Russian President Vladimir Putin's mindset is shaped by five primary aspirations: securing his legacy, ensuring his personal survival, prevailing in the war against Ukraine, arranging a smooth succession, and protecting his family from consequences.
Putin's desire for a legacy as a modern Czar Vladimir, restoring Russia as a superpower in a multipolar world, drives his actions. He has cultivated a paternal, spiritual persona, tapping into Russians' yearning for divine guidance after decades of Soviet atheism. By reviving the Russian Orthodox Church and promoting Christianity as the unofficial state religion, Putin has provided a sense of imperial exceptionalism and a unique Russian civilization, fulfilling the deep-rooted historical sentiment among Russians.
As an authoritarian ruler, Putin prioritizes his security. His paranoia about sensitive health information falling into foreign hands has led to his personal detail collecting and escorting his excrement during trips abroad. Since the invasion of Ukraine and the increasing Western hostility, Putin's fears have intensified. He now travels by armored train instead of aircraft, with secret departure and arrival times. His presidential airplane flies without a flight plan and with transponders turned off, preventing real-time tracking.
Putin's Five Driving Ambitions: Legacy, Survival, Ukraine, Succession, and Family
Putin underestimated Ukraine's resistance and Western support. Despite switching to a war of attrition, Russia faces a protracted battle to achieve victory. The longer the war continues, the higher the risk that Putin will feel compelled to use nuclear weapons as a de-escalation or war-ending measure. However, he recognizes that crossing the nuclear threshold could lead to a catastrophic World War III and is hesitant to make such a decision.
Although Putin believes he is indispensable, he is aware of his mortality. At 72, he has surpassed the average Russian male's life expectancy. As a rational thinker, he has likely considered succession, but there is currently no clear successor. Under the Russian system, successors are chosen by the incumbent leader before leaving to avoid the perception of weakness, followed by pro forma elections.
Putin's Five Driving Ambitions: Legacy, Survival, Ukraine, Succession, and Family
Like previous Russian leaders, Putin seeks to ensure his family's immunity from prosecution. He granted immunity to Boris Yeltsin and his family from corruption charges before Putin assumed power. With two adult daughters and two young secret children, Putin wants to protect his offspring from accountability for any potential crimes or misdeeds committed during his presidency, particularly given his outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
