Who Is Vladimir Putin? What Does He Want Now?

Vladimir Putin assumed the role of president of Russia more than two decades ago and has continued to serve in that capacity. Even though Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has held his position for a significant time, he continues to be a controversial figure both within Russia and across the globe.

Some people view him as a motivational leader. He has contributed significantly to moving Russia closer to the top ranks of the most powerful nations in the world. According to the polls conducted in Russia, he has a very high level of support among the Russian population. On the other hand, others hold the opinion that he is a tyrant, that he is responsible for restricting the freedom of a large number of people, and that they are opposed to how he controls Russia and deals with foreign issues. Who exactly is this leader, then? And what accounts for the people’s varying responses to him that he seems to elicit?

Before Becoming President, What Was Vladimir Putin’s Life Like?

Vladimir Putin spent his childhood in what is now the city of St. Petersburg, which is located in Russia. He had a terrible childhood due to his family’s financial circumstances at the time. He took up Judo and eventually earned a black belt in the discipline to protect himself from getting into fights with youngsters who were more extensive and more robust than he was. According to the authorities in Russia, he had already planned to work in intelligence even before he graduated from high school, and he eventually became a spy after completing his education. His transfer to Moscow in 1996, along with that of his family, coincided with the beginning of his political career, after which he quickly ascended to prominence.

Following Boris Yeltsin’s resignation as president of Russia in December 1999, Vladimir Putin was appointed acting prime minister. He was subsequently sworn in as Russia’s new leader in January of the following year. He’s held his current job since then. Vladimir Putin depicts himself as a strong leader who rescued Russia from economic, social, and political troubles in the 1990s. He did this by saving Russia from the former Soviet Union. When he engages in Judo, fishing, or hunting, he enjoys putting on a show of power since it draws the attention of the cameras, which he finds enjoyable.

People have strong feelings about him, but they don’t know why. What and why does he have a bad reputation in Russia? There are a variety of opinions towards President Putin in both Russia and the rest of the world. How Putin has dealt with LGBT+ people has given rise to a great deal of criticism. Under a regulation that the government enacted in 2013, homosexuality cannot be promoted to those younger than 18. Vladimir Putin contends that anti-gay legislation “doesn’t impact anyone,” while the legal department of Russia feels that the bill is intended to “protect the morality and health of children.”

The European Union Court of Human Rights concluded that it fosters homophobia and is discriminatory. A prohibition on same-sex marriages was included in the new version of the Russian constitution ratified in 2021, despite having been first proposed by Vladimir Putin in 2020. Many of the people who oppose Putin are also against the level to which he controls the media in the country. TV and newspaper programming are included in this category. They assert that the media has a bias in favor of Putin and that it does not give people who disagree with him a platform to express their views. As a direct consequence of their resistance to Putin, many people have been either imprisoned or ejected from Russia.

Consequently, they assert that he has diminished the democratic nature of the nation and granted an excessive amount of power and authority to wealthy individuals. Many people say that he is a tyrant who does whatever he wants regardless of what other people think and that he does not honestly run the country. People hold Vladimir Putin responsible for Russia’s economic difficulties, which they believe are caused by the country’s strained relations with other nations. In specific communities, the moment has come for another person to take control of the helm of power.

Why Do His Supporters in Russia Like Him?

Opinion polls cited in the Russian media suggest that despite the length of time he has served as president, he continues to have widespread support among a significant portion of the Russian population. During his first two terms as president, a substantial number of Russian citizens saw an improvement in their standard of living (up to 2008). There is a widespread consensus that Putin’s initiatives are primarily responsible for the increased security and heightened sense of national pride. He is frequently hailed as an outstanding leader because of his commanding presence, endearing personality, and no-nonsense approach to management. They have the impression that he has put in a lot of effort to make Russia one of the most powerful nations in the world.

What Is Vladimir Putin Going Through in His Head?

Within the confines of his COVID solitude, his resentment over the aggression of NATO and the lack of respect that Russia receives in the international arena has been building for decades. He has poured through numerous historical texts to construct his twisted interpretation of the history of Ukraine. In the summer of 2013, he was the first to bring this to light in an article he wrote on the historical oneness of Russia and Ukraine. Even more so, as shown by his public humiliation of Russia’s foreign intelligence chief in front of the whole security council, he looks to be making and implementing decisions more and more on his own.

Putin Believes the NATO Membership Bids of Finland and Sweden Are “No Problem”

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, stated that if Finland and Sweden join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia “does not have problems” (NATO). Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the addition of the Nordic countries to the Western Alliance poses no “immediate threat” to his country. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced earlier today that her country would advise NATO of its intention to join the military alliance, thus following Finland’s move.

Final Verdict:

Even someone who used to work for the KGB won’t tell you everything is going through their thoughts. No one can ever completely know what reviews are going through the mind of another individual. However, that is not the case when it comes to Vladimir Putin. He has to hope that the hegemony of the West will be challenged. According to him, doing so will benefit his legacy. He may be correct, but it is also possible that he is not. He is putting his money on that.