RUSSIAN RESURGENCE
In unscrupulous Putin strong hand of tsar and Bolshevik shows again
The West has wasted a good position and now faces a land-hungry opponent whose excursions feed popularity at home, writes Gerrit Olivier
Soviet political scientist Georgy Arbatov, speaking to me shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, remarked to me: "The West did a terrible thing. It deprived us of an enemy." About a decade later, the new Russian president, Vladimir Putin, came on to the scene and it was back to the past. Faced with Russia’s decline and following his KGB instincts, he had his work cut out. Understanding the Russian psyche, particularly the perennial paranoia and intense patriotism, he exploited the enemy syndrome cleverly and ruthlessly. It worked like a charm, bringing him remarkable foreign policy success and consistent domestic popularity. Using unscrupulous force became a hallmark of the Putin style, demonstrated particularly by interventions in Georgia, Ukraine and lately also in Aleppo, Syria. The strong hand that Russians got used to under the Romanov tsars and the Bolshevik dictators, they found again in Putin.As US diplomat George Kennan wrote in the Cold War: "At the bottom of the Krem...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.