Putin’s Forever War

Yet, after 23 years leading Russia, Mr. Putin’s hold on power is still firm as fighting intensifies in southern and eastern Ukraine. In effect, the West had insulted the 27 million Soviets lost to the war, among them Mr. Putin’s older brother. A New State IdeologyFor Mr. Putin, the war has expanded in character, becoming the culmination of a civilizational war against the West. On the road back to Ulan-Ude from Lake Baikal, the toll of Mr. Putin’s war to reverse history was inescapable. As Mr. Muratov left the room, he heard Mr. Gorbachev say: “Who could be happy because of this?”The post Putin’s Forever War appeared first on New York Times.