Inside Vladimir Putin’s Fears and Paranoia, Mirroring Adolf Hitler in 1945 – World News

Vladimir Putin is becoming increasingly paranoid, fearing assassination attempts and mirroring the behavior of Adolf Hitler at the end of World War II, says Professor Mark Galeotti

Vladimir Putin’s paranoid fear of assassination means he rarely goes to his Kremlin office and his behavior has become similar to that of Adolf Hitler in 1945, it is claimed.

Although the Russian leader has always been extremely security-conscious, the invasion of Ukraine has made him very paranoid about an attempt to overthrow him, says Professor Mark Galeotti.

Putin no longer visits the Kremlin and his office regularly as he now prefers to work from the villa at his summer residence Novo-Ogaryovo west of Moscow, the University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies professor told the Daily Mail.

Prof Galeotti said: “He has his staff, his bodyguards, his team of food tasters and so on, but for months senior ministers, advisers and aides with whom he would formerly consult frequently have been kept at a distance. The pandemic has made that easier – but he shows no signs of wanting to change the status quo.”

And it’s a similar situation to Hitler’s when World War II was drawing to a close and the Allies were advancing on Berlin.

“It is impossible not to be reminded of Adolf Hitler’s last days, when a war he had started was also going on against him. Of course, Putin’s enemies do not stand at the gates of Moscow like Hitler’s in Berlin, but there are parallels in both leaders’ refusal to listen to advice and their insistence on micromanaging military maneuvers despite lacking the necessary experience,” said Prof Daily Mail.

Due to his insecurities, Putin does not trust the internet and therefore prefers paper documents when briefing him. On a typical day, he would receive reports from the military followed by those from SFV Intelligence updating him on world events.

Then he would get a report from the FSB, the Federal Security Service, on what was happening in Russia, and finally he would be briefed on what is happening to the Russian oligarchs.

Prof Galeotti tells how Putin now prefers to talk to people via video calls rather than face to face, which he attributes to his ability to interrupt them if he doesn’t like what they’re saying.

He gave the latest example when he cut off the head of the Russian central bank, Elvira Nabiullina, when she said the economy was heading for the “sewer”.

The general impression is of someone becoming more and more distant.

“Dedicated Kremlin observers believe that Putin spends much of his time alone, brooding over the war and pondering strategies on the ground — which is alarming for Russia because history tells us this is the polar opposite of what he does should do. said Professor Galeotti.

“Putin has absolutely no significant military experience, although (like many politicians) he is unable to pass a tank or a fighter jet without stopping for a photo op.”

And Putin’s attempts to direct the Russian army now are similar to Hitler’s in World War II: “To the end he micromanaged his troops from his bunker under the streets of Berlin.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appears to have gone far from according to plan, with heavy military casualties – which Prof Galeotti accuses Putin of saying the army is not “useless” but has been misused.

Also, the contrast between the bold old Putin and the frail leader at the Victory Day celebrations suggests he is probably ill.

And while he was once an excellent folksman at understanding opponents’ minds, he is now said to appear emotional and angry, leaving a very uncertain picture of what will happen in Ukraine and Putin’s own future.