Vladimir Putin’s Russia is not merely a “great power” challenging the rules of the international order. It is an inhumane, archaic leviathan whose economic model, political philosophy, and foreign policy behavior rest on three pillars: resource dependency, internal repression, and external aggression. As I have repeatedly emphasized, Russia has morphed into a “resource autocracy” that perceives Western weakness as a “window of opportunity” for tactical expansion. This assessment is not emotional hyperbole—it is a cold, sober conclusion drawn from macroeconomic and geopolitical analysis.

The structural vulnerability of the Putin regime is glaring. Let us briefly but decisively outline the evidence:

– “The Economy as an Instrument of War”: Russia’s economy functions as a “hybrid of a colonial appendage and a military-industrial complex.” Attempts to pivot toward economic alignment with China have proven an “utter farce,” further intensifying internal pressure on the regime.

– “Legitimacy Through External Aggression:: To sustain its self-preservation and project legitimacy to its domestic audience, the regime requires a constant external crisis—and it deliberately manufactures one through military adventurism.

– :Exploiting Western Weakness”: My central thesis holds that “post-conservative externalities and left-populist policies pursued by Western elites have critically weakened advanced economies, precipitated stagflation, and heightened the risk of deep recession.” It is precisely this internal disarray and economic stagnation in the West that the Kremlin interprets as a green light for aggression.

Thus, the threat does not emanate from some “rival civilization.” It stems from a systemic malfunction in the world order—an archaic force that parasitizes temporary imbalances and is willing to destroy the very foundations of international........

© Eurasia Review