Under Putin, Russia best described as increasingly disorganised irrational fiefdom – University of Birmingham

Putin’s leadership continues to erode Russia’s economic and military security. His actions do nothing to enhance the welfare of Russian citizens. Under Putin, Russia is best described as an increasingly disorganised irrational fiefdom, said John R. Bryson, Professor of Enterprise and Economic Geography – University of Birmingham, in his latest op-ed on Wednesday.  Bryson said Russia’s war with Ukraine continued to reveal interesting tensions that highlighted there were major problems with the governance of Russia. 

 

“Putin continues to act irrationally and irresponsibly with his actions working against the long-term interests of the Russian people”, he said. 

 

The op-ed said over the last two decades Putin’s actions had eroded Russia’s statehood. 

 

“Russia should no longer be recognised as a nation state, but as Putin’s fiefdom. One of the problems facing the Russian people is that Putin is not subject to Russian law – he works above and outside the law. This is a clear sign that Russia is no longer a nation state”, it said. 

 

The author claimed the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had worked out how to read Putin, but Putin continued to fail in his attempt to read Zelenskyy and his supporters. 

 

“Ukraine can nudge Putin into making decisions that work against the interests of Putin’s fiefdom. Zelenskyy has identified that Putin has ‘flashpoints’ or sensitivities that if disrupted result in Putin making irrational decisions”. 

 

It continued there had been two recent examples of Putin’s irrationality driven by acts of revenge. 

 

“On the one hand, there has been his revenge in response to Ukraine’s attack on the Kerch bridge. This has included attacks on Odesa including targeting its historic centre. Putin’s decision to authorise military activities against a UNESCO World Heritage site is against the interests of all humanity and yet comes with no military outcomes for Russia. This act includes the part destruction of Odesa’s cathedral which is an excellent example of Putin barbarism”. 

 

 “On the other hand, Putin has decided not to continue participating in the grain deal that was protecting the interests of some of the most vulnerable people on this planet. Moreover, Putin is destroying grain-related infrastructure as revenge in response to damage to an inanimate structure – a bridge”. 

 

Bryson said Putin was weaponizing food and for what end the outcome worked against Russia and Putin’s own interests.

 

“Putin’s decision to attack grain stores located in Ukrainian ports on the River Danube, and Odessa’s grain terminals, should be considered as a crime against humanity as the outcome will be malnutrition, starvation and death experienced by citizens living across the Global South”.