Because the possibilities of President Donald Trump’s peace deal in Ukraine seemingly recede, consideration turns again to the query of Vladimir Putin and his battle goals. What does the Russian president wish to obtain from the battle? And when – and below what situations – will he be prepared to make peace? Hundreds of lives and billions of {dollars} hinge on the solutions to those questions.
Necessary insights into Putin’s worldview on this and different issues could be gleaned from a brand new 90-minute documentary, “Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years,” launched by the state broadcaster Rossiya on Might 4, 2025, and out there on YouTube.
The documentary seems again on Putin’s quarter century in energy.
I see the movie because the Kremlin’s try to make its case to the Russian public. The movie explains how Putin sees his place in historical past and why he’s waging the battle on Ukraine. Its launch coincides with the commemoration of the eightieth anniversary of the top of World Struggle II in Europe, which Russia marks on Might 9, versus Might 8 in the remainder of Europe.
As could be anticipated from a Kremlin-sponsored have a look at Russia’s chief, it’s extra hagiography than hard-hitting journalism. However as a scholar who has tracked Russia’s post-Soviet slide into authoritarianism, it’s nonetheless revealing. It exhibits us the picture that Putin desires to mission to the Russian public, one which has been pretty constant throughout his time in workplace.
Softening the strongman
The movie begins with the loyal and considerably obsequious journalist Pavel Zarubin interviewing Putin on the finish of his lengthy working day within the Kremlin, at 1:30 a.m. The chat with Zarubin is interspersed with archival footage of key occasions and earlier speeches by Putin.
Putin exhibits Zarubin round his condo, which features a chapel, a gymnasium – Putin says he works out for 90 minutes day by day – and a kitchen, by which Putin awkwardly prepares snacks for his or her chat. The rooms are immaculate however lifeless, albeit with a surfeit of gold leaf.
The brand new documentary is rigorously curated with clips displaying Putin as a humble man of the folks. “I don’t contemplate myself a politician, I breathe the identical air as thousands and thousands of residents of Russia,” he says at one level. We don’t see something of his chain of lavish palaces, yachts and different property.
Whereas Putin’s predominant picture within the exterior world is that of a ruthless strongman, for home audiences the Kremlin has tried to melt this picture.
Right here, the documentary is treading acquainted floor. On the eve of Putin’s election in Might 2000, the Kremlin revealed an autobiography and launched a documentary full of heartwarming anecdotes about Putin’s childhood and each day life. The picture being put ahead contrasted to the realities of his early presidency, when Russia was waging a brutal battle in Chechnya.
Blaming the West
A typical thread working by the movie is Putin’s dedication to restoring the sovereignty and independence of Russia, which he sees as below risk by the Western powers. Prominently displayed behind Putin within the condo is a portrait of Czar Alexander III, apparently a job mannequin for Putin. Alexander III shouldn’t be well-known within the West. An avowed nationalist, throughout his quick rule from 1881 to 1894 he pursued financial modernization and prevented beginning any overseas wars.
YouTube/Rossiya
The movie is laden with anti-West propaganda. It argues that Western powers have been behind the motion for independence in Chechnya, which threatened to interrupt aside the Russian Federation. Putin goes on in charge the West for the present “particular army operation” in Ukraine. Within the Russian president’s telling, it was the West’s failure to implement the Minsk accords of 2014-2015, which have been purported to deliver peace to the restive Donbas area in jap Ukraine. He means that the West used the Minsk accords as “a pause so as to put together for a battle with Russia.”
Zarubin asks Putin, “Why does the West hate us, do they envy us?” It’s a query that launches Putin right into a potted abstract of 1,000 years of Russian historical past.
An identical factor occurred throughout Putin’s infamous 2024 interview with former Fox Information host Tucker Carlson. Putin argues that for the reason that rift between the Roman Catholic Church and Byzantium in 1054, the West has prioritized materials wealth, whereas in Russia religious values come first. The movie has a number of outstanding references to the position of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russian identification.
Early in Putin’s presidency he had been open to cooperation with the West, taking tea with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace and creating shut relationships with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.
However for the reason that 2012 demonstrations protesting his return to the presidency, Putin has more and more used the argument that the West has deserted “conventional values” by selling points similar to homosexual rights.
Russian revisionism
That is the primary main official biographical documentary of Putin for the reason that 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and it might be the closest we are going to get to an evidence of why Putin launched this battle.
There’s a lengthy feel-good phase in regards to the “unification” of Crimea with Russia in 2014, which is introduced as a very powerful achievement of Putin’s time in workplace.
The movie exhibits pictures of destruction and struggling in the course of the present battle in Ukraine, with out mentioning that it was Russia that began the battle. It exhibits the devastated metropolis of Mariupol and states incorrectly that the town was “destroyed” by Ukrainians.
The documentary portrays the battle in Ukraine as a direct continuation of World Struggle II and a battle in opposition to the “neo-Nazi” regime in Kyiv allegedly created by the West as a part of its aim to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia.
The movie exhibits Putin visiting wounded troopers and assembly the widows and mom of fallen warriors. Putin thanks the ladies for his or her sacrifice – and so they thank him for the chance to serve the motherland. This illustrates one of many central themes of the Kremlin worldview: that Russia is powerful as a result of its individuals are able to sacrifice themselves.
One other 25 years?
Zarubin asks, “Is it attainable to make peace with the Ukrainian a part of the Russian folks?” It’s phrasing that denies the existence of Ukraine as a sovereign nation.
Putin replies, “It’s inevitable regardless of the tragedy we’re experiencing.”
He expresses remorse that there are solely 150 million Russians – as a terrific energy, Russia wants extra folks. He additionally suggests he might have extra territory, one thing that shall be alarming for Russia’s neighbors. In a single clip, Putin asks a boy, “The place do the borders of Russia finish?” The boy solutions, “The Bering Strait with USA.” And Putin responds, “The borders of Russia by no means finish.”
This framing additionally means that Putin shouldn’t be desirous about a peace take care of Ukraine by which Russia would see solely restricted territorial positive aspects, which places the breakdown of talks over a possible U.S.-sponsored deal in context.
Requested in regards to the current falling out between Trump and Europe sparked partly by Washington’s extra pro-Russian stance, Putin solutions, “Nothing has modified since Biden’s time,” including that the “collective West” continues to be bent on destroying Russia.
Alexey Nikolsky/SPUTNIK/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Towards the top of the documentary, Zarubin asks whether or not Putin is considering selecting a successor. The Russian president says he always thinks about succession and would like a alternative between a number of candidates. However this system doesn’t present any clues as to who that successor might be – and not one of the potential successors are given any publicity.
The Russian folks have been advised for years that it’s unimaginable to think about Russia with out Putin. This movie lies firmly in that custom.
The primary meant message is obvious: Putin is prepared and in a position to struggle on till he achieves victory on his personal phrases.
