Submission Statement: “The Russian leader has shaped his country, but outsiders still find him baffling.” Edward Lucas reviews Vladimir Putin’s 25-year rule in Russia, reflecting on how he was initially viewed positively in the West as an improvement over Yeltsin but ultimately rejected reforms and doubled down on authoritarianism. Lucas correctly warned about Putin’s KGB background from the earliest days and regrets many trusted him, arguing Russia still has not atoned for its Soviet past that Putin exemplifies.
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Submission Statement: “The Russian leader has shaped his country, but outsiders still find him baffling.” Edward Lucas reviews Vladimir Putin’s 25-year rule in Russia, reflecting on how he was initially viewed positively in the West as an improvement over Yeltsin but ultimately rejected reforms and doubled down on authoritarianism. Lucas correctly warned about Putin’s KGB background from the earliest days and regrets many trusted him, arguing Russia still has not atoned for its Soviet past that Putin exemplifies.