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Yeh, Newsnight had a segment the other night on how Putin has retreated into his faith and own interpretation of history and for it to fit in with his view of what a strong united Russia looks like, it was essential to have Kiev integrated as the Mother of Russian cities
They showed some Churches where some historical figures are buried and said you could expect that to be one of the first places Putin visits if they take Kiev
greentricky
Don't have a link soz, but back when Putin got formal approval to extend his reign to last until 2036 there were someone arguing quite coherently that he most likely imagined himself the second Catherine the Great. To get one up on her he would have to outlast her time on the throne but also, at the very least, annex Belarus and Ukraine.
Hitler was obsessed with Julius Caesar and could justify his actions with a thousand year perspective. Personally I think it's plausible that Putin is doing the same with Catherine the Great. What does breaking a few eggs matter when you're setting Moscow up for a glorious future that will last for eternity.