Birthdays can be a strange time. Some people love them, some hate them. The big ones, like 40 or 70 mark more than just another year, being difficult if life has not quite turned out the way you wanted. For some, birthdays are a time of intense self-reflection. Many ponder question like “Where am I in my life? Where do I want to be? What could I improve?
President Vladimir Putin of Russia had much to ponder last week, marking his seventieth birthday. With very little to celebrate, Russia is not going in his desired direction. For much of his multi-decade reign, Putin was credited with revitalizing and returning Russia to the world stage, following a very difficult period after the fall of Communism in the 1990s. This year’s toxic decision to invade Ukraine has made Putin a despot, leaving Russia internationally isolated and placing his country in an unexpected war footing with mobilization and turmoil. In less than one year, Putin has fallen from greatness to being a pariah on the world stage.
Last year, Putin started a military buildup in the countryside around Ukraine. For months, he kept the whole world guessing when he would initiate his desired land grab of Ukraine. Putin launched his attack on February 24, with most believing Ukrainian resistance to collapse in a matter of hours, and Moscow would install a Kremlin-friendly puppet in Kyiv.
A mix of Dismay and Celebration in Russia
For his birthday, Putin was given a tractor by the Belarusian president, melons and a painting titled “Putin with a Puppy,” by artist Alexey Sergienko’s. Later in the day the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill stated, “God put you (Putin) in power so that you could perform a service of special importance and of great responsibility for the fate of the country.” Kirill also asked worshippers across the Russia to pray for Putin’s health.
However, Russian losses in Ukraine kept celebrations in the Kremlin somewhat subdued. Putin’s challenges are not limited to the battlefield. The invasion has also gravely undermined Russia’s international standing. Former Soviet States are encouraged by the poor Russian military performance and are in open defiance to the Kremlin. Putin’s traditional partner states appear to be cooling relations, as Chinese and Indian leaders have recently expressed concerns over the invasion of Ukraine.
A few hours after his birthday, the Crimean Bridge was severely damaged. Built by the Russian Federation after its annexation of Crimea in 2014, the bridge attack is a significant psychological setback to the Russian war effort as it will slow logistics and manpower replenishment.
Ukrainian Celebrations
Almost universally, Ukrainians have celebrated significant military gains against Russia aggression with jubilation. Supporters continue to flood social media with lively memes. The Saturday morning Crimean Bridge attack was no exception. Within hours of the explosion, several government agencies in Ukraine posted jokes on social media in celebration while poking fun at Russia and Putin.
Oleksiy Danilov, head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, posted video of the bridge explosion alongside a video of Marilyn Monroe singing, “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” alluding to Mr. Putin’s earlier birthday.
A mock postage stamp was developed by the Ukrainian post office, commemorating the bridge explosion. Ukrainians shot photos by a painted commemorative while others tried to buy the stamps from the post office.
The West
In the U.S., Putin’s birthday passed relatively unnoticed. One exception to the relative quiet from America was Steven Seagal who had been appointed as special envoy by Russia to improve ties with the U.S. in 2018. Over the weekend, Segal sent a bizarre birthday message to “one of world’s greatest leaders,” stating, “I am really hoping that he [Putin] gets the support and the respect that he needs.’
The greater concern on American mind is Putin’s psychological state and his potential desire to use nuclear weapons as mounting losses back him further into the corner. Thus far however, Putin’s efforts to divide the West by the invasion and the cutting off of fuel supplies have caused a reinvigoration of cooperation by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states. Europe continues to decrease its dependence on Russian oil and gas. The biggest self-induced problem for Moscow is NATO’s expansion onto Russia’s doorstep, with Finland and Sweden abandoning their neutrality by applying for membership.
Happy Birthday Mr. Putin. It has been a tough year, but with some reflection and introspection, things might get better.
