Marco Imarisio – Corriere della Sera
"A great country needs a state ideology. Otherwise it is nothing. And when you lose it, the nation itself evaporates. Ancient Rome had it, today's Italy does not. Maybe that's why you haven't been a great country for many centuries."
Sergey Karaganov (a well-known Russian strategist, with great influence on foreign policy and the Kremlin's ideology) has the ability to say scary things always with a smile on his face, a smile that is unknown where it comes from...
At the St. Petersburg Economic Forum last June, no one missed the praise that Putin personally bestowed on Karaganov, even a friendly slap on the shoulder.
"I was impressed. I believe he agrees with my vision of the world."
The character and ideology of Karaganov, a political scientist and one of the founders of the Valdai Club, where Putin regularly attends, are written about in his book “The Dream of Russia in the 21st Century,” where he proposes the creation of a state ideology, a kind of new spiritual collectivism in the name of which individual freedoms must be sacrificed.
Putin's opinion of the book is unknown, but its publication on the official websites of the Foreign Ministry and Security Council is a sign.
Karaganov adds that the US is not “the evil of Western civilization.” They are more rational than Europeans, so it is easier to negotiate with them.
But according to him, Donald Trump has no interest in stopping the war in Ukraine, other than personal ambition, except in the event of a total catastrophe or nuclear incident.
“He and America are profiting, exhausting Europe and making it pay to keep Kiev alive.”
Karaganov's statements about the Ukrainian conflict are provocative and unacceptable to most.
In the summer of 2023, he spoke of the need to drop a nuclear bomb on Poland as a way to restore fear to humanity.
“I hope for peace and I am grateful for the efforts of Putin and Trump. But agreements and handshakes are not enough. First, everyone must understand that we are not fighting against Ukraine, but against a united Europe. Against the Europe of Napoleon and Hitler. Your elites have lost all form of credibility and authority, and that is why they are seeking war against us.”
Karaganov, 70, after a career in writing speeches for Brezhnev and other Russian presidents, excluding Gorbachev, and after theories about the "Siberization" of Russia towards the East, now enjoys recognition from the most nationalist part of the government and public opinion.
"Putin and I are separate entities. We don't always agree. Europe today is focused on excessive individualism and extreme consumerism. I propose a return to common, ancient and shared values."
My ideology is for real leaders. And to be such, individual and civil liberties must be limited. Russia's mission is to stop the degradation of man and free the world from global hegemony.
This is the right path. Trump is drawn to Putin because he knows we have to win this war. But his election time is approaching, it's either with us or with Europe!