Russian Authority on the Role of “Eurasianism” in Putin’s Aggression

On a recent Price of Business Show, Host Kevin Price interviewed Dr. Matthew Schmidt of the University of New Haven.

“Invading Ukraine would risk the collapse of Vladimir Putin’s regime. He already faces the most persistent street opposition of his tenure, this might well bring thousands into the streets – for sanity, for Navalny, and more. It would all merge and be Putin’s worst nightmare. Ukraine’s military would exact a steep cost from any invading forces. And after the apparent unmasking of a coup plot, Russian psy-ops would have little chance of establishing a plausible rationale to his domestic audience for the deaths of thousands of soldiers.

“How bad does Putin want to push a war? There is no broad support in the Russian population for war. Only half of those polled blamed the war on Ukraine or the West. People are scared of economic sanctions and casualties. Younger Russians are especially opposed to the war and half 19-24yo support Alexei Navalny’s anti-government movement. And Biden just sent $200M in extra military aid to Kyiv. Putin can take and hold dirt, but he’ll risk his rule to do so.

“Evacuating the families of Russian diplomats does not yet mean war. Putin is going through a list, an order of battle, of things he can do to ratchet up the pressure. But the Ukrainians are watching, and seeing nothing unexpected. So Putin is waiting to see a break in their poker face. So far the pressure hasn’t worked.”Matthew Schmidt, Ph.D., Associate Professor of National Security and Political Science has worked with the Senate and House Armed Services Committee and members of Congress as a consultant on strategic planning for government, business, and the nonprofit sector.

Dr. Schmidt is an expert on Russia and wrote one of the most widely-cited articles on the government’s philosophy called “Eurasianism” focusing on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategic thinking. He was appointed a member of the U.S. election monitoring delegation to the Ukrainian presidential election in 2014, following the Maidan revolution.