Putin has often been said to be pragmatic, ruthless, a postmodern Machiavelli (Night) dream. Now it turns out that he thinks metaphysically. Complicated for the west. Or?
Before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale attack on Ukraine, it was often said of him that he was as pragmatic as he was ruthless, a hard-nosed calculator who focused on what he defined as Russia’s interests. Most of the time, if not always, he acts with cold reason. This includes, also thanks to a constitution tailored to him by himself, dictatorial power and the political longevity of an absolute monarch. Putin, so the knowledge heard again and again of countless experts and “observers” is “rational” in the sense that he lets himself be guided by the ice-cold calculation of power. Political or general human morality comes into play when the president considers it useful. Otherwise not.