Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 5, Number 1, Spring / Summer 2020 | Page 75

A New Russian Realpolitik: Putin’s Operationalization of Psychology and Propaganda
the coin of the realm, and the
adult important international
pecking order is established
through frequent resort to armed
conflict. (Hyman 2010, 461)
Putin frames political actions
and methods in traditional Realpolitik
terms. The Russian leader is known
for his pragmatic utilization of systems,
techniques, and modalities. However,
at the same time, he ensures the careful
attention and consideration of political,
psychological, and constructivist realities
to harness and deliberately manipulate
target audiences for power consolidation
and opposition suppression
(Hutcheson and Petersson 2016). Artfully
engineering and operationalizing
psychologically manipulable variables,
Putin has more successfully than not
met emergent challenges to his legitimacy
and political agenda (Hutcheson
and Petersson 2016). Putin’s deliberate
focus, reinforcement, and weaponization
of the three selected theories enable
him to become the primary decider and
authority of Russia’s present and future.
It would seem that Vladimir
Putin mastered “the art of ruling ...
finding a way to derive benefit from ...
the feelings of others and not in wasting
one’s own energy in order to destroy
them. [Putin] is capable of liberating
himself from blind control of his own
feelings [and] is also capable of exploiting
the feelings of others for his own
purposes” (Nadskakuła‐Kaczmarczyk
2017, 340). The Russian leader understands
these theories do not have to be
used in isolation; often, the salient principles
and elements intertwine, infuse,
and complement one another. However,
with careful political and psychological
assessment and refinement, specific
tailoring and formulation can be used
to achieve/spread the optimal and desired
effects of two of Putin’s essential
objectives and narratives:
1) Russia is rising from its knees
and because of that the West,
first and foremost the United
States, declared war on Moscow
in order to preserve its diktat in
world affairs. 2) Although threatened
on all sides by implacable
enemies, Russia has nothing to
fear so long as Putin is at the
helm, not only will he protect the
motherland, but also, he will recover
the [Russian] status being
viewed and therefore respected
again. (Aron 2016)
Putin has made it clear to the international
community that he will not
be cornered into a specific hardened
political ideology. He is determined to
avoid making the same mistakes that
former Soviet leaders made. Using a variety
of realist and constructivist foundations,
he is tenacious in remaining
adaptive to ever-changing domestic and
international political landscapes. He is
committed to making modern Russia a
respected member of the international
community once more. He is resolute
in his acknowledgment of the maintenance
and the projection of the image
required for a specific national identity.
For two decades, Putin has occupied
the world stage and has vaulted
Russian activities and aspirations back
into the mainstream global headlines.
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