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Putin must remain in a permanent state of war to consolidate his power, political scientist Marie Mendras writes in a new book.
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Putin maintains power through political violence, conflict, and perpetual war, says Mendras.
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Despite economic and diplomatic isolation, Putin is expected to win a fifth presidential term.
Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to ensure his country stays in a permanent state of war to consolidate his power, according to a new book from Marie Mendras, a professor at Sciences Po Universityās Paris School of International Affairs.
āHe has the logic of a paranoid leader,ā Mendras told France 24 on Monday.
āThe man is in survival mode,ā added Mendras, whose latest book on Russia titled āLa Guerre permanente: Ultime stratĆ©gie du Kremlin,ā or āThe Permanent War: The Kremlinās ultimate strategyā was released last week. It is available in French.
Mendras, who has written several books on Russia, said Putin has managed to stay in power since 1999 ā when he was appointed the Prime Minister of Russia by then-President Boris Yeltsin ā using āmore and more political violence,ā as well as conflict and wars. They include five wars in Chechnya, Georgia, Donbas, Syria, and Ukraine.
After all, he was a relative unknown before his unexpected rise to the top job in Russia over two decades ago.
āHe thinks in the very immediate, short-term: āWhat can I do to terrorize everybody so that they will accept my desires and my rule?’ā she told France 24.
Itās unlikely Russia will be witnessing a major revolution or rebellion because itās a ādangerous dictatorship,ā said Mendras.
Russiaās war against Ukraine triggered sweeping Western sanctions against Moscow, isolating its economy and weakening Russia diplomatically.
While Russiaās economy appears resilient, Mendras cautioned taking numbers at face value.
āThe economics and social situation is not good, and we shouldnāt trust the official statistics,ā she told the network.
Russia posted GDP growth of 3.6% in 2023 after contracting 1.2% in 2022. Experts say Russiaās growth is driven primarily by war spending and subsidies.
Putin is seeking a fifth presidential term in Russiaās upcoming election in March. The 71-year-old Russian leader is expected to win the race against three opponents.
Putinās longtime political foe, Alexey Navalny, died suddenly in prison on February 16. For years, Navalny had been a vocal critic of Putin and his inner circle. The EU has said it holds Russia responsible for Navalnyās death.
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