Putin’s need to retrofit Russia’s World War 2 narrative
Throughout the Cold War’s worst years, the victorious alliance of the Soviet Union, the US, the UK and France was a reminder that co-operation was possible
The 75th anniversary of the end of World War 2 was the only forthcoming event Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned in his New Year’s address to the nation. Creating an alternative to the dominant western narrative about that war is key to Putin’s way of securing Russia’s place in the world.
Putin has appeared lately to be obsessed with World War 2, discoursing about it at every opportunity: during an informal session with other post-Soviet leaders; at his big end-of-year press conference; in a meeting with Russian tycoons; at the defence ministry in the presence of top generals. He’s talked time and again about delving into archival documents; he’s mentioned working on a scholarly article about the war...
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