Putin ‘doesn’t care’ about Russians or Ukrainians: ‘Pageantry and symbolism’ over civilian lives

Rochelle Ferguson Bouyahi is pleased to welcome the Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, Peter Zalmayev, to offer context & perspective on the battlefield dynamics and political theatre of Russia’s war on Ukraine. While Russia invokes symbolic gestures tied to historical commemorations, beneath the surface of geopolitical spectacle, Zalmaev points to a quieter revolution. “The answer is the drones,” highlighting it’s effectiveness in an asymmetrical war. Yet, the most revealing is Zalmayev’s portrayal of Putin’s internal state: “a renewed sense of fear for his life.”