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Listen: Not much has gone right for Vladimir Putin since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. Ian Bremmer speaks to political scientist and author Ivan Krastev, who believes Putin has the autocrat's curse: his back is against the wall because he can't be perceived as weak. Krastev unpacks many of Putin's problems, including his expectations about the "special operation" and how badly he misread Ukrainians. Why did Putin miscalculate so deeply? Krastev offers three explanations: Putin never accepted that the Soviet Union collapsed because communism did; he thought the West was in such decline that he'd get away with the invasion; and a sense that time is running out, because the 70-year-old Putin wants to fix all of Russia's problems in his lifetime.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.- Putin punishes Ukraine to avoid looking weak - GZERO Media ›
- Putin, Ukraine, and the Rat Story - GZERO Media ›
- Is Putin still Soviet? Wrong question - GZERO Media ›
- Putin past the point of no return - GZERO Media ›
- Russia-NATO confrontation is coming: Putin will escalate - GZERO ... ›
- Podcast: Not infallible: Russia, China, and US democracy with Tom Nichols & Anne-Marie Slaughter - GZERO Media ›
- Podcast: The Ukraine war is destroying Putin’s reputation - GZERO Media ›
- Podcast: Russia's view of the Ukraine war: a Kremlin ally's perspective - GZERO Media ›