For 25 years, Russian media have built up the myth of Vladimir Putin as an exceptional leader. State propaganda never shows any presidential mistakes. When things go wrong, official news ignores the failures. When problems can’t be ignored, Putin is shown as the wise leader fixing his subordinates’ errors.
This carefully crafted image has shaped how the world sees Putin. It’s been amplified online by Kremlin propaganda and embraced by nationalist politicians who admire Putin’s authoritarian control and disregard for laws.
Until recently, Donald Trump was the most prominent admirer. Though no champion of democracy, the former U.S. president has grown more wary of Russia and less openly supportive of Putin. He recently threatened Moscow with tougher sanctions unless progress is made toward a Ukraine ceasefire.
The reasons for Trump’s shifting stance remain unclear. His June NATO summit seems to have played a role, making him more supportive of the alliance and skeptical of Putin’s peace claims.
Ego may also be a factor. Trump initially believed he could quickly end the Ukraine war by pressuring its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while offering major concessions to Russia—a shameful betrayal that would have rewarded aggression. But Putin, unsatisfied, escalated the war instead, humiliating Trump by rejecting a quick deal.
Putin’s own motives are murky. He may be trying to seize more land before U.S. patience runs out. But he’s also trapped by his own extreme rhetoric—claiming Ukraine is an existential threat, sending thousands to die, and restructuring Russia’s economy for endless war. If the conflict ends with Ukraine still independent, his image as a military genius will collapse.
There’s no grand strategy behind Putin’s brutal war—just inertia and paranoia. He seems afraid to stop fighting because ordinary Russians might then realize the war’s senseless horror.
History will remember Putin as a delusional murderer. The myth of him as a strategic mastermind is pure propaganda—meant to hide weakness and disguise failure as inevitable victory.
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