Vladimir Putin: Destined to re-write history or history in the making

For the past few weeks President Vladimir Putin of Russia has been hitting the headlines and in the last four days he eventually became the news as he ordered his forces to attack Ukraine by air, by land and by sea. All efforts by the comity of nations to restrain Putin has miserably failed that includes diplomacy, sanctions and verbal threats. We should be aware of the fact that he has been hoodwinking the world with all sorts of narratives, hype and lies. At last when the Russian heavy hardware rolled-into Ukraine everyone was astounded as he fooled the world by saying that it was ‘a special military operation’, but in fact it is a full-scale invasion of an independent, democratic and sovereign nation.
As a leader of a nation which is militarily stronger, technologically advanced and globally the force to reckon with, Putin ventured into an invasion which on counts very weak. Nonetheless, against all odds he went all out and is he behaving in strange way. However, who is this Vladimir Putin? Speaking with Canadian television vis-a-vis CBC’s in an interview about her new book Hard Choices way back in 2014, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reflected on a personal anecdote that Vladimir Putin told her about her mother. Hilary Clinton relayed a story that she recounted in her book Hard Choices about Vladimir Putin.
At a dinner Putin told Hillary of his mother who was nearly mistaken for being dead and was about to be buried in a mass grave before being saved by his father. While narrating Putin seem to have been convinced, but Hillary was unclear whether the tale was true or lacked authenticity. Nonetheless, Hillary Clinton argues in her book by saying that if the story is untrue, it gives an interesting insight into what Putin thinks about “What it means to be Russian.” This short narration of Putin past unfolds many layers that needs to be de-coded in a context that world entangled at present – a war-like.
De-coding further, be it a tale or whatever, during the 2nd World War, A Russian soldier came home from the front lines for a short break. When he approached the apartment where he lived with his life, he saw a pile of bodies stacked in the street and men loading them into a waiting flatbed truck for burial. As he went nearer, he saw a woman’s legs wearing shoes that he recognized as his wife’s. He ran and demanded his wife’s body. After having convinced them the soldier held his wife in his arms realized that she was alive. She regained her health after good medical care. Eight years later, in 1952, their son Vladimir Putin was born.
Diplomacy, sanctions and word-play have failed in toto. Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to march into Ukraine. He made clear that his target goes beyond his neighbor to America ‘empire of lies,” and he threatened “consequences you have never faced in your history” for “anyone who tries to interfere with us.” By not mincing words he accused the West for plotting against his country. Putin remind the world that Russia “remains one of the most powerful nuclear states” with “a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons.”
Putin has been justifying his action against Ukraine that “there should be no doubt that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.” Putin candidly signaled to others “Hands Off, Russia’s a powerful N-State.” In the World-War 11 USSR joined the allies to fight against Germany led by a fascist Hitler. Post-World War 11, witnessed Cold-War between USA and USSR that particularly re-ordered Europe. History has demonstrated that European war that involves major powers can spiral and thus lead to unimaginable consequences.
Putin, a totalitarian amassed absolute power and wants to re-design Europe. Accordingly, he thought the best way is to expand by bringing Baltic countries under him and invasion of Ukraine is certainly towards that end. As war in Ukraine prolongs, one can foresee a new world order evolving as in the UNSC, we observe loyalties keep shifting. Alignment of countries could take place based on the economic, technological and political interests. Empire builders and expansionists such as President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping of China have clearly asserted their intent how the world order ought to be.
Towards this end, Vladimir Putin will go all out to re-write history. Ukraine invasion is going to set yet another chapter in the post-World War 11 history where new world order will be unfolding as the nation-states, regions and blocs would further polarize and re-align. Alongside its attack, Putin has asked the Ukrainian forces to throw the Ukrainian ruling dispensation by calling them as “neo-fascists’, “drug-addicts” and “terrorists” — inciting for a coup. We live in crossroads as the world is torn into multiple pieces. Empire-builders are now back to consolidate their powers by ways of aligning with those powers with similar intent.
China coming closer with Russia is again a clear expression and demonstration of their expansionistic tendencies. Taiwan is going to be the next testing ground as China would attempt similar exercise in Asia. Europe and Asia are the fertile testing grounds for the empire builders and expansionists. However, we see emperors, rulers, dictators and totalitarians for the sake of power and fame waged war, annexed territories and colonized. Historians have interpreted them in varied ways. Vladimir Putin is yet another and invasion of Ukraine would certainly figure in modern history.
Certainly, history is in the making. Recent invasion of Ukraine will find its place in history with multiple tangents. It is up to the historians to view the current Ukraine issue that poses multiple questions even to the political analysts as it unfolds deeper analysis and multi-faceted interpretation of Putin. Regime change in Kyiv may be Putin’s initial goal, but his intent and strategy for bigger global role means a new Cold War. For this Vladimir Putin is prepared to go all out. As Sarah Schulman rightly points out that “Bombing another city, killing people, destroying society, undoing accomplishment, shattering ties. Again this again this.
Dr. I. John Mohan Razu
Professor of Social Ethics.