Vladimir Putin blames an Islamist attack on Ukraine and America
How to use a disastrous security failure to bolster dictatorship
Few Russian leaders apart from Stalin have been as obsessed with their own security, while failing so spectacularly to provide it for their people, as Vladimir Putin. From the bombings of apartment blocks in various cities in 1999, to the terrorist attack on March 22nd at Crocus City Hall, a concert venue in Moscow, his main concern has always been his own grip on power. Predictably, Russia’s president has tried to turn the latest security failure into a justification for his dictatorial rule and for his war against Ukraine, which has already cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The uses of terror”
Europe March 30th 2024
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- Vladimir Putin blames an Islamist attack on Ukraine and America
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From the March 30th 2024 edition
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