[Thunder90]

Putin is a communist, pure and simple. His goal is to restore the USSR and lead a united front against the west with the Chinese and other communist friends.

[Neophyte]

I think his goals are not restrictrd to the communist idea which was the ruling - and bunkrupted - force in Russia under whatever alias from 1917 on... He is openly trying to restore what Russia was before the Bolshevist coup: a chauvinistic empire.

And that goal is cheered by the majority of the population for whom a strong state (Derzhava) was always more important than what they have on the table (if anything).