In the week since Vladimir Putin’s summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, two opposing narratives have emerged.
One stressed Putin’s isolation and desperation, noting that the leader who once strutted about the world stage like a colossus was now reduced to slinking off to a pariah state, hat in hand, begging for artillery to fuel his faltering war of aggression against Ukraine.
But another narrative stressed that the Kremlin leader’s Asia trip was a sign of strength in so far as that it was defiant, disruptive, and highlighted Putin’s preferred role as a skilled geopolitical troll, wrongfooting the West – as well as China – as he advances Moscow’s interests.
So which narrative is correct? Or do both contain elements of truth? And with a week to digest the fallout, what does Putin’s Asia trip mean for Russia’s war against Ukraine, its showdown with the West, and the balance of power in the Asia Pacific region?
On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with James Sherr, a Senior Fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security and author of the book Hard Diplomacy and Soft Coercion: Russia’s Influence Abroad, and Jeff Mankoff, a Distinguished Research Fellow at National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies and author of the book Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security.
SHOW NOTES
James Sherr’s published work can be accessed here and here.
Jeff Mankoff’s published works can be accessed here and here. His book, Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security, can be purchased here.
The Power Vertical Newsletter on Substack can be accessed here. Recently published work by Brian Whitmore can be accessed here and here.