There is another version of Russian President Vladimir Putin that this week has appeared publicly in various contexts, said Tatiana Stanovaya, a political analyst who has studied Putin for years.
Across the main newspapers The New York Times he said the following:
– After some very surprising moves, he needs feedback. He has started to be active in public, he has started to open up and be more expressive. It was as if he had come out to see what he had really done, Stanovaya said.
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Traveling abroad
The statement comes after a week in which the Russian president has appeared in public several times.
Not only did he leave Russia for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine began in late February – he also, for the first time in two and a half years, spent the night in another country – namely in Tajikistan.
The last time Putin was abroad was at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February.
This week, he also met top leaders from a number of countries for the first time in a long time, including Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, a close ally of Russia and the longest-serving leader of any former Soviet nation.
Allies: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Russia’s close ally and longest-serving leader of any ex-Soviet country, on 28 June. Photo: NTB / Alexander SHCHERBAK / SPUTNIK / AFP
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experienced rumors
At the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian president appeared much less in public, and there were a number of rumors about him.
Among other things, it is speculated whether Putin and other Russian leaders are in a nuclear bunker near the Russian city of Ufa.
The odd behavior at several public sessions has also fueled speculation about whether the president is seriously ill. In late March, Putin’s closest spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, went out on his own and denied rumors that the president had cancer.
The New York Times wrote that Putin’s behavior over the past week may indicate that he believes he has stabilized the war effort and its economic and political system, following Russia’s military failure and the fall of Western sanctions.
Tatiana Stanovaya told the paper that on several occasions Putin had switched between periods of many public appearances and periods of complete silence. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he went several days without being shown on camera.
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