Putin's 'Strongman Image' Takes a Hit

Concert hall attack exposes his weaknesses, according to a slew of assessments
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 25, 2024 10:00 AM CDT
Updated Mar 30, 2024 10:45 AM CDT
Putin's 'Strongman Image' Takes a Hit
Russian President Vladimir Putin lights a candle on Sunday to commemorate the victims of an attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue.   (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

A theme in coverage has emerged about Vladimir Putin in the wake of Friday's concert hall massacre. The attack "threatens Putin's strongman image," per the headline at the Wall Street Journal, while one at AP says it "dents Putin's tough image," and others at the Washington Post and Axios says the attack exposes the Russian leader's "vulnerabilities" and "weaknesses," respectively. The question is whether Putin will turn things around to his advantage, as he has a long history of doing. Details:

  • Security concerns: The attack, less than a week after Putin's choreographed landslide reelection and amid an entrenched Ukraine war, raises questions on whether he'll be able to deliver on promises of security for Russia's citizenry, per the Journal. "This is perceived as Putin's failure to deliver—he had come with promises of peace and stability, and where is that peace and stability now?" asks speechwriter-turned-critic Abbas Gallyamov. "If it's indeed Islamic State, then your entire foreign policy is worthless—which is why they are trying so hard to pin blame on Ukraine."

  • Blame game: Putin hasn't explicitly blamed Ukraine, but he has clearly suggested Kyiv played a role, all while failing to mention the ISIS affiliate that has claimed responsibility, notes the Post. Putin, who previously declared victory over ISIS, also seems to implicate the US, given the American warning of an imminent attack that the Russian leader had ignored. All in all, the assault "underscored the vulnerabilities of Putin's wartime regime, which were also evident when Yevgeny Prigozhin led his Wagner mercenaries in a brief mutiny" last year, the newspaper notes.
  • Old formula: The AP recounts how Putin has turned such attacks in his favor, going back to his earliest days as leader: "The 71-year-old former KGB officer came to power on the final day of 1999 while spearheading a war to crush separatists in the mostly Muslim republic of Chechnya who had mounted an incursion into a neighboring province." In this case, critics expect him to use the attack as a way to send even more troops to Ukraine.
  • Can it last? Despite the perceived vulnerabilities, "Putin has repeatedly proved capable of rallying Russians around the flag and against external foes," notes Axios. "It's a tried and true formula, though some analysts question whether it will work forever." Still, as the Post puts it, "with his authoritarian grip on power and virtually no one willing to challenge him, the Russian leader is unlikely to face any criticism" domestically for the attack.
(More Russia Crocus shooting stories.)

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