How Putinism Works and How to Defeat It

Putin lies because he needs to be seen by people in Russia as a good guy. He will very likely lose power if his evil nature is exposed.

That is why he first made people believe in Nazi in Ukraine, then he convinced them that these Nazi commit crimes against humanity in Ukraine. From there on he can present his war as a war for a good cause, to stop these Nazi from committing their crimes against humanity.

From there on, if the West opposes Putin, those who believe in Nazi in Ukraine see the West as collaborators of these Nazi. From there on they can even think all of the West is Nazi sympathizers. That does not dissuade them from supporting Putin. From there on no matter how war actually goes they will not stop supporting him.

Many Western analysts fall for that trap and seem unable to get out of it.

Western powers should do more to address the original foundational lie about Nazi in Ukraine.

As absurd as it might sound, the West should try to convince people in Russia that there are no any Nazi in Ukraine at all and they do not commit crimes against humanity at all. Once this foundational lie is gone, those built on top of it will collapse as well.