Vladimir Putin is having a good crisis in Ukraine. True, the Russian army hasn鈥檛 entered Kyiv, but Mr. Putin doesn鈥檛 need to achieve his maximum objectives to put some points on the board. At minimal cost, the Russian president鈥檚 Ukraine moves have increased his political standing and promoted his agenda at home.
First and foremost, Ukraine is a popular issue in Russia. Many Russians care more about Ukraine than their Chinese counterparts care about Taiwan. Ukraine is a larger and economically more important territory than Taiwan. It was an integral part of the Russian empire and the Soviet Union for more than 300 years, and many Russians consider it the cradle of Russian civilization. While most Russians wouldn鈥檛 welcome a long, ugly war in Ukraine, talking tough on Ukraine and drawing international attention to Russia鈥檚 feelings is something a lot of Russians think their president should do.
Second, the crisis is making Russia feel great again. Like many people in Britain and France, many Russians are nostalgic for the old days of empire. They want Russia to count for something. Provoking an international crisis over Ukraine has put the spotlight on Russia, summit and driven the American-led 鈥淪ummit for Democracy鈥� off the front pages. Mr. Putin has dominated world news and scored a crisis summit with President Biden; to many Russians, that already looks like a win.
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