How to think about Putin was more like How to think about the world. Today the paradigm is GLOBALISM or internationalism, with the people who have the vested interests in globalist rule pushing it down our throats. Putin represents a country's leader REJECTING GLOBALISM. How he rules Russia, how good he may be as a person, isn't the point.
WILL YOUR COUNTRY BE THE BITCH OF GLOBALISM AND TAKE YOU WITH IT, or not?
You are correct, Globalism is the driving reason for Putin's actions and American post Reagan failures.