Putin's personal vision for Russia's global role

Putin's ambitions

What Putin really wants is much bigger. The Russian president makes no secret of the fact that he believes that Ukraine should not exist as an independent state, and he repeatedly demanded that NATO should be downgraded to the size from the time of the Cold War. Above all, however, he pursues the goal of a new global order system and wants Russia to play a central role in it.

Putin's career and motivation

Putin and several of his closest confidants come from the remains of the KGB, the Soviet secret service. You have never forgotten the humiliation of the case of the Soviet Union and have been dissatisfied with the development of the world since then. During the chaos years of the 1990s, Putin rose to power when the Russian economy collapsed and had to be saved by international monetary funds and the World Bank. Many felt this as further humiliation for the former superpower.

Putin's strategic features

since 2000, when Putin has become president, rising oil prices have contributed to the fact that Russia and many Russians have become richer than ever. Russia received a voice and was included in the group of G7 countries, the largest economies in the world, which later became the G8. But this was not enough for the Russian leader. Kristine Berzina, Managing Director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told CNN: "Putin was ready to give up all of this for higher geopolitical goals." Russia was excluded from the G8, sanctioned by the West and on the global stage isolated due to its aggression against Ukraine.

negotiations and Trump's influence

In order to understand what Putin expects from the current discussions with the USA, it is important to know that both sides only negotiate because the USA has made a change of strategy under Trump - not because of a fundamental rethink in Russia. Trump wants the war in Ukraine to end as soon as possible, even if the other territorial losses for Ukraine could mean. Putin gives little to lose.

Putin's long -term plans

Putin and his consultants made it clear that their long -term goals remain unchanged. Even while they are talking about peace, Russian officials continue to insist that the "causes" of the conflict in Ukraine must be "eliminated". From the point of view of the Kremlin, these "causes" refer to the sovereignty of Ukraine and its democratically elected president Volodymyr Zelensky and to the NATO east expansion in the past 30 years.

Russian interference and elections

Putin ordered the comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 to make a change of regime in Kiev and use a pro-Moscow government. Although he has not achieved his goal with the help of military violence, it does not mean that he gave it up. Berzina pointed out that the simplest way for Russia to achieve what it wants in another country does not exist through military means, but by interfering in the election process. This could be the reason why Russia questions Zelensky's legitimacy and demands new elections.

trust and future military engagements

Berzina said that the European allies of Ukraine promise Putin's battle if Ukraine became neutral. "No matter what Trump and Putin are trying to arrange this week or this year - many people in Europe now feel Putin as fundamentally untrustworthy," she said. There is certainly the possibility that Russia will become militarily active again, and this is exactly why Europeans are very clear with regard to potential future military engagements.

Putin's personal background

Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist and expert in security, who lives in exile in London, said that Putin and his consultants believe that they could "knock out something from Trump now". You think you could win some tactical victories, but not what you really want: a complete redesign of the security architecture in Europe.

Putin's complex agenda

For the Kremlin, this is not a war with Ukraine, but a war with the West. Many people in Moscow do not believe that they can achieve a kind of sustainable agreement with the United States. Russia has a deep, personal aversion to the United States, which goes back to the past. Soldatov pointed out that Putin often cites the representation of Ukraine as a non -existent state, because in his opinion it is part of a larger "historical Russia". However, experts consider this view as nonsense.

Finally, it can be said that Putin's overwhelming desire is to bring Russia back to the global foreground, also at the expense of a disagreement between Europe and the USA. It remains to be seen whether he will find the right means to achieve its comprehensive goals.