Vladimir Putin: The president whose obsession with Russian security may cost him dear

During two decades in power, Putin has had an ability to sense the popular mood, writes Mary Dejevsky. But in recent times his judgement has seemed less sure – and the Ukraine invasion may prove a step too far for his citizens

Many myths have grown up around Russian president Vladimir Putin (Reuters)

In the weeks since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, one man has loomed large: Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.

Every inch the potentate, he began by soliciting support from key ministers live on TV; he followed this up with an outraged verbal assault on Ukraine, lambasting Lenin, Stalin and Gorbachev for good measure. Three days later, in the early morning in Moscow, he was back on national television announcing the start of military action. The first tanks moved in and the first bombs were dropped within hours.

Russia’s military onslaught has tended to be seen as an old-fashioned war launched by an old-fashioned autocrat, surprising and shocking to everyone who believed such wars to be over, at least in Europe. The scenes of preparations for street-fighting that have emerged from Ukrainian cities in recent days have been tragically reminiscent of black-and-white newsreel from the very same cities Germany invaded in 1941. But the supposedly old-fashioned autocrat also reflects the complexities of the times he has lived through.