From2005
“First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century,” Putin said. “As for the Russian people, it became a genuine tragedy. Tens of millions of our fellow citizens and countrymen found themselves beyond the fringes of Russian territory."
and again in 2013
“It was a tragedy for the vast majority of the country’s citizens, After all, what is the collapse of the USSR? It’s the collapse of historical Russia, called the Soviet Union.”
“We have turned into a different country completely. And what has been built up over a thousand years, to a large extent, has been lost,”
“Overnight, 25 million Russian people found themselves abroad, in the republics of the former USSR, which had gained independence, sovereignty.”
“It was impossible for them to go back, to be reunited with their relatives. There was no place to work, no place to live. This is a great humanitarian tragedy, no exaggeration,”
Now if he hadnt had his army repeatedly march into and recapture the countries Russia lost this might be seen as rueful reflection but these views coupled with a willingness to use force to rebuild the USSR means the Baltic states Poland Hungary and Romania are all part of his wish list
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