Inside Putin’s Head? President Xi, Rasputin’s Ghost, and a Bag of Crafty Cats

Constructed image of six repeat images, six photos stacked in a grid, two rows of three images each, all the same photo of Vladimir Putin pointing with a pen in his hand, extending his arm out in front of him and up into the air like he’s stabbing something or pointing ‘onward’ (or exuberantly pointing to a reporter in the back of the room, enjoying his celebrity), while he is seated at a table, in front of microphones. Original photo from the kremlin.ru — “Vlad the inveigler” constructed image | original: kremlin.ru, CC BY 3.0

Per BBC reporting, analysts or “spies” in the West are trying to game out what’s in Putin’s head. What are his motives, goals, possible acceptable outs, and what exactly is his endgame with starting a war in Europe, and now asking China to help with it?

Is Putin forcing Xi’s hand or being led by it? Is he testing the waters of war…

Inside Putin’s Head? President Xi, Rasputin’s Ghost, and a Bag of Crafty Cats

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Peter Froehlich