From powerhouse to prison: Russia’s descent under Putin

Twenty-five years in power and Vladimir Putin has left Russia in a worse state, not better. He has sacrificed hundreds of thousands of his citizens on the altar of his own ego. He has abandoned the rule of law, persecuted his opponents, invaded countries and directed a sub-threshold war against the West.

The result, not surprisingly, is that Russia is a lesser, poorer and weaker country than when Putin first took office. It is a country that now has to go on bended knee to the ruler of North Korea for fresh cannon fodder.

It is also a country – though Putin won’t admit it – which has become a client state of China. How the mighty have fallen.

As one current leader of a former Russian ally said to me recently: “Putin is just a gangster with a gas station.”

When Putin made the foolish decision to illegally invade Ukraine, everyone was at pains inside our government – especially in the Foreign Office – to repeat the mantras, “this is not the Russian people, it is just a small clique in the Kremlin,” and “we don’t do regime change”.

Well, the past three years have shown that this criminal and fascist regime goes way beyond a few bitter old KGB men. It turns out that the Russians not only support the invasion, but they support the use of torture, mass murder, assassinations and cyberattacks.

As with Adolf Hitler’s Germany, Russia’s actions are only possible because of widespread support among its citizens. One of the features of the Soviet Union was the hundreds of Russian dissidents who bravely spoke out or campaigned from exile. This time around, the numbers who do so are in single figures. Most Russians abroad in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Cyprus or the capitals of Europe believe Putin is correct (while shielding their own sons from being drafted to Ukraine).

So what is to be done with this gangster state? Well, I believe that just like other gangsters, Russia belongs behind bars: prison bars of its own making. At the moment, despite sanctions, Russia acts as if nothing has happened. Our Western capitals and private schools are still full of wealthy Putin supporters. Russia operates a “shadow” fleet of ships that enables it to export oil, cut cables and smuggle goods. Famous British brands are still being sold in Moscow – brands that we ought to consider taking action against.

So in 2025, we should make sure the West starts building the prison walls high. We should patch the holes and lock the doors. We should also use our collective diplomacy to pressure such places as Cyprus, the UAE and Switzerland to clamp down on the playgrounds of the Russian elite.

Just as we remove criminals from society, we should do the same to Russia. The irony of such actions is that it will completely counter the fake Russian narrative that Nato is poised to invade. Let’s face it – no one ever wants to break into a prison.

When Putin is revealed to have no real friends, the Godfather will look weak and, as in any other organised crime family, his days will be numbered.

There will be those who say that Putin is going nowhere. No doubt such experts have missed the collapse of Assad, the attempted coup in South Korea and the Taliban victory.

If the past few years have taught us anything it is that all our societies are more fragile than we believe and that dictators can fall.

Winston Churchill once said, “Dictators ride to and fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount. And the tigers are getting hungry.” The Russian widows and mothers will be getting hungry soon…

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About the author. Ben Wallace, Former UK Secretary of State for Defence

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