kravietz 🦇 on Nostr: I can only add to this that I don’t think the imperial ideology is the only factor ...
I can only add to this that I don’t think the imperial ideology is the only factor here - Putin’s insistence has strong pragmatic base, as strange as it sounds. The reality is that #Putin failed to deliver any of his social and economic promises he was repeatedly making since 1999.
Russian society as a whole has this interesting feature that they can accept any misery, as long as their closest neighbours are as poor as themselves.
Strong economic growth in Ukraine and EU accession could be actually triggering even for Russian society, and would make them start questioning Putin’s efficiency as a leader.
Putin’s incompetence as a leader in 21st century can only survive when unquestioned - when Putin enjoys exclusive protection from any criticism, his policies are never verified against his promises and his authority presented as some form of sacred entitlement.
By trying to destroy Ukraine Putin is really fighting to sustain the very economic model he created - autocracy, cognitive bias, incompetence and inequality.
Russian society as a whole has this interesting feature that they can accept any misery, as long as their closest neighbours are as poor as themselves.
Strong economic growth in Ukraine and EU accession could be actually triggering even for Russian society, and would make them start questioning Putin’s efficiency as a leader.
Putin’s incompetence as a leader in 21st century can only survive when unquestioned - when Putin enjoys exclusive protection from any criticism, his policies are never verified against his promises and his authority presented as some form of sacred entitlement.
By trying to destroy Ukraine Putin is really fighting to sustain the very economic model he created - autocracy, cognitive bias, incompetence and inequality.