: Mikhail Khodorkovsky] ''BBC News'' 30 December 2010 ( archived on 13 Jul 2012)</ref>

According to {{wpl|Alexei Navalny}}, Russia's opposition leader and anti-corruption activist, Putin owns a massive residence totally worth more than a billion dollars.<ref>[https://archive.is/5Pqwc Putin's Palace. History of World's Largest Bribe (with English subtitles)]  (archived from YouTube 6 Apr 2022) Алексей Навальный (Jan 19, 2021) </ref>

===Science and technology===
{{main|1=Science|3=Technology}}
Putin has expressed [[Doublethink|contradictory views]] on new technologies: 

{{quotebox|I believe that [new] business models are not a threat to existing ones. … But, objectively, they do represent a threat.<ref>Henni, Adrien. [https://archive.is/e0IK7/ Putin: Tech should not be demonized, but it is ‘an objective threat’ to businesses] ''VentureBeat''. November 25, 2016 ( archived on 21 October 2023)</ref>}}

Putin has given official state support for innovation and has said Russia can build a vibrant and diversified economy through technical and scientific prowess.<ref name="NyTimes Aug 2017">[https://archive.is/0mtB5 Russia Wants Innovation, but It's Arresting Its Innovators] ''The New York Times'' by Andrew Higgnis August 9 2017 (archived on 9 Mar 2022)</ref> However, the Russian state often stifles growth and undermines this goal through widespread corruption, the increasing power of Russian security services, as well as insufficient democratic checks and balances.<ref name="NyTimes Aug 2017"/> The controversial arrest of [[physicist]] Dmitri Trubitsyn caused outrage among scientists in Russia, who viewed it as contradictory to Russia's stated economic aims.<ref name="NyTimes Aug 2017"/> According to Russian writer {{wpl|Alfred Koch||,}} Putin has taken steps to destroy higher education and cut the financing of science because he considers [[Anti-intellectualism|thinking and educated people to be a threat]] to his regime <ref>[https://archive.is/SaSQo/ Alfred Koch: Putin’s rejection of science and fear of the educated destroying Russia’s future] ''Euromaidan Press'' by PAUL A. GOBLE 20/01/2015 (archived on 21 October 20230).</ref> (a common [[Fascism#Stanley|characteristic of fascist regimes according to at least one definition]]).

Putin has been described as a [[Luddite]] since he does not have a smartphone, doesn't use email and doesn't have any social network accounts.<ref>Orlova, Karina. [https://www.the-american-interest.com/2017/06/26/inside-putins-echo-chamber/ Inside Putin’s Echo Chamber] ''The American Interest''. June 26, 2017</ref> He has also described the internet as a "CIA project".<ref>MacAskill, Ewen. [https://archive.is/n91Nt Putin calls internet a 'CIA project' renewing fears of web breakup] ''The Guardian UK''. April 24, 2014 Ewen MacAskill, ( archived on 28 Apr 2014)</ref> According to ''Time'', Putin's apparent technophobia is due to his knowledge of KGB eavesdropping practices and he wants to make it as easy as possible to keep his conversations private.<ref>Shuster, Simon. [https://archive.is/cgpEP/ Putin’s Fear of Texting Kept U.S. Spymasters in the Dark] ''TIME''. March 24, 2014 BY SIMON SHUSTER (archived on 21 Oct 2023)</ref>{{efn|The internet was actually a US National Science Foundation project.}}

In 2017 he condemned [[Bitcoin]] and called for Russia to impose a ban on digital currencies.<ref>Dinkins, David. [https://archive.is/jNjEZ Putin Condemns Bitcoin, Calls for Russian Ban of Digital Currencies] ''Cointelgraph.com''. October 10, 2017 By David Dinkins (archived on 17 Oct 2017)</ref>

====Putin will live forever====
In a hot-mic conversation with his big brother [[Xi Jinping]], Putin was apparently more serious than Xi about life extension, saying, "Human organs can be constantly transplanted, to the extent that people can get younger, perhaps even immortal."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/05/healthy-living-science-doctors-vladimir-putin-pursuit-of-longevity-xi-jinping ‘People can get younger, perhaps even immortal’: Putin’s pursuit of longevity. Russian leader was caught musing about immortality with Xi Jinping but his fascination with long life is nothing new] by Pjotr Sauer (5 Sep 2025 06.21 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref> Is it likely? No: there's been a flight of scientists out of Russia following Putin's war against Ukraine, science has been re-politicized in Russia by Putin, and Putin has appointed [[pseudoscientific]] [[crank]] Mikhail Kovalchuk to key scientific positions.<ref>[https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/05/putin-xi-immortality-lifespan-death-hot-mic/ Putin and Xi Have Different Plans to Live Forever: What a fixation with immortality says about two aging autocrats.] by James Palmer (September 5, 2025, 12:48 PM) ''Foreign Police''.</ref>


===Pussy Riot===
[[File:Pussy Riot by Igor Mukhin.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Some of the grrls.]]
{{wpl|Pussy Riot}} is a feminist Russian all-female [[punk]] band. They attracted international attention after staging an unauthorised concert in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in February 2012 - performing songs that denounced Vladimir Putin &mdash; and three of them were arrested for 'hooliganism'. One reason that the cathedral was selected for the protest is the support for Putin given by [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox Church]] leader, Patriarch Kirill.

Their case has aroused widespread concern after claims of harsh treatment while in custody and a harsh sentence for what is seen by many as an issue of [[Freedom of speech|free speech]]. The federal prosecutor's demand for a custodial sentence is seen as a return to the hard-line [[Soviet Union|Soviet era]] quashing of dissent by Putin.

In August 2012, three members of Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years imprisonment for their role in the Cathedral of Christ concert.<ref>BBC news, [https://archive.is/NhNm "Pussy Riot members jailed for two years for hooliganism"], ''BBC'' 17 August 2012 ( archived on 16 Sep 2012).</ref> According to reports, one member was hospitalised because of illnesses she contracted as a result of prison work.<ref>Alternet, [https://archive.is/3qBbMBy "Is the Russia Prison System Working Pussy Riot Member to Death?"], 1 February 2013 By Steven Hsieh ( archived on 8 Jul 2013) </ref> One member, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was released in 2012. The remaining pair, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, were released from prison in the lead-up to the 2014 Winter Olympics and (according to an anonymous statement on behalf of some of the band's members) booted from the band because they 
joined the [[Life of Brian|Judean People's Front]]
 abandoned the group's original political values.<ref>[https://archive.is/ZwbLt "Russia's Pussy Riot disowns freed pair"], ''BBC'' 6 February 2014 ( archived on 28 Sep 2022 )</ref> This is, however, called into a little bit of doubt by the fact that both were in the band's performance at the Olympics, where they were attacked with whips and pepper spray by security.<ref>[https://www.theage.com.au/world/cossacks-attack-pussy-riot-in-sochi-with-whips-and-pepper-spray-20140220-hvd27.html Cossacks attack Pussy Riot in Sochi with whips and pepper spray] ''The Age'' 20 February 2014</ref>

===Putin's obsessive anti-LGBT hatred===
As part of his trend to annihilate the LGBT community in Russia and in order to appeal to  the GOP's lowlife supporters, Putin has enacted a load of anti-gay and anti-trans laws in his rubber stamp parliament called the State Duma.<ref>https://www.forbes.ru/society/482069-putin-podpisal-zakon-o-zaprete-propagandy-lgbt</ref>

===Killing Russian humor===
In 2000, the Russian television station NTV ran a satirical television show called Kukly (Russian: Куклы, "Puppets" or "Dolls") that made fun of politicans,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmdEiL6Avv0 Putin’s Story | The Puppet Show Banned In Russia (Kukly NTV 2000)] by Waleed Higgins (Mar 21, 2022) ''YouTube''.</ref> Putin included. Putin, humorless as all tyrants are, had NTV shut down and its owner, Vladimir Gusinsky, imprisoned.<ref>[https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/fln36-soc-prpress/putin-and-the-press-putins-revenge-frontline/ Putin and the Press | Putin's Revenge] ''Frontline'' (PBS).</ref> Putin's elimination of satire was a prelude to his elimination of the free press within Russia.<ref>[https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/09/19/for-russians-like-me-silencing-jimmy-kimmel-looks-dangerously-familiar-a90567 For Russians Like Me, Silencing Jimmy Kimmel Looks Dangerously Familiar] by Andrei Soldatov (Sep. 19, 2025) ''THe Moscow Times''.</ref><ref>[https://contrarian.substack.com/p/tyrants-have-always-targeted-comedians Tyrants Have Always Targeted Comedians for Making Political Jokes. Long before Jimmy Kimmel or Stephen Colbert, there was Werner Finck and Robert Dorsay] by Meredith Blake (Sep 23, 2025) ''The Contrarian'' (Substack).</ref>

==International support==
{{main|Horseshoe theory}}

{{cquote|Putinism, it appears, has something for everyone. No ideological glue binds the Putin fan club together. For [[paleoconservative]]s unnerved by the spread of progressive cultural values and willing to empower the state to stem the tide, Putinism clothes the naked public square. For liberals who see unrestrained capitalism as a form of anarchic looting, Putinism puts the state back where it belongs: in control [...] In reality, Putinism is a violent, [[paranoid]] [[kleptocracy]] with no [[moral]] force, and those who make common cause with it, or seek to excuse it away, have surrendered any claim to moral probity.|||Seth Mandel<ref>Mandel, [https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-vladimir-putin-fan-club/ "The Vladimir Putin Fan Club"], ''Commentary'' 1 May 2014.</ref>}}

Putin is popular with certain elements of the left, particularly people who oppose {{wpl|Atlanticism||,}} [[globalization]], or US foreign policy. This "anti-imperialism" line was a staple of Soviet apologetics. The apparatchiks justified practically any move with [[Whataboutism|"defense against Western Imperialism"]]. And while the Soviets are dead and buried now, with their rhetoric you can play the Russian public, the left and right wings, like claviatures.<ref>Michel, Casey, [https://archive.is/scpTu "How Putin Played the Far-left"], Daily Beast (13 January 2017 10:15 PM E).</ref><ref>von Rohr, Mathieu, [https://archive.is/etKQ3 "Interview with Marine Le Pen - 'I Don't Want this European Soviet Union'"], ''Dep Speigel'' (3 June 2014 at 06:07 pm) ( archived on 13 July 2023).</ref> Putin, a literal Judo master (or perhaps not<ref>[https://archive.is/DCpEz Is Vladimir Putin a judo fraud?] by Derek Hawkins (July 18, 2017 at 6:00 AM) ''The Washington Post''. ( archived on 29 July 2017)</ref>), invokes this "political judo" stuff all the time.

Many of these same left-wingers will act like the United States is responsible for anything bad Putin does. Aaron Maté attempted to blame Joe Biden for Putin's invasion of Ukraine,<ref>[https://x.com/PostLeftWatch/status/1816636482305540505 Aaron Maté says President Biden was "largely responsible, I think, for Putin invading Ukraine" and then quickly mentions Putin having responsibility, and then adds "Biden certainly provoked it and did his best to prolong it."] @PostLeftWatch, Twitter</ref> Jimmy Dore has attempted to paint NATO as the aggressor,<ref>[https://x.com/PostLeftWatch/status/1733634550738375082 Jimmy Dore: "He [Putin] didn't invade to start a war, Putin invaded to end a war. And I don't--and I totally support that, that's what he shoulda did, because they woulda kept killing people until he did that." "Putin is not the aggressor, the aggressor is NATO."] @PostLeftWatch, Twitter</ref> and Caitlin Johnstone once made a list of all the people responsible for the invasion without mentioning Putin.<ref>[https://x.com/PostLeftWatch/status/1699235299455607258 Obama AND Trump AND Biden helped start the war in Ukraine, according to Caitlin Johnstone. Curiously missing from her list: Vladimir Putin.] @PostLeftWatch, Twitter</ref> Putin has, in response, attempted to throw this group of leftists a bone, arguing in favor of Palestinian statehood<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/putin-israel-palestine-hamas-russia-middle-east-conflict-1938737 Putin Reiterates Russia's Support for 'Full-Fledged State of Palestine'] ''Newsweek''</ref> and arguing one of the reasons he wanted to invade Ukraine was to remove neo-Nazis from power in the area.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2022/03/01/1083677765/putin-denazify-ukraine-russia-history Putin's claim of fighting against Ukraine 'neo-Nazis' distorts history, scholars say] NPR</ref>

Right-wing support for Russia isn't new. The support really started to grow in 2013, after the signing of the gay propaganda law. Those of the [[alt-right]] persuasion have been warming up to Russia for several years now, especially in light of Middle East unrest, the Saudi pipeline efforts in [[Syria]], and the flood of Muslims into Europe. But even before Syria, Russia was known for having a very right-wing, ultra-orthodox government and politics. Their government is also active in promoting far-right politics outside of Russia and the U.S. The ''Tagesanzeiger'' published an article about a meeting of various far-right parties with representatives of like-minded Russian parties; far-left parties attended similar events. It suggests a network connecting European right-wingers (such as [[Marine Le Pen|Le Pen]], [[Golden Dawn|Michaloliakos]],<ref>Nascimbeni, Francois, [https://archive.is/INrAa "Russia funds French National Front: is Moscow sowing European unrest?"], ''The Week'' 25 November 2015 ( archived on 15 September 2016).</ref> [[Nigel Farage|Farage]],<ref>Morris, Nigel, [https://archive.is/6h92a "Nigel Farage: Vladimir Putin is the world leader I most admire"], ''Independent'' 30 March 2014. ( archived on 31 March 2014)</ref> or Strache) and left-wingers (like Alexis Tsipras, Bernd Riexinger, [[George Galloway]], and Katja Kipping) to persons close to the Russian government.<ref>Odenhal, Bernhard, [https://archive.is/iQTYe "Gipfeltreffen mit Putins fünfter Kolonne"], ''Tagesanzeiger'' June 3 2014 ( archived on 4 Feb 2020) . English translation: ''Other guests in the Palais Liechtenstein also lauded Putin. One speaker proclaimed the Russian President to be the "Redeemer" and the reincarnation of Alexander the First.'' Fifth column for everybody!</ref> 

In September 2024, a United States intelligence report alleged that many right-wing online influencers were on the bankroll of the Russian government.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/russian-interference-presidential-election-influencers-trump-999435273dd39edf7468c6aa34fad5dd Right-wing influencers were duped to work for covert Russian operation, US says] Associated Press</ref>

===2016 US election interference===

[[File:Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at the 2017 G-20 Hamburg Summit (4).jpg|thumb|right|250px|Putin with his pal.]]

{{cquote|Congratulations, US media! You've just covered your first press conference of an authoritarian leader with a massive ego and a deep disdain for your trade and everything you hold dear. We, in Russia, have been doing it for 12 years now— with a short hiatus when our leader wasn’t technically our leader — so quite a few things during Donald Trump's press conference rang my bells.|||Alexey Kovalev<ref>Kovalev, [https://archive.is/RcnlR "A message to my doomed colleagues in the American media"], Medium 12 January 2017 ( archived on 22 June 2017).</ref>}}

[[Donald Trump]] worked closely with the Kremlin throughout his 
[[Richard M. Nixon]] comeback tour
 Presidential campaign, namely by picking [[Paul Manafort |Paul "Agent to the Czars" Manafort]] as his campaign chief.<ref>Manafort is infamous for being a propaganda minister, PR spinner, and general advisor/lobbyist for such "heroes" as Putinist kleptocrat Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine, terrorist Jonas Savimbi of Angola, dictator Mobutu Seso Seko of Zaire, and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines.</ref><ref>David Filipov and Andrew Roth, [https://archive.is/6LP4i "Moscow had contacts with Trump team during campaign, Russian diplomat says"], WaPo (10 October 2016 at 12:28 PM) ( archived on 7 September 2017) .</ref><ref>Schreckinger, Ben, [https://archive.is/b0qNG "Inside Trump's 'cyborg' Twitter army"], Politico (30 September 2016 at 05:06 AM EDT) ( archived on 15 Aug 2022).</ref> Trump publicly ordered Russia to deliver the goods on Clinton, which they did.<ref>Ashley Parker and David E. Sanger, [https://archive.is/lWFuJ "Donald Trump Calls on Russia to Find Hillary Clinton’s Missing Emails"] NYT 27 July 2016 ( archived on 7 Oct 2020) .</ref> He continues to praise Russia and belittle his own nation to the news media.<ref>[https://archive.is/RZpq9 "Donald Trump says the U.S. gets 'no respect' from Vladimir Putin"], WaPo 27 July 2016 ( archived on 15 Jan 2017).</ref> He has stacked his cabinet and staff with Kremlin sympathizers. When you find out the CEO of Exxon has ties to Russia and you nominate him as Secretary of State, that's not draining the swamp. That's drinking it. (Trump voters are suckers of the first order.)<ref>Matt Egan, Julia Horowitz and Chris Isidore, [https://archive.is/z8i9v "Behind the deep ties between Exxon's Rex Tillerson and Russia"], CNN (11 December 2016 at 7:20 PM ET) ( archived on 12 Apr 2017).</ref> Now it appears he was not only coordinating with the Kremlin through his network and violating the Logan Act,<ref>Jonathan Landay and Arshad Mohammed, [https://archive.is/SU1kd "Trump adviser had five calls with Russian envoy on day of sanctions: sources"], Reuters (1/13/17 at 7:39pm EST) ( archived on 25 Feb 2017).</ref> but the consensus in the U.S intelligence community is that Russia was behind the [[WikiLeaks#DNC hack|Guccifer 2.0]] email hack which helped scuttle Clinton's campaign—though we may never know the extent of their involvement, nor will we ever truly understand just how much it actually affected the campaign at all.<ref>David E. Sanger and Charlie Savage, [https://archive.is/WrCAz "U.S. Says Russia Directed Hacks to Influence Elections"] NYT 7 october 2016 ( archived on 3 Jan 2019) </ref><ref>Francheschi-Biccherai, Lorenzo, [https://archive.is/I7M4C "Guccier 2.0 is Likely a Russian Government Attempt To Cover Up Their Own Hack"], Motherboard (16 June 2016 at 1:35 PM EST) ( archived on 4 Mar 2019).</ref><ref>Timberg, Craig, [https://archive.is/UNJZV "Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say"], WaPo 24 November 2016. ( archived on 	28 Jan 2023) </ref><ref>Nakashima, Ellen, [https://archive.is/z0bBH "Russian hackers targeted Arizona election system"], WaPo 29 August 2016 ( archived on 18 Jun 2020).</ref><ref>Rogin, Josh, [https://archive.is/ej4WR "Trump allies, WikiLeaks and Russia are pushing a nonsensical conspiracy theory about the DNC hacks"] WaPo 12 August 2016.</ref> However, the lack of publicly available evidence and suspicious parallels with [[Iraq War|the notorious 2002 intelligence reports on Iraqi "weapons of mass destruction"]] led some analysts to question the whole "Russian hack" narrative.<ref>[https://archive.is/A6vFr Why Some U.S. Ex-Spies Don't Buy the Russia Story: Evidence that undermines the "election hack" narrative should get more attention.] by Leonid Bershidsky (August 10, 2017, 7:39 AM PDT. Corrected August 10, 2017, 10:39 AM PDT) ''Bloomberg'' ( archived on 1 Jul 2020) .</ref><ref>[https://archive.is/OLAtA Russian Intervention in American Election Was No One-Off] by Scott Shane (January 6, 2017) ''New York Times'' ( archived on 3 Sep 2017).</ref> The strangest detail is the clumsiness of the "Guccifer 2.0" persona, with his Google-translated Romanian and blatant Russian language clues in the metadata; as {{wpl|James Bamford}} put it, "the sloppy, Inspector Clouseau-like nature of the Guccifer 2.0 operation... smacked more of either an amateur operation or a deliberate deception".<ref>[https://archive.is/oZpsu Commentary: Don't be so sure Russia hacked the Clinton emails] (November 2, 2016), Reuters ( archived on 8 Jan 2017) </ref>

[[File:Preventing Putin election interference.png|thumb|right|300px|The United States has sent its best people to prevent further election interference.]]

During the election, Trump said he might stop sending aid to anti-Assad rebels in [[Syria]] as part of a U.S.-Russia peace process.<ref>[https://archive.is/w28ca Donald Trump Likely to End Aid for Rebels Fighting Syrian Government] ''New York Times'' By DAVID E. Sanger NOV 11, 2016 ( archived on 12 November 2016)</ref> Six months after taking office, he ended the program, largely due to its failure to achieve the desired result of toppling the Syrian government.<ref>[https://archive.is/BcMQO Trump Ends Covert Aid to Syrian Rebels Trying to Topple Assad] ''The New York Times'' 19 July 2017 ( archived on 7 Mar 2021 )</ref> Trump is even talking about reducing the power of American intelligence agencies specifically because they have information about Russia that Russia says is false.<ref>Levitz, Eric, [https://archive.is/r7GyM "Donald Trump Plans to ‘Pare Back’ Top U.S. Spy Agency"], ''New York magazine'' (4 January 2017 at 6:41 p.m.) ( archived on 7 Jan 2017).</ref> He's already trashed the FBI's credibility and valued apolitical position.<ref>Smith, Allan, [https://archive.is/PFGWK "Report: Comey expressed concerns about accusing Russia of meddling with election because it was too close to November"], Business Insider (31 October 2016 at 5:19 PM) ( archived on 7 Jan 2017).</ref>

What's really fascinating is that the ruble is one of the worst performers post-election, yet the Russian government is barely able to contain its joy over Trump winning. This also ties into the massive deficit Russia is facing (they're in a deficit of over 3%. That's absolutely terrible.) So you can see why their government is so heavily supportive of Trump if it means sanctions lifting; it would be a giant weight lifted off the Russian economy.<ref>Andrew Osborne and Christian Lowe, [https://archive.is/F0hVv "Russia revels in Trump victory, looks to sanctions relief"], Reuters (9 November 2016 at 3:54pm EST) ( archived on 23 Nov 2016).</ref>

===Buyers' Remorse===
Despite preferring Trump to Clinton, the Kremlin grew increasingly frustrated with Donald Trump as President. The American leader said, in a tweet, that Crimea was taken by Russia, and his White House issued a statement on Valentine's Day declaring that sanctions would only be removed if Crimea is returned to Ukraine. Immediately thereafter, coverage of Trump, which exceeded coverage of Putin, was dramatically scaled back, and more criticism of Trump was allowed as disillusionment, bewilderment, and frustration grew within the Kremlin. So much for that. Let this be a lesson to all of Russia: you just joined the long list of investors screwed by Donald Trump.<ref>[https://archive.is/v1nzM Russians disheartened by Trump as his love affair with Putin fizzles] ''USA Today'' 3 March 2017 ( ARCHIVED on 2 Nov 2023)</ref>

===You like me, you really like me===
{{cquote|In the new war of beliefs, Putin is saying, it is Russia that is on God’s side. The West is [[Gomorrah]].|||[[Pat Buchanan]]<ref>Kludt, Tom, [https://archive.is/nFOWi "Pat Buchanan Thinks God Is On Putin's Side"], TPM (4 April 2014 at 11:38 AM EDT) ( archived on 27 Aug 2016).</ref>}}
	 
In a stroke of [[irony]], Putin was shortlisted as the [[Conservapedia]] 2013 Conservative of the Year, showing that [[authoritarian]]s around the world tend to stick together.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131227032602/http://www.conservapedia.com/Conservative_of_the_Year_2013 Conservative of the Year 2013] ''Conservapedia'' (archived from December 27, 2013).</ref> It's not just them; [[Patrick Buchanan]] and [[Fox News]] talking heads have also expressed an odd admiration for his style of leadership.<ref>[https://archive.is/Fq2sN When the right loved Vladimir Putin: Back when Putin was in the news for oppressing LGBT people, many conservatives said he had his virtues] by Elias Isquith (March 3, 2014) ''Salon'' (archived on 26 Aug 2014).</ref><ref>[https://archive.is/F1u9s Fox Host Requests Putin Be US President For 48 Hours To Deal With Islamic State: Kimberly Guilfoyle: “I Just Want Somebody To Get In Here And Get It Done Right”] (26 August 2014) ''Media Matters for America'' ( archived on 29 Aug 2014) .</ref> Keep in mind that Putin's ideology is strongly Anti-American at every turn.<ref>[https://archive.is/vmouS Putin Just Gave One Of The Most Anti-American Speeches Of His Career], Business insider Retrieved on September 7, 2023 (archived on 2 Nov 2023 ).</ref> Why any patriotic American would support a guy who obviously holds Anti-American views is anybody's guess.

==And now for something completely different==

[[File:Putin with rifle.jpeg|thumb|right|225px|No shirt? No problem!]]

Known for an alarmingly higher-pitched voice and mobster accent than his face indicates,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV4IjHz2yIo "Fats" Vladimir sings "Blueberry Hill"]</ref> Putin likes to remind his countrymen (and the world) what a [[Machismo|macho]] guy he is. He knows [[Martial arts|
kung fu
 judo]]. He "captured"<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/15/putin-tiger-pr-stunt Putin's fabled tiger encounter was PR stunt, say environmentalists: Putin allegedly came face to face with wild tiger four years ago, but bloggers now say it was set up using a zoo animal] by Miriam Elder (15 Mar 2012 14.38 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref> and "tamed" (or "raised") a fully-grown tiger <small>cub</small> that he <small>was given and</small> kept as a pet.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/oct/11/russia-wildlife Happy birthday Mr Putin, here's a tiger!] by Luke Harding (10 Oct 2008 19.01 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref> He likes to go [[fish]]ing without a shirt.<ref>[https://archive.is/vcWFC Vladimir Putin angling photos raise suspicions: Bloggers question reported 21kg weight of catch and suggest some pictures said to be from weekend trip may be years old] by Alec Luhn (29 Jul 2013 12.32 EDT) ''The Guardian'' ( archived on 7 Aug 2013 ).</ref> As far as public health campaigns go, "shirtless Putin" was very successful.

He brings his [[dog]] to staff meetings. In fact, he made a point of bringing the dog when he met with [[Angela Merkel]], even though (or more likely ''because'') he knew Merkel was uncomfortable around dogs. 
Putin loved his {{wpl|Dmitry Medvedev|pet Chihuahua}} so much he let it sit in his presidential chair from 2008 to 2012 and [[Sockpuppet|even pretended that little Dima was actually in charge]]. 

In recent years, he has been partly credited (alongside Russian optics firm LOMO) for saving [[Films|film]]-based photography from extinction, given the surge in popularity of "Lomography."<ref>[https://archive.is/dSxlr Did the Lomo camera save film photography?], BBC, 22 November 2012 by Stephen Dowling (archived on 19 Apr 2013)</ref>

If his career in Russian politics were to end, he would be the perfect Bond villain. We could then see the fruition of Putin and his defense minister's plans for the development of futuristic weapons, including [[Parapsychology|psychotronic]] weapons. Well... kinda. It's weird.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/science/cosmic-log/reality-check-russias-zombie-ray-gun-program-flna677150 Reality check on Russia's 'zombie ray gun' program] by Alan Boyle (April 6, 2012, 5:24 PM PDT) ''NBC News''.</ref>

Putin also holds the Guinness World Record for holding the most expensive (and weirdest) Olympic Games ever.<ref>[https://archive.is/QvgyW Crimea move makes Sochi look like $50 billion in wasted PR for Russia], ''Sunday Morning Herald'' March 2, 2014 by Nick Miller ( archived on 3 Mar 2014) </ref> <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230000000000*/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlUsMuz9_RU Russian Police Choir Covers Daft Punk s Get Lucky] ''Youtube'' by el Corcho on Feb 12, 2014)</ref> They were also perhaps the most dopingest in a long time. Or at least that's what we know thanks to Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov and American documentary film-maker and amateur doping enthusiast Bryan Fogel.<ref>{{wpa|Icarus (2017) film}}</ref>

==War in Ukraine==
===Euromaidan, Annexation of Crimea, and War in Donbas===
[[File:Ukraine Waters.png|thumb|right|225px|The Black Sea's waters after Russia took Crimea.]]

Since 2013, [[Ukraine]] has become a global flashpoint between Russia and the [[United States]]. To put a long story short, {{wpl|Leonid Kravchuk}} and {{wpl|Leonid Kuchma}}, the first two presidents of Ukraine, maintained good relations with Russia, but their ties to both [[oligarch]]s and [[organized crime]], especially mafia types, made it easier for a reformist named {{wpl|Viktor Yushchenko}} to try to take power. Yushchenko was far more critical of Russia due to its own issues with corruption, oligarchy, and [[capitalism]]. When he was prime minister, Yushchenko lost a vote of no confidence because he was hated by centrists aligned with oligarchs.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/apr/27/iantraynor Ukraine's popular PM forced out: Communists and business combine to push ex-Soviet state back towards Moscow's orbit] by Ian Traynor (26 Apr 2001 21.22 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref> When he ran for president, against a man named {{wpl|Viktor Yanukovych}}, Yushchenko was poisoned, although he survived and made a full recovery before going on to become president.<ref>[https://archive.is/xc4e Yushchenko and the poison theory: Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko first claimed that he had been poisoned in September when he was admitted to a clinic suffering from stomach pains.] (11 December, 2004, 17:03 GMT) ''BBC'' ( archived on 12 Jul 2012) .</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070218082557/http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/12/11/yushchenko.austria/index.html Doctors confirm Yushchenko was poisoned: Unknown 'third party' believed to have administered dioxin] December 11, 2004) ''CNN'' (archived from February 18, 2007).</ref> Yanukovych, who was himself running as an anti-corruption candidate, beat Yushchenko, became president, and initially took a neutralist stance between NATO and Russia. Eventually, Yanukovych abandoned all European deals and went with an economic deal with Russia, which pissed off Ukrainians so much that they not only protested but actually threw him out of the country after he ordered snipers to kill 100 protesters. Without Yanukovych, Putin used that as pretext to send the Russian military, which he called "little green men",{{efn|No, that kind of "[[Little Green Men]]", but unmarked Russian soldiers in green uniforms.<ref name=shevchenko/>}}<ref name=shevchenko>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26532154 "Little green men" or "Russian invaders"?] by Vitaly Shevchenko (11 March 2014) ''BBC''.</ref> to annex Russian-majority Crimea and Sevastopol, while supporting pro-Russian separatists in Luhansk and Donetsk, two Russian language-majority cities in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/russia-putin-crimea-idUKL6N0N921H20140417?edition-redirect=uk Putin admits Russian forces were deployed to Crimea] (April 17, 2014) ''Reuters''.</ref>

===Putin's imperial insanity===
{{main|Imperialism}}
{{cquote|As we are all now painfully aware, Vladimir Putin, Russian president and World War III edgelord, began an assault on the second-largest country in Europe this week, shelling several cities and sending troops across the border.|||John Oliver<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-oliver-says-george-w-bush-should-shut-the-fuck-up-about-russias-ukraine-invasion John Oliver Says George W. Bush Should ‘Shut the Fuck Up’ About Russia’s Ukraine Invasion] by Marlow Stern (Updated Feb. 28, 2022 1:58AM EST; Published Feb. 27, 2022 11:44PM EST) ''The Daily Beast''.</ref>}}
On July 2021, Putin wrote an article detailing his views on Ukraine, which shares its origin story with Russia and Belarus through Kievan Rus (879–1240 CE), the original Russo-Ukrainian nation-state. In the article, titled "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians",<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220201003310/http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181 ”On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians] by Vladimir Putin (July 12, 2021 17:00) ''Kremlin.ru'' (archived from February 1, 2022).</ref> Putin starts off fairly sentimental, downright emotional, and uncharacteristically generous in his views of Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarussians, saying they are one people, one nation, with one destiny. He details Ukraine and Russia's shared history, along with Belarus, but there's a catch: he thinks Ukraine is a fake country, he thinks Ukraine's history is fake, he thinks Ukraine's sovereignty is fake, he thinks Ukraine's independence was pushed by Western powers, and he complains that the West turned Ukraine into a proxy against Russia. He even explicitly blames the USSR for pandering to nationalists, splitting up Russian territory, and giving each Soviet republic the right to secede in the constitution, even though Ukraine cited the U.N. Charter, not Lenin's constitution, as the source for asseting their own self-determination. To repeat: he was pissed that historically non-Russian nations were allowed to identify as non-Russian.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/25/words-deeds-putin-shows-hes-rejecting-even-soviet-era-borders/ "In words and deeds, Putin shows he’s rejecting even Soviet-era borders," Washington Post]</ref><ref>[https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/vladimir-putins-revisionist-history-of-russia-and-ukraine "Vladimir Putin’s Revisionist History of Russia and Ukraine," New Yorker]</ref> Many critics argued this was absolutely bugfuck irrational.<ref>[https://imrussia.org/en/analysis/3335-putin-and-ukraine-power-and-the-construction-of-history Putin and Ukraine: Power and the construction of history] by Dmitry Shlapentokh (08 September 2021) ''Institute of Modern Russia''.</ref> 

On 22 February, 2022, he made a now-infamous hour-long speech basically reiterating and refurbishing his views from the article the year prior, where he recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics and publicly humiliated his top spy chief for slightly moving against his decision.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/22/putin-russian-president-ukraine-speech-western-diplomats-scrambling "Putin’s rambling Ukraine speech leaves western diplomats scrambling," Patrick Wintour, The Guardian]</ref> During the speech, Putin in fact ''denies'' the existence of Ukraine as an independent nation,<ref name=unfreedom/>{{rp|61-66}} angrily calling it "a colony with a puppet regime" and with no historical right to exist.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/21/putin-angry-spectacle-amounts-to-declaration-war-ukraine "Putin’s absurd, angry spectacle will be a turning point in his long reign," Shawn Walker, The Guardian]</ref> Noting the large number of ethnic Russians in Ukraine, Putin compares "the formation of an ethnically pure Ukrainian state, aggressive towards Russia" to a use of [[Weapons of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction]] against Russians. This [[revisionist history]] has been called revanchist, imperialist, and neo-[[Tsar]]ist.<ref>[https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putins-new-ukraine-essay-reflects-imperial-ambitions/ Putin’s new Ukraine essay reveals imperial ambitions] by Peter Dickinson (July 15, 2021) ''Atlantic Council''.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/07/putins-ukraine-rhetoric-driven-by-distorted-view-of-neighbour Putin’s Ukraine rhetoric driven by distorted view of neighbour: Russian president believes it his 'duty’ to reverse Kyiv’s path towards west] by Andrew Roth (7 Dec 2021 13.02 EST) ''The Guardian''.</ref> 

Putin vociferously argued that Ukraine should never join NATO because he sees NATO as a fundamental enemy of Russia due to NATO not disbanding when the [[Eastern Bloc]] disbanded. However, NATO has a very specific rule: countries with territorial disputes (meaning nations at war over contested land) are not eligible even to apply for NATO membership, let alone be granted actual membership. This happened to Georgia; carving out Abkhazia and South Ossetia meant Tbilisi was no longer even capable of applying for NATO membership. That means Ukraine also can't join NATO solely because of Crimea and Donbas. Ukrainian president [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]] himself said Ukraine joining NATO is but a "dream" and not a realistic possibility at all. And yet Putin invaded Ukraine anyway, making it clear that it was actually never about NATO. It was always about power, craved by a paranoid old man, who is desperate for a larger-than-life legacy but is allergic to criticism and incapable of changing his ways, at great human cost.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/europe/100000008208479/russia-ukraine-nato-zelensky.html Ukrainian President Says NATO Membership May Only Be a ‘Dream’] (February 14, 2022) ''AP'' via ''The New York Times''. The speech by Zelenskyy.</ref>. In short, Putin wants a mythical legacy, and he's willing to destroy Russia's international relations, international laws, and world peace to achieve it.

===''1984''===
[[image:putin.gif|thumb|right|165px|
A James Bond movie villain
 Big Brother is always watching.]]
In the run-up to and during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has shared some peculiar parallels with [[George Orwell]]'s novel ''1984''. Even in the 1990s, the ultraconservative Russian philosopher [[Aleksandr Dugin]] borrowed from previous generations of Russian conspiracy theorists, further developing the concept of 'Eurasianism' to counter the West's 'Atlanticism' (NATO and the EU).<ref>Charles Clover (2017), Black Wind, White Snow: The Rise of Russia's New Nationalism, ISBN-13 978-0300226454</ref><ref>''Основы геополитики / Osnovy Geopolitiki'' by Aleksandr Dugin (1997) Arktogeja. ISBN 585928019X. [[https://agdugintranslate.gitbook.io/foundations-of-geopolitics/ ''Foundations of Geopolitics'']: Machine-translated version in English].</ref> These two concepts directly parallel Orwell's warring empires of Eurasia and Oceania. Similarly, historian Timothy Snyder refers specifically to Russia when he refers to the 'politics of eternity',<ref name=unfreedom/> a concept that appears in ''1984'' in the lack of past or future, and in Putin's long and essentially unbroken reign from 1999 onward, with no obvious line of succession (Putin having eliminated all political opposition). Putin has removed nearly all independent media within Russia and engaged in enforced newspeak<ref>[https://euromaidanpress.com/2021/06/18/a-brief-dictionary-of-putin-newspeak/ A brief dictionary of Putin newspeak] by Paul A. Goble (2021/06/18) ''Euromaidan Press''.</ref> (e.g., 'special military operation' rather than 'war' for the invasion of Ukraine), and doublespeak (e.g., giving the reason for the invasion as denazification of Ukraine despite the president being Jewish).<ref>[https://theconversation.com/putins-brazen-manipulation-of-language-is-a-perfect-example-of-orwellian-doublespeak-178865 Putin’s brazen manipulation of language is a perfect example of Orwellian doublespeak] by Mark Satta (March 14, 2022 3.10pm EDT) ''The Conversation''.</ref> At least one Russian citizen has been punished for what is essentially thoughtcrime (holding up a blank sign in public).<ref name=dixon/>

====''Z''====
[[File:Символ российских войск вторжения в Украину в 2022 году Z Георгиевская лента.png|thumb|right|165px|The {{wpl|Ribbon of Saint George|Russian Saint George's ribbon}}{{efn|Saint George of the [[dragon]] mythos.}} forming the letter Z]]
Another possible instance of doublespeak might be the use of the letter 'Z' for support of the Russian war despite 'Z' not being a Russian letter (the Cyrillic equivalent is З). A Russian film critic compared the Russian "Z" to the [[zombies]] in the movie ''World War Z'' (from Putin supporters being propaganda addicted zombies) after his door was defaced with the letter.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-letter-z-became-a-russian-pro-war-symbol-11646675508 How the Letter Z Became a Russian Pro-War Symbol] by Evan Gershkovich & Matthew Luxmoore (Mar. 8, 2022 7:02 am ET) ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref> However, an older, more pertinent, meaning that would represent doublespeak comes from the 1966 Greek anti-military-[[junta]] 1966 ''Z'' by Vassilis Vassilikos and 1969 film of the same name.<ref>[https://washingtonmonthly.com/2022/04/27/putins-war-on-ukraine-and-the-perversion-of-the-letter-z/  Putin’s War on Ukraine and the Perversion of the Letter “Z”: The Russian dictator has stripped Ukraine bare and stolen a symbol of freedom and hope.] by Markos Kounalakis (April 27, 2022) ''Washington Monthly''.</ref> The Greek letter "Ζ" for ''Ζει'' ("he lives"), represented a protest against the assassination of [[democratic]]ally-elected President Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963.<ref>{{wpa|Z (1969 film)|''Z''}}</ref>

The letter "Z" and its significance to Russia and Ukraine since February 2022 is the perfect example of Orwellian post-truth. A bunch of Russian battle groups had Latin letters Z, V, and O marked on tanks and helicopters, apparently to identify them easier. The Russian Ministry of Defense posted on Instagram that the letter "Z" stood for the Russian phrase "for victory," which is "''за победу''," and is Latinized as "''za pobedu''." Another interpretation for "Z" is the Russian word for west (Russian: запад, romanized: ''zapad''), to designate the Western Military District or west-bound infantry, or more generally to underline the Kremlin's imperial ambitions, with the "V" symbol similarly standing for the word for east (Russian: восток, romanized: ''vostok'').<ref>[https://fortune.com/2022/03/07/russia-z-tank-marking-how-letter-became-symbol-pro-ukraine-war-invasion/ "How the letter Z became a symbol for pro-war Russians," Sophie Mellor, Fortune]</ref><ref>[https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/explained-what-does-the-z-symbol-on-russian-military-vehicles-mean-2808239 "Explained: What Does The "Z" Symbol On Russian Military Vehicles Mean," NDTV]</ref><ref>[https://www.insider.com/decoding-the-z-symbol-russia-ukraine-conflict-2022-3 "Decoding the 'Z' — the mysterious Russian military symbol that's been co-opted by Russia's nationalist movement," Insider]</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60644832 "Ukraine war: Why has 'Z' become a Russian pro-war symbol?" Paul Kerley and Robert Greenall, BBC News]</ref> It still makes no sense for why a Cyrillic-reading people would choose a bunch of ''non''-Cyrillic letters to identify their military units. But in truth, the Z has no real deeper meaning beyond simply identifying Russian troops from Ukrainian troops in the war. It was used as a new tool for propaganda. It doesn't matter if the Z meant anything, because it now has a new meaning: pro-war, pro-Kremlin, ultra-nationalist bigotry.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L77Qg53Rjw "How “Z” became Putin’s new propaganda meme," Vox]</ref> The Z is officially said to symbolize two sevens, in reference to the 77<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Victory Day, a Russian celebration of the defeat of [[Nazi Germany]].<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-z-vremya-symbol-may-day-victory-1698904 True Meaning Behind Russian 'Z' Symbol Finally Revealed] by Brendan Cole (Apr 19, 2022 at 10:42 AM EDT) ''Newsweek''.</ref>

===Invasion of Ukraine===
[[File:Destroyed Russian Tank.jpeg|thumb|right|325px|Russian tank 
destroyed
 ''given special attention'' by Ukrainians during the 
invasion
 ''special military operation''.]]
{{cquote|[Putin] has three advisers. Ivan the Terrible. Peter the Great. And Catherine the Great.|||Sergei Lavrov, Putin's Foreign Minister, after being caught off-guard by the invasion<ref>[https://www.ft.com/content/80002564-33e8-48fb-b734-44810afb7a49 How Putin blundered into Ukraine — then doubled down: The decision to invade was taken after consulting only a tiny circle. The Russian leader has since become even more isolated] by Max Seddon et al. (February 23, 2023) ''Financial Times''.</ref>}}

This followed a ''massive'' military build-up along the border with Ukraine, with nearly 200,000 Russian soldiers at the ready, including troops previously deployed in Belarus for military exercises, although Russia repeatedly denied any intention to escalate the war in Donbas or invade Kyiv.<ref>[https://www.factcheck.org/2022/02/russian-rhetoric-ahead-of-attack-against-ukraine-deny-deflect-mislead Russian Rhetoric Ahead of Attack Against Ukraine: Deny, Deflect, Mislead] by Eugene Kiely & Robert Farley (February 24, 2022) ''FactCheck.org''.</ref> This caused much consternation, but most people, including many within Russia itself, genuinely didn't believe Putin actually intended to invade.

On 21 February 2022, Russia officially recognized the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, two self-proclaimed states in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The following day, on 22 February, Putin ordered Russian troops to "perform peacekeeping functions" in Donbas, and the Russian Federation Council unanimously authorized Putin to use military force outside Russia's borders.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-putin-request-military-force-approved/31717118.html Russian Lawmakers Approve Putin Request To Use Military Force Outside Russia] (Last Updated: February 22, 2022 ) ''Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty''.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-orders-russian-peacekeepers-eastern-ukraines-two-breakaway-regions-2022-02-21/ Putin orders Russian forces to "perform peacekeeping functions" in eastern Ukraine's breakaway regions] (February 22, 202212:04 AM PST) ''Reuters''.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/21/ukraine-putin-decide-recognition-breakaway-states-today Putin orders troops into eastern Ukraine on peacekeeping duties: Russian deployment follows decision to recognise territories in south-east will be viewed in Ukraine and by other western allies as an occupation] by Andrew Roth & Julian Borger (21 Feb 2022 18.48 EST) ''The Guardian''.</ref> 

On 24 February 2022, Putin announced a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine; minutes later, missiles began to hit locations across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian Border Service said that its border posts with Russia and Belarus were attacked. It was an all-out assault, an unprovoked series of attacks on military and civilian targets. Two hours later, Russian ground forces entered the country from Crimea, Belarus, Donbas, and the Black Sea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by enacting [[martial law]], severing diplomatic ties with Russia, and ordering general mobilization. This war of aggression shocked everyone, except the United States; President [[Joe Biden]] and his administration repeatedly warned that Putin would attack Kyiv, but no one believed the White House until it was too late.<ref>[https://www.economist.com/briefing/2022/02/26/russias-invasion-of-ukraine Russia's Invasion of Ukraine] (Feb 26<sup>th</sup> 2022) ''The Economist''.</ref> 

Thousands of Russians protested the war and found themselves arrested by police. Many Russians feel a kinship with Ukrainians, and even hawkish Russians who supported Crimea or Donbas found it utterly incomprehensible and absolutely indefensible to attack and invade Kyiv.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-protest-arrests-1.6362938 More than 1,700 people detained in widespread Russian protests against Ukraine invasion: Protests decrying invasion of Ukraine took place in 54 Russian cities and around the world] (Posted: Feb 24, 2022 1:00 PM ET | Last Updated: February 25) ''AP'' via ''CBC''.</ref><ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/02/24/russia-ukraine-invasion/6920609001/ Biden details new Russian sanctions as death toll climbs in Ukraine] by Courtney Subramanian et al. (Feb. 25, 2022) ''USA Today''.</ref> Putin cited his plans to "demilitarize and [[Nazi analogies#Schizofascism|de-Nazify]]" Ukraine, ignoring that Ukraine's president, Zelenskyy, is [[Jewish]], which earned him rounds of mocking worldwide.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/world/europe/putin-announces-a-military-operation-in-ukraine-as-the-un-security-council-pleads-with-him-to-pull-back.html Putin announces a ‘military operation’ in Ukraine as the U.N. Security Council pleads with him to pull back.] by Anton Troianovski (Feb. 23, 2022) ''The New York Times''.</ref> This also ignores how Putin himself emboldened the rise of, say, [[Azov Battalion]] precisely because he attacked the country. It's a problem he made worse.

Putin is a [[war criminal]] because he ordered the invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine, an action which has been widely recognized as a war of aggression.<ref>[https://www.un.org/press/en/2022/ga12406.doc.htm As Russian Federation’s Invasion of Ukraine Creates New Global Era, Member States Must Take Sides, Choose between Peace, Aggression, General Assembly Hears] (1 March 2022) ''United Nations''.</ref><ref>[https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/596791-what-the-un-general-assembly-vote-on-ukraine-tells-us What the UN General Assembly vote on Ukraine tells us] by Dov S. Zakheim (03/04/22 10:00 AM EST) ''The Hill''.</ref><ref>[https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/ihl/WebART/390-550006?OpenDocument Principles of International Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nüremberg Tribunal and in the Judgment of the Tribunal, 1950. Principle VI] ''International Committee of the Red Cross''.</ref>

===Pariah state===
[[File:All Alone.jpeg|thumb|right|325px|The inevitable fate of every bully, sitting all by himself.]]

This led to near-unanimous condemnation all over the world. [[Kazakhstan]], a close ally and neighbor of Russia, which sent troops to quell anti-government protests to support them, ''refused'' to send weapons or troops and even ''rejected'' Russian calls to recognize Luhansk and Donetsk, a humiliating loss for Putin.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/russia-ukraine-live-updates-n1289976/ncrd1289985#liveBlogCards One of Russia's closest allies denies request for troops] by Peter Alexander (Feb. 25, 2022) ''NBC News''.</ref> NATO and the U.S. authorized weapons, ammunition, equipment, and other supplies, including anti-armor and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine against Russia.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-nato-ukraine-weapons-defense-russia/ U.S. and NATO to surge lethal weaponry to Ukraine to help shore up defenses against Russia] by Margaret Brennan & Eleanor Watson (January 20, 2022 / 8:15 PM) ''CBS News''.</ref> The European Union not only agreed as an organization to purchase hundreds of millions of Euros' worth of lethal aid but also shut down their airspace to all Russian airlines, isolating Russia.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-olaf-scholz-nato-91c93ef0dc7e759d202c0eee9c070ea5 EU shuts airspace to Russian airlines, will buy Ukraine arms] by Emily Schultheis & Lorne Cook (February 27, 2022) ''AP News''.</ref> 

[[File:Anti-Putin graffiti in Luhansk, May 2014.jpg|thumb|right|325px|{{wpl|Putin khuylo!|Putin is a dickhead}} (Путин хуйло)]]

Putin began to show signs of frustration-induced instability. A day after [[Finland]] and [[Sweden]] said that they would not join NATO, Putin threatened to invade Finland and Sweden anyway.<ref>[https://en.as.com/en/2022/02/25/latest_news/1645818163_252093.html Ukraine conflict: Russia issues Sweden and Finland NATO military threat: Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Sweden and Finland of "serious political and military consequences" in the case they join the NATO alliance.] (27 February 2022 22:02 EST) ''AS USA''.</ref> This provoked Sweden to '''break with their neutrality''' and arm Ukraine against Russia, an unprecedented sign of the times.<ref>[https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/sweden-to-send-military-aid-to-ukraine-in-break-with-tradition Sweden to send military aid to Ukraine in break with tradition] (Feb 27, 2022) ''Daily Sabah''.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/sweden-send-military-aid-ukraine-pm-andersson-2022-02-27/ "Sweden to send military aid to Ukraine - PM Andersson] (February 27, 20229:20 AM PST) ''Reuters''.</ref>

Russian propaganda sites, like [[RT]] and Sputnik, were banned by the [[European Union]] for peddling disinformation and dehumanizing [[rhetoric]] against Putin's enemies. Multiple internet media sites, such as [[Google]], banned downloads of all Russian news media apps, kicked Russian TV off the airwaves, and state-backed media channels were thrown off the grid because of their support of the war in Ukraine.<ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/ursula-von-der-leyen-announces-rt-sputnik-ban/ EU to ban Russia’s RT, Sputnik media outlets, von der Leyen says: ‘We will ban the Kremlin’s media machine in the EU,’ Commission president says.] by Laura Kayali (February 27, 2022 6:28 pm) ''Politico''.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/feb/27/eu-ban-russian-state-backed-channels-rt-sputnik EU to ban Russian state-backed channels RT and Sputnik] by Patrick Wintour et al. (27 Feb 2022 14.38) ''The Guardian''.</ref><ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rogers-bell-russia-today-1.6366729 Rogers, Bell to pull Russian state-controlled channel RT over invasion of Ukraine: Network the 'propaganda arm' of Putin, Canadian Heritage Minister says] (Feb 27, 2022 8:56 PM ET) ''CBC News''.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-blocks-russias-rt-app-downloads-ukrainian-territory-says-rt-2022-02-27/ Google blocks Russia's RT app downloads on Ukrainian territory] (February 27, 20227:32 AM PST) ''Reuters''.</ref><ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-27/canada-looks-for-ways-to-pull-plug-on-russian-state-television Russian TV Gets Kicked From Canada Airwaves on Ukraine Fury] by Derek Decloet (February 26, 2022, 9:20 PM PSTUpdated onFebruary 28, 2022, 5:23 AM PST) ''Bloomberg''.</ref>

====International sanctions====
{{cquote|I’ll say that if they are not waging ‘war’ in Ukraine according to Putin’s definition, then we are also not putting economic sanctions on them. It is simply a ‘financial operation.’|||Artis Pabriks, defense minister of [[Latvia]]<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/08/latvia-defense-baltics-eastern-europe-putin/ ‘We cannot blink’: Eastern Europe tells the West it is time to stand up to Putin] by Anthony Faiola (March 8, 2022) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>}}
International sanctions were issued against Russian [[elite]]s, oligarchs, lawmakers, government officials, and Putin himself.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-launch-new-sanctions-against-russia-over-barbaric-attack-ukraine-2022-02-24/ "EU targets Russian economy after 'deluded autocrat' Putin invades Ukraine] by By Ingrid Melander & Gabriela Baczynska (February 24, 20221:49 PM PST) ''Reuters''.</ref> While many European countries were reluctant to sanction their biggest trading partner when it came to oil and gas, Germany, [[Italy]], [[Hungary]], and others eventually relented the longer the war in Ukraine waged. This included banning several Russian banks from SWIFT, the international bank-to-bank transfer system, which meant that Russia lost access to an international payment system and thus Russians cannot use their money outside their country.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-announces-new-russia-sanctions-with-us-others-including-swift-2022-02-26/ U.S., allies target 'fortress Russia' with new sanctions, including SWIFT ban] by Steve Holland et al. (February 26, 202211:02 PM PST) ''Reuters''.</ref> Even '''China''' began restricting Russian bank financing.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-25/chinese-state-banks-restrict-financing-for-russian-commodities China State Banks Restrict Financing for Russian Commodities] (February 25, 2022, 6:43 AM PST; Updated onFebruary 25, 2022, 7:07 AM PST) ''Bloomberg''.</ref><ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/26/politics/biden-ukraine-russia-swift/index.html White House and EU nations announce expulsion of 'selected Russian banks' from SWIFT] by Kaitlan Collins et al. (February 26, 2022) ''CNN''.</ref> Losing hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of financing means they can't properly finance the invasion of Ukraine.<ref>[https://www.ft.com/content/1a9e01b1-03b0-428b-84d1-d8b9be334942 A global financial pariah’: how central bank sanctions could hobble Russia: Ban on Moscow’s use of its roughly $630bn of foreign reserves will harm its ability to withstand the cost of Ukraine war] (27 Feb 2022) ''Financial Times''.</ref> Even the Russian Central Bank was sanctioned, which directly hurts the pockets of not only everyday Russians but also Russian elites.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/russian-central-bank-scrambles-contain-fallout-sanctions-2022-02-28/ Russian central bank scrambles to contain fallout of sanctions] (February 28, 20221:50 PM PST) ''Reuters''.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/27/swift-action-at-last-brings-meaningful-sanctions-against-putin-regime Swift action at last brings meaningful sanctions against Putin regime] by Juliette Garside (26 Feb 2022 20.42 EST) ''The Guardian''.</ref> By February 27, 2022, the ruble plunged to a record low as a result of all the sanctions, having dropped a full 50% against the dollar.<ref>[https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/forex-rouble-plunges-to-record-low-dollar-holds-firm-as-west-bolsters-russia-sanctions FOREX-Rouble plunges to record low, dollar holds firm as West bolsters Russia sanctions] by Kevin Buckland & Alun John (Feb 27, 2022 9:44PM EST) ''Nasdaq''.</ref>

====Western businesses leave Russia====
Following the invasion and early sanctions in response to it, major Western businesses and monopolies have decided to either greatly limit activity or services in Russia or to pull out of the country altogether. Such businesses include Ikea, Spotify, Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros., Adidas, General Motors, Harley Davidson, ExxonMobile, Boeing, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Airbnb, the H&M fast-food chain, BP, Dell, Google, Facebook (parent company now called Meta), Shell, Apple, Nike, TikTok,{{efn|[[TikTok]] is unusual among them in having a Chinese owner.}} Paypal, MasterCard, and Visa, thereby depriving ordinary Russians of much of their livelihoods and money.<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/list-all-the-companies-pulling-out-of-russia-ukraine-war-2022-3 "Here are the major US and European companies pulling out of Russia following the invasion of Ukraine," Business Insider]</ref> <ref>[https://www.economist.com/business/western-businesses-pull-out-of-russia/21807961 "Western businesses pull out of Russia," The Economist]</ref> <ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-corporations-that-have-pulled-out/ "These are the corporations that have pulled out of Russia since its invasion of Ukraine," CBS News]</ref>

Reasons for suspending business or services may vary, and in the case of media companies, the draconian law imposed by Russia to enforce its propaganda about the war, with the threat of up to 15 years in prison for contradicting it, brought a greater pressure to leave Russia. It was cited by Chinese-owned TikTok, which wanted to keep employees and users safe.<ref>[https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/06/tiktok-suspends-content-in-russia-in-response-to-fake-news-law/ "TikTok suspends content in Russia in response to ‘fake news’ law", TechCrunch]</ref>

===Raising the specter of Nuclear War===
Citing “aggressive statements” by NATO and tough financial sanctions, Putin issued a directive to increase the readiness of Russia’s nuclear weapons, raising fears that the invasion of Ukraine could lead to [[nuclear war]], whether by design or mistake. In practice, this changed very little, just putting a few more soldiers on duty at missile silos; however, the fact that Putin put this nuclear dead [[cat]] onto the table has pushed an already tense international situation into overdrive.<ref>[https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/27/key-questions-after-putins-nuclear-announcement-a76637 Key Questions After Putin's Nuclear Announcement] by Didier Lauras (Feb. 27, 2022) ''The Moscow Times''.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/india/war-with-ukraine-putin-puts-nuclear-deterrence-forces-alert-2022-02-27/ Putin puts nuclear deterrent on alert; West squeezes Russian economy] by Maria Tsvetkova (February 27, 20226:52 PM PST) ''Reuters''.</ref><ref>[https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-business-europe-moscow-2e4e1cf784f22b6afbe5a2f936725550 Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert, escalating tensions] by Yuras Karmanjau et al. (February 27, 2022) ''AP''.</ref>

Putin is now accused of having a nuclear weapons deal with Belarus, in response to which NATO and Ukraine condemned the deal due to fears of Nuclear War affecting Ukraine.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-belarus-tactical-nuclear-weapons-3aed32661ae3c218c59117d1ce593777 Ukraine demands emergency UN meeting over Putin nuclear plan] by Karl Ritter (03/26/2023) ''Associated Press''.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-security-chief-says-basing-russian-nuclear-weapons-belarus-will-2023-03-26/ NATO criticises Putin for 'dangerous and irresponsible' nuclear rhetoric] (26 March 2023) ''Reuters'' by By Dan Peleschuk.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-moscow-has-deal-with-belarus-station-nuclear-weapons-there-tass-2023-03-25/  Putin says Moscow to place nuclear weapons in Belarus, US reacts cautiously] (25 March 2023) ''Reuters'' by By David Ljunggren.</ref><ref>[https://apnews.com/article/russia-belarus-nuclear-weapons-2d9584534da25c00c56dbf7b14694e0e  Putin says Russia will station tactical nukes in Belarus] (25 March 2023) ''Associated Press''.</ref>

===Anti-war sentiment in Russia===
{{main|Pacifism}}
[[File:No War Protester Arrested.jpeg|thumb|right|225px|A protester holding a "No War" sign.]]

Despite the iron grip Putin has on the press and the police, Russians publicly spoke out against the war, including Russian athletes, Russian children of government ministers, and even Russian capitalists and oligarchs who made their wealth in the finance and energy sectors that were sanctioned. Thousands of anti-war protesters were arrested throughout the first week of the war. Open letters condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine kept pouring, too. More than 6,000 medical workers put their names under one on February 26; over 3,400 architects and engineers endorsed another while 500 teachers signed a third one. Similar letters by journalists, municipal council members, cultural figures, and other professional groups began making the rounds. Statements decrying the invasion even came from some parliament members, who earlier had voted to recognize the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, a move that preceded the Russian assault. Two lawmakers from the Communist Party, which usually toes the Kremlin's line, spoke out against the hostilities on social media.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/27/more-than-2000-arrested-at-anti-war-protests-in-russia More than 2,000 arrested at anti-war protests in Russia: Rights watchdog says more than 5,000 demonstrators detained across the country since President Putin launched the war on Ukraine.] (27 Feb 2022) ''Al Jazeera''.</ref><ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russian-official-issues-stark-threats-west-83126363 Anti-war sentiment grows in Russia despite govt crackdown] by Dasha Litvinova & Vladimir Isachenkov (February 26, 2022, 1:27 PM) ''ABC News''.</ref><ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/scenes-from-anti-war-protests-around-the-world Scenes from anti-war protests around the world] by Molly Enking (Feb 27, 2022 6:49 PM EST) ''PBS''.</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-02-27/russians-hold-anti-war-rallies-threats-putin-ukraine Russians hold anti-war rallies amid ominous threats by Putin] by Dasha Litvinova (Feb. 27, 2022) ''Los Angeles Times''.</ref> 

An entire delegation of Russian lawmakers in a Gagarinsky municipal district wrote an appeal to Putin, saying not only that the invasion was "a disaster", but that the invasion is "a path to the degradation and impoverishment of the country. No other actions could cause more damage to the Russian economy."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220302032846/https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1498859603806855175 ⚡️Russian lawmakers of Gagarinsky municipal district in Moscow called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “a disaster." “This is a path to the degradation and impoverishment of the country. No other actions could cause more damage to the Russian economy,” reads the appeal.] (3:15 AM · Mar 2, 2022) by The Kyiv Independent (3:15 AM · Mar 2, 2022) ''Twitter'' (archived from March 2, 2022).</ref> Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of Russia's state-run Channel 1, ran into the studio mid-live broadcast of the network's most-watched news show on March 14, yelling "Stop the war!" and holding up a sign that said "They’re lying to you here." <ref>[https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1503490280149946371 Tweet by the New York Times linking to the story and showing the protester holding the sign in a preview image.]</ref>

Anti-war protests and rallies spread all the way to the heart of Moscow, and one very specific phrase has taken hold among Russian protesters: "Net voine," meaning "No War." These two words are enough cause for Kremlin police to arrest protesters. <ref>[https://www.distractify.com/p/what-does-het-bonhe-mean-in-russian "Protesters Are Writing "Het Bonhe" on Signs to Express Their Anger With Russia's Military Aggression," Distractify]</ref>

===Losing the global propaganda war===
When he was in the KGB, Putin learned how to manipulate language to Orwellian levels and used that to perfection as President of Russia, leading to a massive propaganda network of "alternative" media peddling half-truths and falsehoods to maintain plausible deniability. He gained a reputation for being a skilled spin doctor, a leading propagandist, and a master at information warfare, weaponizing social media via [[Internet Research Agency|troll farms]] and bot swarms, aggressively promoting fake narratives, and laundering misinformation not necessarily to change minds but to confuse and disorient people, essentially a mix of [[Richard Nixon|madman theory]], [[moral equivalence]], and [[whataboutism]]. But when he invaded Ukraine unprovoked, Putin shot himself in the foot. Many experts and analysts even within Russia itself have found that Putin ''lost'' the information war in Ukraine, precisely because his propaganda network was literally built on lies. His prevarications were so brazen and ridiculous, so against reality, that literally ''everybody'' saw just how much a paper tiger his propaganda network really was. A house of cards built on lies can only last so long, as Ukrainian counter-information efforts helped seize the war narrative away from Putin, who refused to call the war a war and instead just a "special military operation." His Orwellian style may work in times of peace, but it fell apart spectacularly in wartime.<ref>[https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/why-vladimir-putin-is-losing-the-information-war-to-ukraine/ "Why Vladimir Putin is losing the information war to Ukraine," Atlantic Council]</ref><ref>[https://www.thestreet.com/phildavis/news/putins-brazen-manipulation-of-language-is-a-perfect-example-of-orwellian-doublespeak "Putin’s brazen manipulation of language is a perfect example of Orwellian doublespeak," The Street]</ref><ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/cia-director-says-putin-is-losing-information-war-over-ukraine-2022-3 "CIA Director Bill Burns says Putin 'is losing' the information war over Ukraine," Business Insider]</ref>

This is partly due to the [[European Union]] and [[United States]] banning and/or demonetizing Russian propaganda outlets like [[RT]], depriving Putin of a huge chunk of his misinformation empire.<ref>[https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/28/eu-rt-sputnik-ban-social-media-pressure/ "As EU says it’ll ban Russia’s ‘toxic media machine’, social media firms face pressure to act," Tech Crunch]</ref> Another reason is due to Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, and Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, both being media savvy men who started, not as politicians, but as athletes (Klitschko) and comedians (Zelenksyy) who became popular partly due to their own decades-long careers navigating and controlling media narratives for themselves in their respective fields. They knew exactly how to counter Putin's propaganda.<ref>[https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/leading-russian-scholar-says-putin-is-losing-the-information-war-against-ukraine-1.5801045 "Leading Russian scholar says Putin is losing the information war against Ukraine," CTV News]</ref> The other reason is Putin's war on truth became so brazen it was hard not to notice, as he was not even bothering to seem credible anymore, changing lies on a dime, and shifting to an even poorer man's [[Gish Gallop]] by accusing America and the West of stuff that is literally impossible to do in reality.<ref>[https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/putin-is-losing-the-information-war-in-ukraine-says-cia-chief-/2531195 "Putin is 'losing the information war' in Ukraine, says CIA chief," AA.Com]</ref>  People simply didn't buy his bullshit, and once you lose the narrative early, it's almost impossible to win it back.

Largely due to pressure from the Ukrainian government and other foreign leaders, tech giants and cable providers took action against “state-sponsored disinformation campaigns” from Russia, and outside Russia, Putin's propaganda machine was rendered all but extinct.<ref>[https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/03/putins-external-propaganda-machine-is-swiftly-crashing-down "Outside Russia, Putin’s Propaganda Machine Is Swiftly Crashing Down," Vanity Fair]</ref> And while he has "intensified his domination of state-run media" and "strangulation of independent media," Putin is reportedly "struggling to fully control the narrative at home." Many Russians know how to circumvent censorship due to decades of soft-touch censorship within Russia since Putin took over.<ref>[https://www.axios.com/russia-ukraine-information-war-putin-hospital-02a6a214-3d02-4400-ad0b-4396dc48f0c7.html "CIA director: Putin's "propaganda bubble" is failing in Ukraine," Axios]</ref> Even at home, Putin can only do so much to stop people from learning of his war crimes.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/tech/russia-internet-censorship-circumvention/index.html "Russian internet users are learning how to beat Putin's internet crackdown," CNN]</ref>

===Descent into fascism===
{{cquote|[Russians] will always be able to distinguish [[True scotsman|true patriots]] from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths. I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country.|||Putin (speaking like a true authoritarian) ranting about anti-war protesters.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2013753923781 "Putin calls pro-Western Russians traitors, threatens self-cleansing," CBC]</ref>}}

With a severe economic crisis, near-total isolation from the western half of the world, and western companies leaving the country in droves, Putin was reportedly "disconnected from reality," isolated from any criticism or differing opinions of any kind, and surrounded by yes-men who either owe their careers to him or are too afraid to challenge an increasingly angry Russian autocrat.<ref>[https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/isolated-leaders-make-terrible-decisions-lessons-from-russia-and-myanmar/ "Isolated leaders make terrible decisions: lessons from Russia and Myanmar," ASPI Strategist]</ref><ref>[https://today.duke.edu/2022/02/putin%E2%80%99s-invasion-ukraine-reveals-leader-%E2%80%98disconnected-many-senses-reality%E2%80%99-expert-says "Putin’s Invasion Of Ukraine Reveals Leader ‘Disconnected In Many Senses From Reality,’ Expert Says," Duke University Today]</ref> American and European intelligence both report that Putin appeared "isolated" and "reliant on a small coterie of advisers" who did "not (tell) him the truth about how difficult and costly conquering Ukraine is turning out to be." Putin seriously underestimated the West, and analysts see a leader on edge, at risk of lashing out when he feels cornered.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/01/ukraine-cia-putin-analysis/ "In Putin, intelligence analysts see an isolated leader who underestimated the West but could lash out if cornered," Washington Post]</ref> Putin also blocked access to both Western media and independent news sites in the country, and Russia's lower house of parliament passed a bill that criminalizes journalism critical of the war, including journalists who use the word “war” to describe Russia’s assault.<ref>[https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/russias-attacks-truth-are-frighteningly-familiar-americans-rcna18960 "Russia's totalitarian attacks on truth should look familiar to Americans," MSNBC]</ref>

In a televised speech from the Kremlin, Putin went on an unhinged rant complaining about a Western-aligned "fifth column" of "traitors" in his country who want the "destruction of Russia." He then brazenly said Russia should undergo a "self-cleansing of society" to rid itself of all undesirables who are toxic to the state,{{efn|Some translations say he said "self-detoxification" rather than self-purification, which is ultimately the same thing in this context.}} which are actual [[fascist]] talking points.<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-activists-and-journalists-targeted-after-putins-call-for-purge-of-traitors "Russian Activists and Journalists Targeted After Putin’s Call for Purge of Traitors," Daily Beast]</ref><ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-says-russia-must-undergo-self-cleansing-society-2022-3 "Putin says Russia must undergo a 'self-cleansing of society' to purge 'bastards and traitors' as thousands flee the country," Business Insider]</ref><ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/17/scum-and-traitors-vladimir-putin-threatens-anti-war-russians "Scum and traitors: Vladimir Putin threatens anti-war Russians," Al Jazeera]</ref><ref>[https://thehill.com/policy/international/598685-putin-says-russia-will-get-rid-of-traitors-like-gnats "Putin says Russia will get rid of traitors like gnats," TheHill]</ref> Graffiti warnings were later sprayed over journalists' and activists' doors of their homes from apparent pro-Putin supporters who accused them of treason.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putins-warning-traitors-sends-chilling-message-2022-03-17/ "Putin's warning to 'traitors' sends chilling message," Reuters]</ref>

Putin has grown increasingly paranoid over the decades of him being in power, and that paranoia turned him into an outright control freak by the Ukraine invasion. Since he couldn't control the narrative globally, he intensified his control of information at home by censoring the Russian internet, restricting social media (like TikTok) in Russia,<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2022/03/07/1085025672/russia-social-media-ban "Russia is restricting social media. Here's what we know," NPR]</ref> blocking Instagram and Twitter,<ref>[https://www.wired.com/story/russia-ukraine-social-media/ "Russia Blocks Facebook and Twitter in a Propaganda Standoff," Wired]</ref><ref>[https://www.vox.com/recode/22962274/russia-block-instagram-facebook-restrict-twitter-putin-censorship-ukraine "Russia continues its online censorship spree by blocking Instagram," Vox]</ref> and designating Facebook an "extremist" website. All of these sites have been used by Russians to voice their discontent with the government, and without it, a culture of fear has overcome the Russian population, who are terrified of Putin's police using violence against them and Putin's legal bureaucracy ruining their chances at future careers.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/04/russia-ukraine-internet-cogent-cutoff/ "A new iron curtain is descending across Russia’s Internet," Washington Post]</ref><ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-02-23/vladimir-putin-has-a-world-view-that-has-no-room-for-your-reality "Vladimir Putin Has No Time for Your Reality," Andreas Kluth, Bloomberg]</ref><ref>[https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/russias-ex-foreign-minister-on-his-totalitarian-country/ "Russia’s Ex-Foreign Minister on His ‘Totalitarian’ Country," Newlines Magazine]</ref><ref>[https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-technology-business-europe-1b8fec033200c33a2aef83b3d2d18713 "War censorship exposes Putin’s leaky internet controls," AP News]</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/04/world/europe/russia-censorship-media-crackdown.html "Russia Takes Censorship to New Extremes, Stifling War Coverage," New York Times]</ref> 

Putin has turned Russia into a de facto [[totalitarian]] state<ref>[https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2022/04/putins-war-has-moved-russia-from-authoritarianism-to-hybrid-totalitarianism?lang=en Putin’s War Has Moved Russia From Authoritarianism to Hybrid Totalitarianism: It has immersed itself in an anti-utopian delusion.] by Andrei Kolesnikov (April 19, 2022) ''Carnegie Endowment for International Peace''.</ref> due to his stubborn refusal to even allow Russians to simply voice their opinions, even when they're supportive of him. Analysts say Putin wants to control how people think and what they say because he's desperate to hold onto power. Because of his aggressive actions against Ukraine and his fellow citizens, he is paradoxically at his weakest and most vulnerable in his entire career.<ref>[https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/03/putin-russia-totalitarianism-soviet-style-oppression.html "How Putin Plunged Russia Toward Totalitarianism," Slate]</ref> 

Here are a few examples of Putin's totalitarianism: Putin banned foreign correspondents from reporting on Russia during his war in Ukraine, which prevents the average Russian from seeing his war crimes taking place against their friends and families in Ukraine.<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/heres-what-putin-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-whats-happening-inside-russia-right-now "Here’s What Putin Doesn’t Want You to Know About What’s Happening Inside Russia Right Now," Daily Beast]</ref> Gestures of solidarity with Ukraine were ''de facto'' criminalized. Accounts of schoolchildren and their parents detained in police cells after laying flowers at the Ukrainian embassy suggest escalation to totalitarian levels of repression. Under these circumstances, demonstrations against the war are acts of tremendous courage. Russians who are outraged are increasingly finding themselves behind bars or out of the country entirely as ''de facto'' exiles.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/02/the-guardian-view-on-russian-dissent-a-slide-to-totalitarianism "Russian dissent: a slide to totalitarianism," The Guardian]</ref> A Russian Twitter user was recording a Russian female protester, who held up an anti-war sign and immediately got arrested by Russian police. A second woman walked into frame, and right before she could even voice her opinion, police arrested her too.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu-NDpAKSSQ Go to 3:28 for the entire incident]</ref><ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2022/03/09/russians-fleeing-putin-ukraine/9374147002/?gnt-cfr=1 "As Putin terrorizes Ukraine, Russians like me flee his totalitarian crackdown at home," USA Today]</ref> One Russian woman even said she supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and she was ''still arrested'' by the police.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w--NmeUmJ7g "Crackdown In Russia Leads To Tens Of Thousands Of Russians Fleeing Their Country," MSNBC]</ref> On YouTube, there is a Russia-based channel called 1420 that asks everyday Russians random questions for western audiences to gauge a bit on how normal Russians think about the world, and after the invasion of Ukraine, when asked how they felt about Putin, many of the Russians asked were visibly shaken and fearful of answering.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAmzPeDoE3Q "What do Russians think of Putin?" 1420 video]</ref> When that same channel and interviewer asked if they blamed the US, while some said yes, most preferred not to answer at all, showing that a climate of fear has overtaken the Russian population.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N917eVPyD4 "Do Russians blame the US?"]</ref>

Russian lawmakers passed a bill that officially charges anti-war protesters with up to 15 years of imprisonment. The bill claims to be targeting "fake news," which should be understood as anybody who opposes the government's views. One of the first to be charged was a food blogger named Veronika Belotserkovskaya, who joked that she was “officially declared a decent person” for opposing the war. Belotserkovskaya is friends with Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Putin’s political mentor Anatoly Sobchak.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/17/veronika-belotserkovskaya-putin-fake-news-law-first-victim-russia-ukraine "‘It is not possible to stay quiet’: Putin’s first victim of ‘fake news’ law speaks out," The Guardian]</ref>

Despite all the speculation of his inevitable fall from power, realistically speaking, the chances of Putin being ousted in a coup or popular uprising are small precisely because Putin structured the Russian state to preempt any threats to his power. By arresting or killing leading dissidents, jailing oligarchs who oppose him, and ramping up repression at home against anti-war sentiment, Putin has instilled fear in the general public and made the country’s leadership class "dependent on his goodwill" for their continued prosperity. But as the Ukraine war drags on, losses begin to mount, and peace talks continue to go nowhere, in the face of a near-economic depression from the war and the sanctions, it is no longer impossible to imagine Putin losing power before his death.<ref>[https://www.vox.com/22961563/putin-russia-ukraine-coup-revolution-invasion "Could Putin actually fall?" Vox]</ref> 

Case in point, by mid-March 2022, '''15,000''' protesters were arrested in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.<ref>[https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/marina-ovsyannikova-russian-protests-arrests-20220317.html "Marina Ovsyannikova’s courage should make U.S. stop our own war against protests," Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer]</ref>

====Scapegoating his officers====
Taking a page from his Soviet predecessors, Putin attempted to turn the public against his officers and persecute them in an effort to clear his image and feign his innocence.<ref>[https://www.hoover.org/research/putin-stalins-mirror Putin In Stalin’s Mirror] by Norman M. Naimark (May 1, 2023) ''Hoover Institution''.</ref> Russia is a country essentially ruled by its ''siloviki'', its security/military/intelligence cadres, particularly FSB officers and former KGB agents (like Putin himself). But by April 2022, over a month since he invaded Ukraine, Putin was so furious over the poor state of the military that he dismissed 150 FSB officers from their posts, and the head of the FSB department responsible for Ukraine was arrested and sent to prison. All of those ousted were employees of the Fifth Service, a division set up in 1998, when Putin was director of the FSB, to carry out operations in the countries of the former Soviet Union with the aim of keeping them within Russia’s orbit. Sergei Beseda, a former FSB chief, was arrested on "embezzlement," but in truth, Russian-based reporters believe Beseda was arrested for the botched invasion, which has been blamed on poor intelligence concerning the political situation in Ukraine. Putin sent Beseda to Lefortovo prison as a "very strong message" to Russian elites and Kremlin operatives.<ref>[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/putin-purges-150-fsb-agents-in-response-to-russias-botched-war-with-ukraine-lf9k6tn6g "Putin ‘purges’ 150 FSB agents in response to Russia’s botched war with Ukraine," Tom Ball, The Times]</ref> But it must be made known: the only reason Russia invaded Ukraine was because Putin wanted it. Blaming other people for carrying out your orders is called "blaming others for your fuckups".

===Quagmire: A mix of Iraq and Vietnam===
{{main|1=Iraq War|3=Vietnam War}}
[[File:Victim of a Russian attack in Mariupol.jpg|thumb|right|205px|Dead victim of a Russian attack in Mariupol, Ukraine.]]

According to experts, Russia's plan was to do a decapitation strike on Ukraine's capital, establish air dominance, destroy Ukrainian military communication, cut off Ukraine's eastern army, encircle Kyiv, kill President Zelenskyy, and prop up a pro-Kremlin [[Puppet state|puppet government]], all of which Putin apparently expected to accomplish in less than ''three days'', which he failed spectacularly to do.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoGkUmAtlT4 Ukraine's army invalidated the Russian invasion plan. Day 4.] (Feb 27, 2022) ''YouTube''.</ref> This plan was confirmed as quite feasible by Putin's team of highly-skilled yes-men operating in a tightly-sealed [[echo chamber]].<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/putin-surrounded-yes-men-divorced-reality-373546 Putin, Surrounded by Yes Men, Is Divorced From Reality] by Aaron Korewa (9/17/15 at 3:52 PM EDT) ''Newsweek''.</ref> He has done the very thing he never wanted to see: revitalizing Western unity, justifying NATO's existence, proving US intelligence right about his motives, and provoking Europe to militarize way beyond they ever wanted in response to his imperialism.<ref>[https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/12/putins-thousand-year-war/ "Putin’s Thousand-Year War," Foreign Policy]</ref>

Many military experts, journalists, political observers, and long-time analysts compared Russia's conduct in Ukraine to that of America in Iraq and Vietnam: a small country with both conventional military and irregular military inflicting heavy losses against an overconfident, under-equipped, far-larger invading force. Russians were shocked at the strong and widespread resistance and defense by Ukrainians, who inflicted heavy losses on the Russians. By the fourth day of the invasion, Russia had lost several thousand troops (many of whom were young conscripts still in their teens used as cannon fodder) and hundreds of Russian tanks and dozens of helicopters, fighters, armored personnel carriers, fuel tankers, and combat vehicles and in April 14th {{wpl|Sinking of the Moskva|the flagship of the Black Sea fleet}}. By the fourth day, Russia kept getting repulsed from Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other such Ukrainian cities, although Russian advances in the south were far more successful. However, the overall picture is very disappointing for Russia, because they still could claim air superiority in Ukraine, and losing at least one thousand troops is a massive blow to Russian troop morale. Many captured Russian troops admitted they don't support the war either, don't understand why they're fighting Ukraine, or never knew they were about to invade until literally hours before the invasion began, with some even confessing that their superiors simply threw them into war without regard for the troops' own safety.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/26/russian-forces-meeting-strong-and-wide-ukraine-resistance Russian forces meeting ‘strong and wide’ Ukraine resistance: Analysts say the Russian military may have been caught off guard by the level of pushback by Ukraine fighters.] (26 Feb 2022) ''Al Jazeera''.</ref><ref>[https://theconversation.com/ukraines-military-is-outgunned-but-can-still-inflict-a-great-deal-of-pain-on-russian-forces-177884 Ukraine’s military is outgunned but can still inflict a great deal of pain on Russian forces] by Sergey Kozlov (February 25, 2022 8.34am EST) ''The Conversation''.</ref><ref>[https://www.ibtimes.co.in/ukraine-military-says-russia-faces-heavy-losses-14-planes-8-helicopters-102-tanks-lost-846106 Ukraine military says Russia faces heavy losses; 14 planes, 8 helicopters, 102 tanks lost: The Kremlin also lost over 3,500 soldiers, Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Saturday. Nearly 200 service members have been kept hostage, Kyiv Independent reported.] (February 27, 2022 08:07 IST) ''International Business Times''.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x47eNyXmPDo Captured Russian occupiers deeply regrets coming to Ukraine] by ''UATV English (Feb 27, 2022) ''YouTube''.</ref>

According to Sergey Markov, a longtime Kremlin propagandist and a frequent face on Kremlin state TV, Putin expected "30 to 50 percent of the Ukrainian Armed Forces would switch over to Russia's side," and conceded "No one is switching over." Demonstrably angry by all this, Putin has stepped up repression at home, refusing to even allow everyday Russians to see, with their own two eyes, exactly how horribly he's managed the war.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/world/europe/putin-russia-ukraine-protests.html "Putin Assails Russians Who Back the West, Signaling More Repression," New York Times]</ref>

Michael Kofman, director of Russia Studies at CNA and Senior Adjunct Fellow of CNAS, is a longtime Russian military analyst. Kofman's assessment of Russia's progress in Ukraine through the first week was that Moscow "badly miscalculated". He went on to say that Putin and the Kremlin more generally planned to reach Kyiv and force a surrender within a few days, so they tried to win "quickly and cheaply", expected a quick surrender by Ukraine, and thereby avoid their usual scorched-earth tactics because of political considerations and an unrealistic view of military logistics. While Kofman cautioned that the Russian military's greater manpower and firepower do portend success in the future, the Ukrainian resistance has been far stronger than Moscow expected, and many Russian soldiers simply do not support the war even as they wage it.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220228193814/https://twitter.com/kofmanmichael/status/1498381975022940167 Long thread about how I think the first 96 hours have gone, still very early/incomplete impressions. The initial Russian operation was premised on terrible assumptions about Ukraine’s ability & will to fight, and an unworkable concept of operations. Moscow badly miscalculated. 1/ …] by Michael Kofman (11:37 AM - 28 Feb 2022) ''Twitter'' (archived from February 28, 2022).</ref>

Nicholas Laidlaw, a former US marine and military analyst, noted multiple Russian POW testimonies confirming that Russians are ''not'' using digital communication; that's how bad their logistics were during the first week of the invasion.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301142231/https://twitter.com/sbreakintl/status/1498619309618503680 Intelligence acquired since the beginning of the Russian military operation over Ukraine has shown an immense lack of logistic support, making this war one of the most unique in 2022 when it comes to surveillance.] by ShadowBreak Intl. (11:21 AM · Mar 1, 2022) ''Twitter'' (archived from March 1, 2022).</ref> This was backed up by Jack Detsch, a national security reporter with deep [[Pentagon]] ties and contacts, confirming that Russia has severe logistical problems, saying that Russian soldiers are "not only running out of fuel, they are running out of food."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220303081257/https://twitter.com/JackDetsch/status/1498685248095375362 BREAKING: U.S. believes Russia has committed more than 80 percent of pre-staged troops into Ukraine: senior U.S. defense official. Russia has not been able to advance on Kyiv due to fuel & sustainment problems. "Not only are they running out of gas, they're running out of food"] by Jack Detsch (7:43 AM · Mar 1, 2022) ''Twitter'' (archived from March 3, 2020).</ref>

By the third week of the invasion, US intelligence and observers found ''7000 Russian soldiers'' killed by Ukraine in ''less than a month'', which is more than all of America's losses in the previous twenty years in the Middle East. US intelligence even says that's an undercount.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhrduL7efLw "Losing? Putin's Army Has Higher Death Toll In Ukraine Than U.S. Across 20 Years In Middle East," video by MSNBC]</ref> For reference, Americans only lost around 4000 soldiers in all of the Iraq War.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/us/politics/russia-troop-deaths.html "As Russian Troop Deaths Climb, Morale May Be an Issue," Helene Cooper, Julian E. Barnes, and Eric Schmitt, New York Times]</ref>

===="Everything is fucked"====
According to an independent investigative Russian media outlet, Kremlin officials were reportedly "shocked" that Putin would invade Ukraine all the way up to Kyiv, and were in utter disbelief when news of the assault occurred. According to the independent outlet Agency, the Kremlin was completely unprepared for just how harsh and punishing the sanctions were, specifically naming its ousting from SWIFT, the freezing of Russian foreign reserves, including by the US, and the exit of a string of Western companies from Russia, with an anonymous Kremlin source even saying, "Everything is fucked." Another anonymous source said to Agency that Kremlin officials cannot resign from their posts because it would be seen as a betrayal and Putin would throw them in jail.<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/kremlin-staff-didnt-expect-ukraine-invasion-sanctions-shock-report-2022-3 Kremlin staff didn't expect Putin to invade Ukraine and were shocked by the severity of Western sanctions, report says] by Bill Bostock (Mar 4, 2022, 4:44 AM) ''Business Insider''.</ref>

Putin was reportedly "furious" at the sanctions, and many within intelligence communities feared that Putin would lash out by ordering civilian deaths in Ukraine.<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-may-target-ukraine-civilians-revenge-western-sanctions-report-2022-3 Putin is said to be furious about Western sanctions and intel officials fear he may target Ukrainian civilians as revenge, report says] by Tom Porter (Mar 2, 2022, 4:11 AM) ''Business Insider''.</ref> By March 1<sup>st</sup>, Putin in fact switched strategies, preferring "more brutal, tactless, unrestricted warfare," which will "lead to many more civilian casualties and bloodier battle," as shown in a massive convoy of Russian tanks and other combat vehicles massed near Kyiv.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/world/europe/russian-convoy-ukraine.html Miles-Long Russian Convoy Outside Kyiv Signals Tactical Shift] by Megan Specia (March 1, 2022, 3:47 p.m. ET) ''The New York Times''.</ref>

A grand total of three Russian commanders were killed by Ukrainians by March 2022, which is unusual because that means Russian officers are on the front lines getting killed, and this has led to a drop in morale for their troops in their respective columns.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/russia-ukraine-invasion-commanders-killed-b2028773.html "Three Russian commanders killed as Ukraine invasion force attempts to step up momentum," The Independent]</ref>

Putin has reportedly conducted a "purge" of his military and intelligence officers, putting several top security commanders under house arrest "due to their failures in Ukraine." This includes the FSB's foreign intelligence branch, Sergey Beseda, and his deputy Anatoly Bolyukh, for "unreliable, incomplete and partially false information about the political situation in Ukraine.” At least eight generals were also replaced by Putin in response to the growing debacle in Ukraine.<ref>[https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/putin-said-to-be-conducting-internal-purge-of-military-generals-intel-personnel/ "Putin said to be conducting internal purge of military generals, intel personnel," Times of Israel]</ref><ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-spy-chiefs-putin-security-b2034350.html "Russian spy chiefs ‘under house arrest’ as Putin turns on his security chiefs over invasion setback," The Independent]</ref>

====War crimes, civilian deaths, and unreasonable ceasefire demands====
[[File:Shelled City.jpeg|thumb|right|225px|Ruined Ukrainian city shelled by the Russian military.]]

According to ABC News' Moscow reporter Patrick Reevell, Putin's demands for ending the war are hilariously bonkers: Ukraine must change its constitution to ensure it never joins NATO or the EU, must recognize Crimea as part of Russia, and must recognize Donbas and Luhansk as independent breakaway republics.<ref>[https://archive.is/n0b6P Tweet by ABC reporter in question]</ref> This comes as Putin stubbornly refuses to budge from his intent to "invade, occupy and make Ukraine part of Russia, and erase the name Ukraine and replace it with Russia." Russian forces, nearly two weeks into the invasion, made significant advances in southern Ukraine and along the coast, but "many of its efforts have become stalled, including an immense military convoy that has been almost motionless for days north of Kyiv." 

Russia's military, though superior, has been dogged by logistical challenges, including food and fuel shortages, and a "lack of cohesion and discipline." As predicted, once logistics became a real problem for the Kremlin's military, Russian forces began shelling civilian areas within multiple cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, while cutting off whole cities' populations from food, water, and electricity, a siege tactic already tried in both Aleppo, Syria and Grozny, Chechnya. Numerous attempts at ceasefires for humanitarian corridors were violated by Russia shelling families trying to flee the violence. With all of that, Putin still has the gall to demand that the invasion could end "only if Kyiv ceases hostilities."<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2022/03/07/1084875710/russia-sets-cease-fire-for-evacuations-amid-heavy-shelling "Russia sets cease-fire for evacuations amid heavy shelling," NPR]</ref><ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-ukraine-conflict/story?id=83252006 "Where the Russia-Ukraine conflict goes from here," ABC]</ref>

The Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, was kidnapped by Russian soldiers who put a bag over his head and rushed him out of a building, which was caught on camera.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2022/mar/12/russian-troops-appear-to-kidnap-melitopol-mayor-ukraine-video "Russian troops appear to kidnap Ukrainian mayor – video," The Guardian]</ref><ref>[https://www.jpost.com/international/article-701286 "Russia-Ukraine war: Kidnapped Melitopol mayor sent to Luhansk," JPost]</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2022/03/11/1086153544/melitopol-mayor-abducted "The mayor of Melitopol, Ukraine, has been abducted, officials say," NPR]</ref> Disturbingly, as Fedorov was kidnapped, Galina Danilchenko, a former city council member, was installed as the pro-Russian mayor of Melitopol, and she called on Ukrainians in her city to "adapt" to the occupation, trying to keep them from resisting.<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/pro-russia-mayor-occupied-ukrainian-145614448.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALAyfZi7oKx_QhP_mIBn-0brvNfLedDB-GcvM6X6VsPDiWiucOg824jlRLwq0EaPeqGzi2XVGi45qSmZ2VpGQG5pqWzkW1ewuY9TtfXrtCKwdpF3S1doAbEqaepgNRQAISmI3hTkB1aNIAP_XzAGPfMC7MhcpA1v9mqdOwXjJ2b- "Pro-Russia mayor of occupied Ukrainian town tells villagers to 'adapt' to new reality after the last mayor was kidnapped," Yahoo News]</ref> Fedorov, a 33-year old politician, urged Ukrainians to "defy" the Russian "occupiers," completely blindsiding the Russians who expected to be greeted as liberators. His disappearance only served to inspire more civil disobedience against the Russians.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/12/world/europe/ukraine-mayor-kidnapped-ivan-fyodorov.html "Kidnapping of Ukrainian Mayor in Melitopol Met With a Show of Resistance," New York Times]</ref> Thankfully, Zelenskyy announced that an operation to rescue Fedorov succeeded and, in exchange for releasing nearly a dozen Russian POWs,<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-forces-have-released-mayor-city-melitopol-kyiv-2022-03-16/ "Ukraine swapped nine Russian soldiers to free detained mayor -Interfax," Reuters]</ref> Fedorov would return to his duties as mayor of Melitopol.<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/melitopol-mayor-ivan-fedorov-return-duties-after-russian-capture-1688789 "Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov to Return to Duties After Russian Capture," Newsweek]</ref><ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/International/kidnapped-ukrainian-mayor-freed-special-operation-ukrainian-government/story?id=83486933 "Kidnapped Ukrainian mayor freed in 'special operation,' officials say," ABC News]</ref><ref>[https://www.timesofisrael.com/melitopol-mayor-released-five-days-after-his-abduction-by-russian-troops/ "Melitopol mayor released five days after his abduction by Russian troops," Times of Israel]</ref>

The Kremlin, to nobody's surprise, claimed they had not committed war crimes and that they only strike military targets. Vitaly Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv, said "Bullshit," pointed to a ruined residential building, and asked "Where is the military target? Is this building a military target?"<ref>[https://twitter.com/PhilipinDC/status/1504033406971228164 Here is video of Klitschko's response]</ref>

====Bucha massacre, animal cruelty, and genocide====
After Ukrainian soldiers won the Battle of Kyiv and pushed the Russians out of Kyiv Oblast, they discovered a sight so grisly it looked like something out of a 20th-century documentary. Civilians had their hands tied behind their backs and holes in their heads, execution-style. Dead Ukrainians were put in makeshift mass graves underneath snow. Some were even thrown inside a sewer. Several naked women, who were also tied up, had their dead bodies found on a highway. Bodies were left uncovered in full public view. Some had their bodies mangled so badly, that they were likely run over by Russian tanks. Some had the types of wounds you'd expect from people who were tortured to death. President Zelenskyy claimed these killings were [[genocidal]]. Multiple volunteers were killed for trying to feed starving animals. Russian soldiers also allegedly put Ukrainian children on their tanks as human shields. According to Ukrainian officials, around 300 people were killed in these ways. But the Kremlin refuses to acknowledge Russian involvement in the massacre, with Lavrov even claiming it was a "fake attack" and a "provocation." ''The New York Times'' published satellite imagery showing evidence that the dead bodies were there for weeks, when the Russians occupied Bucha, which directly proves Lavrov wrong.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/world/europe/bucha-ukraine-bodies.html "Dead Lay Out in Bucha for Weeks, Refuting Russian Claim, Satellite Images Show," New York Times]</ref><ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bucha-massacre-ukraine-russia-putin-provocation-war-crimes-atrocities/ "Russia claims Bucha civilian massacre faked as a "provocation" as outrage builds over Ukraine war atrocities," CBSNews]</ref><ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/4/will-the-bucha-massacre-wake-up-the-world "Bucha killings: The world cannot be tricked anymore," Al Jazeera]</ref><ref>[https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/03/ukraine-accuses-russia-massacre-00022595 "Ukraine accuses Russia of massacre, city strewn with bodies," Politico]</ref><ref>[https://kyivindependent.com/national/russian-soldiers-murder-volunteers-helping-starving-animals-near-kyiv/ "Russian soldiers murder volunteers helping starving animals near Kyiv," Kyiv Independent]</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/02/ukrainian-children-used-as-human-shields-near-kyiv-say-witness-reports "Ukrainian children used as ‘human shields’ near Kyiv, say witness reports," The Guardian]</ref> The worst part is it appears that this is not an isolated incident, as more mass graves were found in Izyum, a critical logistics hub that was liberated during a Ukrainian counter offensive in September/October of 2022.<ref>Siobhán O'Grady, Anastacia Galouchka and Wojciech Grzedzinski, [https://archive.ph/HvzRc Torture, killings, abductions: Russian retreat from Izyum reveals horrors]. ''The Washington Post'', 16 September 2022.</ref>  

The charges of [[genocide]], while extraordinary, gained steam after a Russian state propaganda outlet, RIA Novosti, published an article titled "What Russia Must Do With Ukraine." For context, RIA stands for "Russian Information Agency," or "''Rossiyskoye Informatsionnoye Agentstvo''" in Russian, and [[RT]] is one of its subsidiaries. RIA Novosti is the most important modern-day Russian state propaganda network. The writer of the article explains what they think Russia "must" do to Ukraine, which is that their "elite" class must be "liquidated, they cannot be re-educated" because "Ukraine must pay for its guilt towards Russia." The RIA Novosti article says Ukraine "must be treated as an enemy, and therefore may develop only in dependency to Russia." That means, as explicitly stated by RIA Novosti, Ukraine must not have a "Marshall Plan" or neutrality in any way, either ideologically or practically. RIA Novosti's article claims that any time Ukraine becomes independent, it inevitably becomes an enemy of Russia, and so RIA Novosti asserts that "Ukraine may not exist as a national state" because "any attempt to create it leads to Nazism." It agrees with Putin's assertion that "Ukraine is an artificial anti-Russian construct," saying "De-Nazification is not enough" unless it includes the complete destruction of the Ukrainian nation, which they call "De-Ukrainization."<ref>[https://archive.is/0Wti4 Tweet by Sergej Sumlenny who shared the article in its original Russian.]</ref><ref>[https://archive.is/UZA2G English-translated version of the RIA Novosti article by Wojciech Konończuk.]</ref>

It doesn't stop there either. The utterly-batshit RIA Novosti article lays out, in detail, the Kremlin's plans for Ukraine, and in a word, its annihilation. It says Russia should establish an "exclusion line" where "the haters of Russia will go" to "forcibly neutral and demilitarized Ukraine will remain." It plans to divide the country between eastern and western lines, where the east will be occupied by Russian forces for at least a generation, outright saying "permanent De-Nazification institutions" will be there "for a period of 25 years." Any armed formations arrayed against Russia in Ukraine, including the Armed Forces of Ukraine must face "elimination, as well as "the military, informational, and educational infrastructure that ensures their activity." It says all "liberated" territories must establish "people’s self-government institutions and militia (defense and law enforcement)" to protect ethnic Russians from anyone the Kremlin calls a Nazi. It advocates for the seizure of "educational materials" and the "prohibition of educational programs at all levels that contain Nazi ideological guidelines," meaning anything even approaching Ukrainian nationalism, resistance, and independence, or liberation rhetoric against the occupation, is now a threat to the Kremlin. Mass investigations aimed to "establish personal responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity, the spread of Nazi ideology, and support for the Nazi regime" would be established as show trials against anyone who dared to resist the Russian invasion. The article even says outright that "making the names of accomplices" of the Kyiv government should be made public, and as a punishment, they would be put in "forced labor" to "restore the destroyed infrastructure as punishment for Nazi activities (from among those who have not become subject to the death penalty or imprisonment)." It also says that, "under the supervision of Russia," there will be a "ban on all types and forms of the revival of Nazi ideology," which again means Ukrainian nationalism as a whole, not merely its far-right excesses. This level of "De-Ukrainization" will require Russia to "finally part with pro-European and pro-Western illusions" so they can "free" Ukraine from "intoxication, temptation, and dependence of the so-called European choice."<ref>[https://medium.com/@kravchenko_mm/what-should-russia-do-with-ukraine-translation-of-a-propaganda-article-by-a-russian-journalist-a3e92e3cb64 Translation by  Mariia Kravchenko on Medium]</ref>

This is not helped by reports of Russian soldiers deliberately destroying libraries and books on the history of Ukraine, Ukrainian independence, and on Ukrainian national resistance. All Ukrainian-language books have been hunted, burned, torn apart, or otherwise stolen in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.<ref>[https://archive.is/xyp1d Olga Tokariuk's tweet about the Ukrainian Defense Industry's allegations.]</ref>

Animal cruelty has been weaponized by the Kremlin against Ukraine. It is now a method of terror and yet another act of wanton brutality. In Chernihiv, to the east of Kyiv, Russian soldiers "executed dozens of cows and calves, shooting them in their throats and eyes at point-blank range and even beheading some, leaving the heads in a pile. Residents described the killings as violence for its own sake."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/05/chernihiv-scene-death-destruction/ "In shattered Chernihiv, Russian siege leaves a city asking, ‘Why?’" Washington Post]</ref>

The soldiers accused of carrying out the Bucha massacre are reportedly the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. Putin signed a letter ''congratulating'' the unit for “protecting Russia's sovereignty," saying these soldiers acted with “great heroism and courage” in murdering unarmed civilians. He even bestowed them with an honorary title, calling the unit "[[Bullshit|a role model in fulfilling its military duty, valour, dedication, and professionalism]]."<ref>[https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russia-ukraine-war-japanese-anchor-breaks-down-after-reading-news-about-putin-honouring-troops-who-oversaw-bucha-massacre-2911143 "Japanese Anchor Breaks Down After Reading News About Putin Honouring Troops Who Oversaw Bucha Massacre," NDTV]</ref>

===Oil and Gas===
[[File:Black Sea Oil and Gas.png|right|325px|The Black Sea's oil and gas fields.]]

In 2012, it was discovered that Ukraine’s deep territorial waters may contain "more than 2 trillion cubic meters of gas", which is about 40% of all Ukrainian energy resources. This would have turned Ukraine into a major gas and oil trading power, rivaling that of Russia. Once Ukraine kicked out their pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, Russia sent troops to seize and annex Crimea in 2014, giving Russia control of 80% of Ukraine's offshore oil and gas deposits in the Black Sea. Most of Ukraine's territorial waters came under Russian control with Crimea's annexation, which meant two-thirds of all that untapped natural gas is now under the Kremlin's management.<ref>[https://www.kyivpost.com/business/ukraine-loses-out-on-black-seas-rich-natural-gas-supply.html Ukraine loses out on Black Sea’s rich natural gas supply] by Alexander Query (Published June 3, 2021. Updated June 6 at 6:14 pm) ''Kyiv Post''.</ref><ref>[https://euromaidanpress.com/2018/10/10/black-sea-gas-deposits-an-overlooked-reason-for-russias-occupation-of-crimea/ Black Sea gas deposits – an overlooked reason for Russia’s occupation of Crimea] by Kostiantyn Yanchenko (2018/10/10 - 23:42) ''Euromaidan Press''.</ref> There was talk of Crimea nationalizing oil and gas assets within its borders belonging to Ukraine and selling them off to Russia. By May 2014, Putin was keenly interested in "acquiring rights to underwater resources potentially worth trillions of dollars", but both Ukraine and Russia have found it difficult to tap into all that untouched natural gas.<ref>[http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Russia-Eyes-Crimeas-Oil-and-Gas-Reserves.html Russia Eyes Crimea’s Oil and Gas Reserves] by Nick Cunningham (Mar 15, 2014, 7:00 PM CDT) ''OilPrice''.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/world/europe/in-taking-crimea-putin-gains-a-sea-of-fuel-reserves.html In Taking Crimea, Putin Gains Sea of Fuel Reserves] by William J. Broad (May 17, 2014) ''The New York Times''.</ref>

Europe's dependence on Russian oil and gas caused America to try to redirect energy supplies to Europe in light of the Ukraine invasion. As a leading producer of [[fossil fuels]], Russia used energy revenue to accumulate some $630 billion in foreign exchange reserves. Russia used to rely on Ukraine to transport oil and gas through Europe through the use of the network of Soviet-era pipelines crisscrossing Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. Moscow has sought to build new pipelines, including the controversial NordStream 1 and 2 through the Baltic Sea to Germany, to bypass its older networks and curb its reliance on Ukraine. It has also approved a new gas pipeline to China, though its sales there would still be a fraction of its European sales. Russia supplies about one-third of European natural gas consumption, used for winter heating as well as electricity generation and industrial production. The European Union also turns to Russia for more than one-quarter of its crude oil imports, the bloc’s largest single energy source.<ref>[https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/russias-energy-role-europe-whats-stake-ukraine-crisis Russia’s Energy Role in Europe: What’s at Stake With the Ukraine Crisis] by James McBride (February 22, 2022 10:00 am EST) ''Council of Foreign Relations''.</ref> The energy angle is very important because if it still had control of the Black Sea, Ukraine would have challenged and potentially surpassed Russia's money pot from fossil fuels. Crimean annexation explicitly ended that possibility for the foreseeable future.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If61baWF4GE Why Russia is Invading Ukraine] by RealLifeLore (Feb 26, 2022) ''YouTube''.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Wagner Group]] - A private army of mercenaries whose leader, [[Yevgeny Prigozhin]], was described as Putin on steroids.
*[[Yevgeny Prigozhin]] - His former 
puppet
 and a Wagner operative, killed by his own 
master
 boss after his idiotic stunt.
*[[Dmitry Utkin]] - Another Wagner operative, who had connections to Putin.
*[[Aleksandr Dugin]] - The man labeled “Putin’s Brain” who influenced his decision to invade Ukraine.
*[[Abkhazia]] - A Russian puppet state held by separatists and the Russian military. A ''de jure'' Georgia territory.
*[[South Ossetia]] - A puppet state carved out by Russia in the early days of Georgia's independence. Like Russia, they have a poor human rights record with a false democracy at the helm of a plutocratic, oligarchic, and ultra-capitalist system.
*[[Ukraine]], which he invaded twice, first to annex Crimea in 2014, then to invade and attack the entire country in 2022.
*[[Georgia (country)]], which he also invaded back in 2008, recognizing the separatist Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions as breakaway puppet states against Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili. 
*[[Chechnya]] - Winning the Second Chechen War is how Putin even came to power to begin with, as [[Boris Yeltsin]]'s failures in the First Chechen War contributed to a feeling of national humiliation felt by the Russian people in the 1990s. 
*[[Boris Yeltsin]] - Putin's predecessor and the man who chose him to be Prime Minister, second in line to the presidency. When Yeltsin resigned a day before the turn of the millennium, Putin became Acting President in the midst of the Chechen crisis. He took a hard line against the Chechens, won the 2000 election, and the rest is history. So in many ways, you can legit blame Yeltsin for even allowing Putin to rise to power to begin with.
*[[Ramzan Kadyrov]] - The dictator of Chechnya, who in many ways is Putin on steroids. He keeps things stable in Chechnya, and no matter how brutal he is, Putin and the Kremlin can't afford to upset him because he can easily ignite a Third Chechen War at any time. The feeling is mutual with Kadyrov and his government, as Putin could easily obliterate them and wipe Chechnya off the map if they were to go against his will and threaten his power.
*[[Bashar al-Assad]] - His recently deposed 
little lapdog
 close ally in the Middle East.
[[File:Spinal Tap - Up to Eleven.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Erdoğan-o-meter]]
*[[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] — Take all of the above and ram it {{wpl|up to eleven||,}} and you got yourself a constitutionally-enshrined dictator, not just an autocrat with authoritarian leanings like his colleagues. Along with Putin and [[Viktor Orbán|Orbán]], these three are the most dangerous men in Europe; Erdoğan for his rivalry with the Kurds, Orbán for his denial of refugees during the migrant crisis, and Putin for his Ukraine escapades. But unlike Putin, Erdogan and Orbán just don't have the ability to do anything but put their countries in rewind mode.
*[[Viktor Orbán]] - Another 
little lapdog
 rightist who took over the media, twisted electoral law into his favor to stay in power (even changing the constitution to that end), uses anti-liberal and anti-democratic language to drum up intense populist fervor, and rages against the west as a bogeyman while inflaming ethnic tensions whenever politically convenient.
*[[Ebrahim Raisi]] — A close ally of his in Iran. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the two dictators traded weapons and oil in a move against the Western sanctions against both, and to strengthen ties.
*[[RT]] — If you're looking for op-eds, RT isn't all bad. They've got [[Ed Schultz]], [[Thom Hartmann]], Chris Hedges, anarcho-syndicalist [[Noam Chomsky]], Patrick Cockburn, [[Alex Salmond]], and [[Julian Assange]], nearly all of whom supported [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Bernie Sanders]] over [[Donald Trump]]. (And, uhh, conspiracy theorist [[Alex Jones]]... for balance, we guess?) But that doesn't make it Russia's PBS. 
*[[Trump-Russia connection]]
*[[Whataboutism]] and [[moral equivalence]] — These are unsurprisingly, favorite tactics for this former-KGB officer.<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/this-is-why-putin-is-targeting-three-dhs-agents This Is Why Putin Is Targeting Three DHS Agents. Russia's president is obsessed with the U.S. investigation into hundreds of millions in ill-gotten gains that have benefited his cronies—and very possibly him as well.] by Michael Weiss (08.14.18 5:05 AM ET) ''The Daily Beast''.</ref>
*[[United Russia]], the governing party of Russia, made up of careerists, opportunists, capitalists, oligarchs, and especially the ''siloviki'', military-security-intelligence types from the [[KGB]] and FSB.
*[[Communist Party of the Russian Federation]], which is a bunch of homophobic, transphobic, nationalistic, authoritarian neo-Stalinists who never truly oppose Putin even as theater.
*[[Liberal Democratic Party of Russia]], a xenophobic pro-authoritarian party who serves as the "systemic opposition," meaning they only "oppose" Putin in name, and never in action. Their most infamous member is Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who reads like a near-perfect stereotype of angry drunk Russian men.
*[[Nashi]] - A government-run, government-sponsored youth movement full of Putin fanboys, created solely to co-opt radical youth politics happening in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution.
*[[Ruscism]] - Despite claiming to be anti-fascist, Putin's regime is a prime example of neo-fascism.
*[[Transnistria]] - One of several unrecognized countries under the influence of Russia.
*[[Joseph Stalin]] - An inspirational strongman to Putin and his ideological ancestor. Putin venerates Stalin as a great leader, and the two share many similarities despite some differences in their ideology.
*[[Xi Jinping]] - His best buddy and contemporary.
*[[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]] - Putin's greatest enemy and scapegoat for justifying his insane war (apparently being a nazi despite being jewish and having family that died in the holocaust).
{{fun|Vladimir Putin}}

==Videos==
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20170716144152/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btLHVYoYnXI "Russia has no borders."] — Comedy gold! Ukraine is literally dying laughing.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leL_bsHEZdM Russia-US relations in the Putin era.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83tnWFojtcY 90% of the Beltway establishment post-February 2014] (And a note from the [[CFR]] for everyone to [http://www.bloomberg.com/video/haass-russia-won-t-come-back-as-a-superpower-tPMc2SvkS8mrYZ6~mObJjQ.html calm the hell down.])
*[https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/putin-on-the-couch-104647/ Putin on the Couch] - More than 20 Russia watchers, of various persuasions, on what his future holds; we'll wait to see which are right.
*[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UbBaSfgNJnE Putin is the number one best president!]

==External links==
*[http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2014/03/16-putin-art-of-offensive-defense-part-one-hill Understanding Vladimir Putin], Brookings Institution
*[http://twitter.com/Amazing_Maps/status/463040711961870336 Europe according to Vladimir Putin]
*[http://www.vox.com/2014/9/4/6105491/putin-russia-chart To figure out what's going on in Putin's head, go back to 2012]
*[http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/george-w-bush-vladimir-putin-barney-dog-105379 Bush: Putin 'dissed' my dog, said his dog was 'bigger, stronger, faster"]{{onion}}
*[http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-vladimir-putin-failing-at-supervillainry/ 5 Ways Vladimir Putin is Failing at Supervillainy], ''Cracked''
*[https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3259984-Trump-Intelligence-Allegations.html Holy hell America who did you just elect.] — Well, he ''was'' warned 'don't fuck with the intelligence community.'

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|3|80%}}

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