(Mis)Reading Putin

Vladimir Putin’s career is marked by two distinct facets: discipline in focus and management of image. Understanding why that is may reveal what to expect as the Ukraine crisis unfolds.

I think about Russia often. I spent most of my time in University learning Russian, writing about Russia, reading Russian literature, and following Russian politics. In high school, I knew more about Yevgeniy Primakov or the Yabloko Party than I did about pop music. I still occasionally sing…