Untitled Document

[00:00:00] This has been hidden in Moscow. For [00:00:02] years, the Russian state machine has [00:00:04] carefully constructed the image of [00:00:06] Vladimir Putin, an invincible, [00:00:08] untouchable president of the Russian [00:00:10] Federation. But that image may be more [00:00:13] myth than reality. According to [00:00:15] Ukraine's President Putin fears not only [00:00:17] external pressure, but also the loss of [00:00:19] control. In February 2026, during an [00:00:23] interview with the French channel France [00:00:24] 2, President Wde Zalinski stated that [00:00:27] Vladimir Putin fears Donald Trump, [00:00:29] arguing that the former US president [00:00:31] holds significant leverage through [00:00:33] military aid and economic pressure. [00:00:35] According to Zilinski, Trump understands [00:00:37] that Washington can influence Moscow [00:00:39] through sanctions and weapons supplies [00:00:41] to Ukraine. Therefore, he cannot simply [00:00:43] agree to all of the Kremlin's demands. [00:00:46] It is Putin who fears Trump, not the [00:00:48] other way around. If President Trump [00:00:50] understand this, he cannot accept all [00:00:52] the conditions set by the Russian [00:00:53] leader. Zilinski emphasized. When asked [00:00:56] about Europe's position, Zalinski noted [00:00:59] that despite substantial EU support, [00:01:01] Putin doesn't view Europe as a decisive [00:01:03] deterrent force. We are grateful to [00:01:06] Europeans. They are our partners and [00:01:08] have helped us greatly. [00:01:11] But unfortunately, Putin doesn't fear [00:01:13] them. Why? Because Europeans live in a [00:01:16] safe and comfortable world. they built [00:01:19] themselves. [00:01:20] Many cannot imagine that such aggression [00:01:23] would reach their own countries, he [00:01:25] said. Zalinski warned that if Ukraine [00:01:28] fails to stop Putin, Russia could move [00:01:31] further into Europe. Neighboring [00:01:33] countries understand they could become [00:01:36] the first targets as Russian drones and [00:01:38] missiles are capable of striking almost [00:01:40] anywhere. He also added that pure [00:01:43] democracy struggles against an opponent [00:01:46] who doesn't follow the rules of war. [00:01:49] While some countries recognize the [00:01:51] threat and support Ukraine, others [00:01:53] attempt to distance themselves from the [00:01:55] reality of the situation. [00:01:57] Alongside geopolitical developments, a [00:02:00] cult of personality has been cultivated [00:02:02] around Vladimir Putin for years. [00:02:05] Media researchers point to the [00:02:07] systematic centralization of the Russian [00:02:09] president's image through television, [00:02:11] popular country, and public appearances. [00:02:15] Western outlets often use terms such as [00:02:17] the Putin myth or the Putin shaft. This [00:02:21] is not merely metaphorical. Even [00:02:23] Wikipedia contains an entry describing [00:02:26] the phenomenon. [00:02:28] Critical observers argue that Russian [00:02:30] propaganda has spent decades portraying [00:02:33] Putin as a superhero figure incapable of [00:02:36] weakness, mistakes or fear. [00:02:40] Patriarch Kiril of the Russian Orthodox [00:02:42] Church once publicly described Putin's [00:02:45] rule as a miracle of God and the result [00:02:48] of the prayers of holy sense remarks [00:02:50] delivered during a sermon of Moscow's [00:02:53] main cathedral. [00:02:55] This narrative extends far beyond [00:02:57] television. It shapes multiple affairs [00:03:00] of public life. But Putin is not [00:03:03] omnipotent. Russia is dependent. [00:03:07] After launching the full-scale invasion [00:03:09] of Ukraine, Russia faced sweeping [00:03:11] sanctions and gradually lost much of its [00:03:14] economic connection with the West. Under [00:03:17] this conditions, China became Moscow's [00:03:20] cave partner. In January 2026, first [00:03:23] deputy head of the forign intelligence [00:03:25] service of Ukraine, Ole Luhovski, stated [00:03:28] in an interview with Ukrainian media [00:03:31] that China has become Russia's primary [00:03:33] trading partner in both the economic and [00:03:36] military spheres. This includes dozens [00:03:39] of joint projects in energy, [00:03:41] infrastructure, mechanical engineering, [00:03:43] and technology. Head of the presidential [00:03:46] office of Ukraine, Kerala Budanov, [00:03:48] speaking during a discussion at the [00:03:50] World Economic Forum in Davos, noted [00:03:52] that Beijing's influence over Moscow is [00:03:54] steadly increasing economically, [00:03:56] politically, and technologically. [00:03:59] Meanwhile, China continues to [00:04:00] demonstrate its own military strength. [00:04:03] On September 3rd, 2025, Beijing held a [00:04:06] large-scale military parade showcasing [00:04:08] advanced weapon system, a signal of its [00:04:10] ambitions as a global power. In this [00:04:12] context, the strategic partnership [00:04:14] between Moscow and Beijing appears [00:04:16] increasingly asymmetric. Isolated by [00:04:19] sanctions, Russia depends on Chinese [00:04:21] markets, technology, and financial [00:04:23] resources. Experts suggest that the [00:04:26] deeper this economic dependence becomes, [00:04:28] the less room the Kremlin has for [00:04:30] independent geopolitical maneuvering. [00:04:33] Representatives of the Russian [00:04:35] opposition abroad often draw the [00:04:37] international community's attention to [00:04:39] the dictators fears which are not [00:04:41] limited to people alone. For example, [00:04:44] the YouTube channel of Mikail [00:04:46] Kodokovski, a Russian businessman, [00:04:47] former oligarch and one of Vladimir [00:04:49] Putin's most prominent critics even [00:04:51] published a dedicated video listing [00:04:53] Putin's fears. According to this [00:04:56] observations, the Russian dictator's [00:04:58] phobios began to take shape during his [00:05:00] first presidential term. That was also [00:05:02] when he started disappearing from the [00:05:04] public's fair sphere, avoiding meetings [00:05:05] with ordinary citizens and hiding behind [00:05:08] the high fences of his residences. By [00:05:10] 2025, this fears had become chronic. In [00:05:14] addition to social anxiety, a fear of [00:05:16] responsibility and a fear of the [00:05:18] unknown, another central fear emerged, [00:05:20] one that now shapes the country's entire [00:05:23] domestic life, the fear of death. [00:05:26] Representatives of the Russian [00:05:27] opposition have singled out four main [00:05:29] fears of Putin. The first is the fear of [00:05:32] responsibility which explains both his [00:05:34] slow reactions to events and the [00:05:36] physical elimination of his opponents. [00:05:38] The second is the fear of the unknown [00:05:40] reflected to Putin's tendency to hide in [00:05:42] his residences and his refusal to visit [00:05:45] the front lines. The third is the fear [00:05:47] of death illustrated by his erratic [00:05:50] behavior during the pandemic and his [00:05:51] conversation with Xi Jinping about [00:05:53] eternal life. The fourth fear is social [00:05:56] anxiety seen in practices such as [00:05:59] dressing fsb officers as journalists for [00:06:01] photoshots and other purposes. [00:06:04] Opposition figures emphasize that in [00:06:06] Russia individuals are emerging [00:06:08] uncontrollably who could replicate the [00:06:10] rebellion of the kill head of the [00:06:12] private military company Vagner Yeni [00:06:14] Prigo. These individuals could lead [00:06:17] social unrest caused by the crimes of [00:06:20] prison authorities against ordinary [00:06:22] Russians themselves. Romanova head of [00:06:25] the charitable foundation Ridashia [00:06:27] explained that the dictator Vladimir [00:06:29] Putin fears this and closely monitors [00:06:31] the emergence of such figures. Had the [00:06:34] west not panicked at Prior's actions, [00:06:36] his June 2023 revolt might have [00:06:38] succeeded. [00:06:40] It is not only the president of Ukraine [00:06:42] and members of the Russian opposition [00:06:43] who speak about Putin's fears. After the [00:06:46] full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many [00:06:48] world leaders began to talk openly not [00:06:51] only about the Kremlin's aggression, but [00:06:53] also about Vladimir Putin's personality, [00:06:55] his fears, and his motivations. The 46th [00:06:58] president of the United States, Joe [00:07:00] Biden, repeatedly called Putin a war [00:07:03] criminal and a dictator. As early as [00:07:06] September 2022, he stressed that the [00:07:08] Russian leader fierce democracy and the [00:07:10] example of a free Ukraine. According to [00:07:13] Biden, Putin is trying to destroy [00:07:15] Ukraine. Precisely because a successful [00:07:17] democracy next to Russia poses a direct [00:07:19] threat to his regime. At the same time, [00:07:22] in an article for the Telegraph in March [00:07:24] 2022, former UK Prime Minister Boris [00:07:27] Johnson wrote that Putin fears the [00:07:29] democratic example of Ukraine and the [00:07:31] possibility of color revolution in [00:07:33] Russia. In other words, the Russian [00:07:36] president invaded Ukraine because the [00:07:38] fears that Russians might one day want [00:07:39] to live as freely as Ukrainians. The [00:07:42] image of unquestionable strength remains [00:07:45] central to Russia's state narrative. [00:07:47] However, international pressure, growing [00:07:50] dependence on China, and internal [00:07:52] vulnerabilities suggest that the system [00:07:54] is far from monolytic. The real question [00:07:58] is how long the Kremlin can maintain the [00:08:00] image of absolute control in an [00:08:03] increasingly unstable geopolitical [00:08:06] environment.