The West could have noticed early on how Vladimir Putin thinks. He said it loud and clear himself often enough. For example, at the Valdai Forum in September 2013:

»We see how many Euro-Atlantic states deny their own roots, moral foundations and any traditional identity. Large families are just as important as same-sex partnerships. This policy equates belief in God with belief in Satan.”

Just a month later, Forbes magazine named him the most powerful person in the world, ahead of Barack Obama.

»Everything will become visible by 2012 or 2013 at the latest. “Putin is calling for a search for a new national idea,” explains long-time SPIEGEL correspondent Christian Neef in the fourth episode of the podcast series “Putin’s Rise”. »He is allying himself with the Orthodox Church, which is now saying exactly what he expects: Kirill, the patriarch, says that Putin's presidency is a miracle of God, that is, wanted by God. The country is threatened by danger from the Western liberal system, which does not fit the orthodox culture.

The developments back then explain why Vladimir Putin is now completely trapped in his self-constructed worldview.

In the fall of 2013, Putin ensured that the then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych did not sign the agreement with the EU - and thus triggered the protests in Kiev, which took place primarily in the central Maidan Square. They become known as “Euromaidan.”

Yanukovych's security forces are trying to brutally suppress the demonstrations. Dozens of people died in the following fighting on the Maidan between February 18 and 20, 2014. Yanukovych secretly left for Russia a few days later. And Putin says: The West initiated all this to overthrow the government and bring Ukrainian fascists to power.

»But he cares about more than that. And he notices, above all, from the West's reaction that it is not really being slowed down," says Russia expert Christian Neef. “Under the pretext of having to defend the Russians in Crimea, he can apparently pull ready-made plans out of a drawer and annex Crimea in a flash. And you see, the West’s reaction there too is only lukewarm.”

In the run-up to the Russian referendum that is intended to legitimize the conquest of Crimea, the outline of the peninsula can be seen twice on election posters: on the left with barbed wire and a swastika on a black background. On the right in the bright colors of the Russian flag on a light blue background. On it the inscription "On March 16, 2014 we will vote either...or...".

In the fourth episode of the podcast series "Putin's Rise", Christian Neef reports on Putin's transformation into an imperialist ruler who strives for total control over Russia and Ukraine by any means possible. And who blames the West for everything that displeases it. He explains how Putin is increasingly settling into his dream of a Great Russian Empire and justifying his ideology with his own narratives. And he shows why Vladimir Putin shaped Russia for decades to come.

You can listen to this podcast episode right here:

The foreign podcast Eight Billion appears every Friday on SPIEGEL.de and everywhere there are podcasts. Do you have any suggestions, criticism, topic suggestions or even praise for this show? Then write us an email to the address Acht.milliarden@spiegel.de.