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What does Putin want?
Dear Readers,
Namaste!
Russia's military
attack on Ukraine, launched on February 24, prompted the US, the EU, the UK and
many other nations to introduce harsh sanctions targeting various sectors of
the Russian economy.
In a lengthy essay
penned in July 2021, Putin referred to Russians and Ukrainians as "one
people," and suggested the West had corrupted Ukraine and yanked it out of
Russia's orbit through a "forced change of identity."
That type of
historical revisionism was on full display in Putin's emotional and
grievance-packed address to the nation before some days announcing his decision
to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, while casting doubt on
Ukraine's own sovereignty.
But Ukrainians, who
in the last three decades have sought to align more closely with Western
institutions like the European Union and NATO, have pushed back against the
notion that they are little more than the West's "puppet."
It is not clear what
Putin wants to achieve through military invasion. The stated objective is the
safety of the Russian-speaking population of Donetsk and Luhansk, part of which
had been under the control of the Russian-backed separatists. Putin declared
that he wants to demilitarise Ukraine. But the way Russian forces launched air,
sea, and missile attacks against various Ukrainian cities, it seems Putin wants
to weaken and neutralise Ukraine to the extent that it can never pose a
security threat to Russia in the future. He also wants to force the US and NATO
to take Russian objections and concerns seriously.
The war has claimed thousands of lives on both sides, leaving widespread bitterness in its wake. And although a democratic Ukraine emerges intact if not unscathed, its still-dangerous neighbor faces an uncertain future with the Russian political landscape at a tipping point. Whether the country leans toward greater authoritarianism under Putin, or away from him altogether, will largely determine how Russia behaves with the rest of the world.
Peace!
-SWAPNIL SHUKLA
(Associate Editor)
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