CNN: Putin Is Terrified Of An Uprising

Ukraine holds a special place in this picture.

Putin is becoming increasingly unpredictable, but his political behavior can largely be explained by his fear of losing control. This is the conclusion reached by renowned American journalist Fareed Zakaria, according to CNN.

Zakaria considers the events of December 1989 in Dresden to be one of the key episodes in Putin’s biography. When a crowd surrounded the KGB headquarters, the young Putin tried to get instructions from Moscow. In response, he heard: “Moscow is silent.” Left on his own, he burned secret documents in the basement, then went out to face the crowd and managed to stop it by threatening to use force.

According to Zakaria, this experience shaped one of Putin’s greatest fears—a mass uprising that could suddenly rob the authorities of control over the situation.

Putin came to power in 1999 almost by accident. Boris Yeltsin chose him as his successor, counting first and foremost on his loyalty and the safety of his family. Putin subsequently transformed into an authoritarian leader who continues to view the collapse of the Soviet Union as a historical catastrophe.

Ukraine occupies a special place in this picture. Zakaria believes that Putin views Ukraine not simply as a neighboring state, but as part of Russia’s lost imperial territory.

At the same time, Putin’s attitude toward the West has also changed radically. Early in his presidency, he demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with the U.S. and even spoke of a possible rapprochement with NATO. However, following the rise in oil prices and the strengthening of the Russian economy, his rhetoric became significantly harsher.

The protests of 2011–2012 marked a turning point. Putin saw them not as an external threat but as a domestic one and accused Washington of attempting to orchestrate a change in power.

Since then, suppressing domestic opposition and preventing mass discontent have remained key elements of his policy. And the war against Ukraine, according to Zakaria, has become a continuation of Russia’s quest to regain the influence and status it lost after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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