Putin has enriched himself from state monies that should have been spent on infrastructure, health services, and pensions; as a dictator worried about losing power, starting wars serves to distract from unpopularity caused by this corruption.

causalpending

Speaker

Martin Sixsmith

Evidence Quote

it's very personal and it's kind of financial as well because he's a man who spent a long time enriching himself from State monies in Russia uh money that should have been spent on roads and infrastructure and Health Service and pensions and um you can only do that for a certain length of time before people start to get upset with that so if you're a dictator and you're worried that you're in the eye of the storm and people may be moving against you what's the standard response it's start a war

Source

How The West Can Stop Putin, with Exiled Critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky | Intelligence SquaredIntelligence Squared
Created: 8/10/2026, 10:56:34 PM

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