Putin Unmasked

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Andrew Weiss, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, reveals how Vladimir Putin rose from mediocre KGB officer to Russian leader through a series of accidents and opportunities rather than strategic brilliance or espionage expertise.
• Putin was a mid-level KGB officer who never achieved high rank before being chosen as Yeltsin's successor precisely because he seemed controllable
• The image of Putin as a master spy was deliberately created as propaganda but has been mistaken for reality by many in the West
• Russia's centralized governance and territorial expansion tendencies predate Putin by centuries
• Putin's relationship with oligarchs transformed them from independent powers to dependent vassals
• After 2014, Russia actively cultivated relationships with fringe political groups across Europe and America
• The 2022 Ukraine invasion backfired by strengthening NATO and Ukrainian resolve
• Putin believes he can outlast Western support for Ukraine by exploiting political divisions
• Understanding Putin as he truly is rather than as he portrays himself is critical for formulating effective policy
• The book uses graphic novel format to make complex Russian history and politics accessible to wider audiences
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Chapters

1. Introduction to The Accidental Czar (00:00:00)

2. Putin's Unremarkable KGB Career (00:06:15)

3. The Unlikely Rise to Power (00:10:40)

4. Post-9/11 Relations With the West (00:16:40)

5. Russia's Political Psychology (00:22:00)

6. The Oligarch Relationship (00:27:15)

7. Russia's Global Influence Operations (00:31:05)

8. The Ukraine War and Putin's Future (00:36:50)

9. Conclusion and Book Overview (00:45:10)