The 2014 annexation of Crimea marked the birth of Putin's modern imperial project, a bloodless operation that transformed a struggling autocrat into the architect of Russian resurgence. For nearly a decade, the peninsula has served as the cornerstone of Putin's political legitimacy, the “unsinkable aircraft carrier” that proved Moscow could challenge the western-led order and win. But by 2025, this supposition has become Putin's most dangerous vulnerability.
July 17, 2025 -
Khusanboy Kotibjonov