Vladimir Putin, born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad, Russia is the 5th great leader of the last 122 years. He is the current president of Russia, who served from 2000-2008 and 2012-Present.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin gestures during the joint press conference with President Donald Trump in the Presidential Palace.
Vision
Vladimir Putin is committed to restoring Russia’s international prestige and power. He cleverly uses mass media such as newspapers, TV channels, radio stations and even the Internet to to share his vision with his citizens and instill patriotism in their hearts. Also by annexing Crimea and invading Georgia, Putin showed the powerful presence of Russia in the international settings to his people.
Vladimir Putin at the opening ceremony of the International military-technical forum ARMY-2015 in military-Patriotic park.
Achievement
The biggest achievement of Vladimir Putin is keeping Russia stable. After the collapse of USSR, Russia had been extremely chaotic. The economy crashed, people were living in poverty and crime rates were high. However, Putin revived Russian economy by brining series of liberal economic reforms, such as the flat income tax of 13 percent, reduced profits-tax and new land and civil codes. Within this period, poverty in Russia reduced by more than half and real GDP has grown rapidly. Also, He expanded Russia in the middle east and he is still trying to expand the Russian territories. Not only that, he increased the international significance of Russia by making a deal with the U.S to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons. These achievements of Putin are precisely reflected in his popularity among Russians. According to public opinion surveys conducted by NGO Lavada Center, Putin’s approval rate has never dropped below 65% since his first presidency. Putin is considered to have brought confidence and stability back into the Russians.
Election day in Russia proves triumphant for Putin.
Impact and influence
Vladimir Putin had a huge influence on Russia. During his presidency, he changed the Russian political system from democracy to autocracy. The autocrat, Putin, delegates power to persons and institutions acting on his orders, and within the limits of his laws, for the common good of all Russia. Majority of Russians are satisfied with the political change. They say, “That’s great. If under democracy we lived very poorly, and under authoritarianism we are living well, long live authoritarianism. Long live strong hand. Long live Mr. Putin.” Also, the population of Russia started to grow rapidly because Putin improved the economy.
International significance
As of January 20, 2022, Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine because Putin argues the US broke a guarantee it made in 1990 that NATO would not expand further east. Since 1997, several central and eastern European countries, which used to be part of the Soviet Union or its sphere of influence, have joined Nato. Four of them – Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – have borders with Russia. Russia argues that this expansion, and the presence of Nato troops and military equipment near its borders, is a direct threat to Russia’s security. If Ukraine joins NATO Putin’s project of reasserting its geopolitical relevance would fail, if Ukraine is kept from doing so, Putin has fulfilled his historical role.
some governments say Putin wants to block Nato while others fear he is planning an invasion.
Iconic status
Vladimir Putin himself became a symbol of modern Russia. When people think of Putin, they think of powerful man. whether it’s physical power or political power. He created this impression by showing him firing different weapons, tossing opponents in judo, ruling his country with iron fist and crushing his political opposition. Pictures of Putin trying to show himself extra manly has become sensational on the internet, causing people across the world to idolize him as a strong man.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rides a horse during his vacation outside the town.
Citations:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-is-russia-threatening-to-invade-ukraine
https://www.quora.com/What-is-so-great-about-Vladimir-Putin
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/01/22/momentum-is-building-for-war-in-ukraine
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