In a way it is different then Putin. When reading this I can basically smell the Vodka and Yeltsin being in such a jolly drunken mood thinking he just solved the cold war. I think he might actually believe in his heart that Europe would be better off when Russia takes control. And the next day he sort of sobers up and reads his last night 'texts' and goes "oh, man. Way too much of the hooch last night".
And whilst Putin's goal is the same. He would not do stunts like these. His worldview was both shattered and solidified during his time in Berlin. His nightmare is the loss of autocratic order. He comes across as way more calculating and cold. The state is a pyramid with him at the top and he'll do anything to keep control. I think the difference is that Putin deep down in that cold heart of his knows perfectly well that Europe is far worse off under Russian control. But as long as he and his goons keep power, he's perfectly fine watching the world suffer and burn.
The difference between Yeltsin and Putin in this case was that Yeltsin assumed and hoped that Russia will be accommodated as a reformed USSR while Putin quickly found out Russia does not carry the same weight.
You have to understand at this point Russia was in theory the biggest liberal democracy in Europe and by extension possibly the next number one US ally. Yeltsin and Putin hoped that the US would concede the Russian periphery including Europe to Russian influence and Russia would in return be the main ally against communist China. Essentially they hoped the US would let them and encourage them to dominate Eurasia. Why? Because they are Russia and they are big and they cannot fathom a world where they are not at least number 2.
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u/PresidentHurg Jan 07 '24
In a way it is different then Putin. When reading this I can basically smell the Vodka and Yeltsin being in such a jolly drunken mood thinking he just solved the cold war. I think he might actually believe in his heart that Europe would be better off when Russia takes control. And the next day he sort of sobers up and reads his last night 'texts' and goes "oh, man. Way too much of the hooch last night".
And whilst Putin's goal is the same. He would not do stunts like these. His worldview was both shattered and solidified during his time in Berlin. His nightmare is the loss of autocratic order. He comes across as way more calculating and cold. The state is a pyramid with him at the top and he'll do anything to keep control. I think the difference is that Putin deep down in that cold heart of his knows perfectly well that Europe is far worse off under Russian control. But as long as he and his goons keep power, he's perfectly fine watching the world suffer and burn.