PUTIN: His Life and Times.

• Date: 01 March 2023
• Author: McGibbon, Ian

PUTIN: His Life and Times

Author: Philip Short

Published by: The Bodley Head, London, 854pp, $45.

In much of the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin is universally excoriated. To John McCain he was a 'thug. Shortly after he launched his illegal aggression against neighbouring Ukraine in February last year, President Joe Biden described him as 'a war criminal, a murderous dictator ... a butcher'. For many Putin's callous disregard for international norms, his imperialist aspirations and his repressive instinct evoke memories of another reviled dictator, Adolf Hitler. But he was not always seen this way. Initially, when he rose to power in 2000 from relative obscurity, there were hopes that he would continue the liberalising approach taken by Boris Yeltsin, the first president of the Russian Federation. Such hopes were fostered by Putin's apparent willingness to follow the path delineated by his mentor.

That such hopes were dashed raises questions about Putin's true motivations. Beginning his career behind the curtain--he was a KGB officer from 1975 until 1991--he emerged during the 1990s in Saint Petersburg politics. Latching on to liberal politician Anatoly Sobchak, who was effectively mayor from 1991 to 1996, he worked his way into an increasingly influential role as adviser on international relations but eventually first deputy mayor. He claimed at first to be an administrator rather than politician, but entered the political fray in 1995 when he was elected acting chairman of a political party, though proving...