James Rodgers
James Rodgers is the author of The Return of Russia: from Yeltsin to Putin, the story of a Vengeful Kremlin
What does Putin do next? Welcome to The i Paper’s opinion series in which our writers and experts take a deeper look at the future for the Russian leader.
• Putin is getting more desperate. It won’t end well• Furious Putin is trapped in a gilded cage. Only death will free him• Putin and Xi’s bromance could fall apart – and it’s all down to Trump• Putin has made a vast strategic error. This relationship shows us why• The worst war the Soviets ever fought is now haunting Putin• Putin has turned Russia into a ‘crack cocaine’ economy – he’s trapped• Putin’s desperate fight for global influence is turning into a quiet disaster
Vladimir Putin’s success as a politician has been defined over the decades by his ability to understand what will make him popular – and to deliver it. Since he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this instinct has deserted him.
