The perpetual secretary of the French Academy believes the Russian president’s beliefs are a combination of “the denial of a certain number of realities” and historical untruths.
What is on Vladimir Putin’s mind? Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, invited to discuss the Ukraine conflict via the BFMTV antenna on Wednesday evening, tried to decipher the psychology of the Russian president, who, according to her, “is not crazy”.
In her opinion, the logic of the Kremlin’s strongman can be summed up in “the denial of a certain number of realities”. As the perpetual secretary of the French Academy explains, one of Putin’s key denials is the denial of Ukraine’s very existence.
“If he went there, it was because he was convinced that Ukraine didn’t exist. We could run to Kyiv and kick out the government, put a puppet in their place because he was convinced that Ukraine didn’t exist,” she explains.
“Personal logic” and “weakened” education
Continuing her demonstration, Hélène Carrère d’Encausse emphasizes that Vladimir Putin has since changed his position on the subject, but emphasizes that the latter now delights in historical untruths.
“Today he declares that if there is a Ukraine, it is the fault of Lenin, who promoted a Ukrainian nationalism that is quite a remarkable historical fantasy and demonstrates a completely weakened education,” she attacks.
In general, the scientist insists that Putin “is not crazy” but that he is following his own logic, also with regard to his stubbornness in Ukraine.
“His logic is that he’s committed, he thinks Ukraine won’t last, he doesn’t think so. He’s settled into the idea that he can win, but everything belies that, but it’s not madness, it’s personal logic.