Putin's Military Buildup Of The Soviet Era

Putin’s presidency has always retained elements of theatricality. Ever since his inauguration, the State orchestrates every public appearance he makes in order to portray him as a robust figure that contrasts starkly from the decrepit Yeltsin. Putin’s power, after he instituted the “vertical of power” and picked all the members of his advisory body, is minimally regulated: if he wants something he just takes it and does not explain his rationale to anyone (Dawisha 272-273). In this regard, he is very similar to the tsars before the 1917 Revolution. Putin is undoubtedly a product of the Soviet era and his leadership demonstrates elements of continuity of the past through his buildup of the Russian military, his expansionist foreign policies, and manipulation of the media.
During the Cold War, Russia was practically involved in every war that the US had participated in and made their presence known globally. As such, Putin’s objective is to restore Russia’s credibility abroad by re-establishing control over what he “claims is part of Russia’s territory (Vice). Even if the said territory is disputed, he would resort to aggressive tactics in order to protect Russia’s interests. Russia’s invasion of Crimea, a Ukrainian territory, serves as a prime example of demonstrating Putin’s eagerness to use his military in order to safeguard Russia’s interests. Putin was willing to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty, the most important international relations law, and it is no coincidence that Ukraine used to be part of