[August 30, 2014] In the study of senior leader roles, it is always informative to look at current leaders that are playing either a big or expanding role in world affairs. That is the case today with Russian President Vladimir Putin – his leadership style being more bold than most. He told a group at a youth camp that foreign states should understand: “It’s best not to mess with us.” The comments were made in the context of Russia’s help to rebels in eastern Ukraine. Putin’s message is clear, “don’t mess with Russia.”
Rebel leader Alexander Zakharachenko
Putin has also made it clear to Europe and the United States that he blames them for the “unconstitutional” removal of Ukraine’s former Moscow-backed president. Interestingly he compared Ukraine’s military efforts with the siege of Leningrad by the German Nazi military in World War II.1 In his speeches and off hand remarks, Putin continues to hit back at outsiders who are pressuring him to stop helping the rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The boldness of Putin is not to be taken lightly or thinking of him as simplistic like many do today. Some call compare him to a “cowboy” but this is to grossly underestimate him. To get a sense of the emotional responses to these comments, see just about any article reporting on Putin and the Ukraine. In the Google search engine, “putin ukraine” returns over 76 million hits. What we do not hear about is Putin’s goals with his supporting of the rebel forces. We can only guess at his goals but there are at least three: 1) show the West that Russia is strong and too dangerous to push around, 2) to use the Ukraine or part of it as a buffer state like in the old days of the USSR, and 3) to increase his popularity within Russia.
We will be following President Putin and what he says and what he does to learn additional information about a bold leader.
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[1] http://news.yahoo.com/putin-says-russia-ready-respond-aggression-123956691.html