“...Moscow has reclaimed its 19th-century conservative role...”
I think that’s stretching it a bit....
Many things can be said about Putin pro and con; but the guy loves his country, is a Russian patriot and is doing what HE thinks best to ensure it’s survival from internal threats (the lunatic left fringe of his party) as well as external threats (moslem infiltration and Chechen terrorism).
Personally, I believe he’s “KGB” through and through (FSB now, I think they call themselves). A lifetime of training and indoctrination doesn’t disappear overnight just because the party name changes. He’s an intelligence operative, and knows how to mind-mess with both foes and pretend-friends (as we are now) to get what he wants.
He’s still a product of his country’s recent past, and I think we put ourselves in danger by dealing with and regarding him otherwise.
Putin would have served the Czar, as faithfully as he served the Bolsheviks. It’s not ideological with him.
He knows Communism sucked....but at the same time, he appreciated the power on the world stage they achieved.