Vladimir Putin is a man who has “no incentive in going backwards” - a political scientist gives insight into the Russian leader’s background and what he could do next
Vladimir Putin has been the Russian leader for nearly 22 years. He has long been a controversial figure, but he has now become a pariah in the eyes of the west, following his order to invade neighboring Ukraine. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has already seen Ukrainian civilians and Russian troops killed, thousands across the world protesting against the war, and severe economic sanctions imposed on Russia by Western nations.
All eyes are on the Russian President with fears of what he might do next and how far he will go.
National World spoke to Matt Qvortrup, a political scientist from Coventry University, to understand more about Vladimir Putin. What makes him tick, how does he make decisions, could he conceivably start a nuclear war and what can we expect over the coming days?
Taking a look back at Putin’s past and his background can help us to understand the man today. He was a KGB officer before entering Russian politics - the KGB was the Soviet Union’s main intelligence and security agency until it was dissolved in 1991.
“When he did his KGB training somebody mentioned his height - he didn’t take kindly to that and decided to get into a fight with this much larger man,” Professor Qvortrup said of Putin, who is 170cm tall.
He added: “He was beaten up and had to go to hospital. Putin had a broken arm.”
“As a result of all of this he was not sent to West Germany as a spy, he got an office job at the KGB in East Germany and it took him 10 years to be promoted from first lieutenant to captain.”
An event from his past such as goes some way to explaining his seemingly erratic decision making process today.
Professor Qvortrup said: “What makes him tick is a lot of vanity. He is a hot head, somebody who does not think ahead before he acts and sometimes has overestimated his own strengths.”
“We think he was someone who was bullied at school - we’ve got reports from his primary school teacher.”
He added: “Putin is of the same mindset as Franco was in Spain.
“He is vainglorious, cocky and a risk taker.”
Actually, he is not a "pariah." Sadly!
The leaders of France and Germany and Israel have been talking with him as if he were a reasonable human being.
He isn't.
He obviously has no heart.
No decent world leader should recognize him as "president" of Russia.
A billion dollar reward should be offered for his detention and trial before a Nuremberg-style court.
First leader with a world presence for some time .Actually, he is not a "pariah." Sadly!
The leaders of France and Germany and Israel have been talking with him as if he were a reasonable human being. etc
Many of us respectfully disagree that a leader with "a world presence" would bomb a hospital, which resulted in the death of a pregnant mother and her baby.First leader with a world presence for some time .
The leaders of France and Germany and Israel have been talking with him as if he were a reasonable human being.
Putin is a sick man? Tell us something we don't know.
Vladimir Putin will once again become Russia’s president. Even so, his time is running out.
THE point of elections is that their outcome should be uncertain. But everybody in Russia knows that Vladimir Putin, who is now prime minister, will be elected president on March 4th. This is not because he is overwhelmingly popular, but because his support will be supplemented by a potent mixture of vote-rigging and the debarring of all plausible alternative candidates.
The uncertainty will come after the election, not before. Developments in the past few months have shown that Mr Putin cannot rule his country indefinitely. The beginning of the end of his reign has begun (see article). Whether it is a good end or a bad one is up to him.
HOW IS A WAR CRIME DEFINED?
The International Criminal Court in The Hague defines war crimes as "grave breaches" of the post-World War Two Geneva Conventions, agreements which lay out the international humanitarian laws to be followed in war time. Breaches include deliberately targeting civilians and attacking legitimate military targets where civilian casualties would be “excessive,” legal experts said.
Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russian forces of targeting civilians indiscriminately. Russia, which describes its invasion of on Ukraine as a "special operation," denies targeting civilians and says its goal is to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine, claims Kyiv and the West say are baseless.
The USSR ratified the Geneva Convention in 1954. Russia in 2019 revoked its recognition of one of the protocols, but remains a signatory to the rest of the agreements. The ICC, formed in 2002, is distinct from the International Court of Justice, a United Nations body that hears disputes between states.
HOW MIGHT A CASE PROCEED?
The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, said this month he had opened an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine.
A billion dollar reward should be offered for his detention and trial before a Nuremberg-style court.
U.S. President Joe Biden has publicly called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, but legal experts said a prosecution of Putin or other Russian leaders would face high hurdles and could take years, as outlined below:
HOW IS A WAR CRIME DEFINED?
The International Criminal Court in The Hague defines war crimes as "grave breaches" of the post-World War Two Geneva Conventions, agreements which lay out the international humanitarian laws to be followed in war time. Breaches include deliberately targeting civilians and attacking legitimate military targets where civilian casualties would be “excessive,” legal experts said.
Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russian forces of targeting civilians indiscriminately. Russia, which describes its invasion of on Ukraine as a "special operation," denies targeting civilians and says its goal is to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine, claims Kyiv and the West say are baseless.
The USSR ratified the Geneva Convention in 1954. Russia in 2019 revoked its recognition of one of the protocols, but remains a signatory to the rest of the agreements. The ICC, formed in 2002, is distinct from the International Court of Justice, a United Nations body that hears disputes between states.
Some people think that Russia is, well, hopeless when it comes to good government.Which will get us nowhere. The problem is that the entire Russian hierarchy is being run by the oligarchs. They "own" Russia - or so they think.
Who knows when that will change? When the oligarchs will have had their excess-funds presently at the exterior of Russia confiscated they might (then and only then) want to discuss an outcome for Russia. Meaning fair elections with fair election-results.
For the very first time in the history of Russia democracy could arrive in Russia. To the Russians who might not yet know the meaning of the word "liberty" unless it bit their collective arses .... !
Back in the 18th or 19th century, some diplomat went to Russia and said something to the effect of "People get the government that they deserve." Translation? Maybe: A government is only as good or as bad as the character of its people.
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