In his imperial ambitions, the Russian dictator Putin constantly measures himself against Tsar Peter I. Moreover, in his dreams, he has long imagined himself as the founder of the “Putiling” dynasty, destined to save the world from the “plague” of democracy and free development. The totalitarian ruler sees the entire world at his feet. The only thing standing in the way of these hegemonist plans is Ukraine, which, for some reason, refuses to surrender and capitulate to Moscow.The legacy of Peter I keeps him awake at night. As do the examples of Caligula, Nero, Mussolini, and Hitler, who believed they were reshaping the world for centuries.Putin does everything to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, knowing that membership would place it beyond the reach of his territorial expansion plans.Arrogant, self-obsessed, and intoxicated by unchecked power, the dictator has always been a staunch imperial chauvinist. His unprovoked war against Ukraine demonstrates that he calculated the West was at its weakest point and that he could begin his campaign of terror at this supposedly perfect moment.However, it turned out that he underestimated the West and its ability to unite in critical moments and overestimated the strength of his own army. This shows that he is irrational, ignores facts, and blindly indulges all his imperial desires. His drive to create a Greater Russian Eurasia poses a direct threat not only to the security of a united Europe and America but to the entire democratic world.For Western civilization, one of the most dangerous moments in its history is unfolding, as this is not just a conflict between Russia and Ukraine. It is a confrontation between totalitarianism and democracy, between the free West and the non-democratic East, between total control over every individual’s life and the right of people to live freely and safely.The outcome of this historic conflict will determine whether our civilization can continue to develop or will be set back by several centuries, with total control over the digital world becoming an inescapable reality for the peoples subjugated by Moscow for many generations.For the sake of ephemeral glory, this petty man is attempting at any cost to realize his manic ambitions of world conquest. That is why Putin is so obsessed with the idea of destroying Ukrainian statehood. The demonic spirit of Stalin clearly haunted the Kremlin throughout the Cold War, but it found a receptive environment in shaping Putin’s intentions and actions.He sees himself as the rightful successor to Ivan the Terrible, Peter I, and Stalin, believing that he now has a real chance to surpass each of them. He envisions entering world history as an unparalleled strategist and wise politician who simultaneously subjugates Ukraine, reshapes the post-World War II world order, and strips the United States of its superpower status. After that, Russia and China would become superpowers. However, he fails to consider one thing: Beijing will never recognize its political vassal, currently the Russian Federation, as its equal.By launching a war for global domination, Putin signaled to the international community from the start that the era of restraint and measured political decisions is over. Yet the deranged little man resembles a grotesque caricature of an 18th-century emperor starting the last battle in Europe, without considering what will happen to him in the event of his inevitable defeat.The invasion of Ukraine was Putin’s final step in his hopes to expand the Russian Federation to the size of the USSR. He expects neighboring states to submit to all his most absurd demands, finding themselves in a helpless situation, unable to defend against someone far stronger. Following this principle, the Kremlin plans to seize the territories of any neighboring nation that appears weak and incapable of defending itself.Russians, brainwashed by television propagandists with massive doses of imperialism, are focused on imposing their way of life on others and killing those who do not comply with their demands. Putin himself long ago crossed every boundary of what is considered moral or ethical.For people who uphold democratic values, it is impossible to understand how the twisted mind of this monster works. This is nothing less than a conflict between anti-civilization and civilization, and it is far from over.Gross disregard for international law cannot make the Russian Federation a superpower like the USSR once was. On the contrary, Russia is likely to lose all the positions it held in the world before the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war. A return to colonialist ideas in the 21st century is simply impossible, and the Kremlin is unlikely to realize this until its ultimate defeat.Putin is trying to push Ukraine into Russia’s imperial shadow, believing that plundering Ukrainian resources will be a prize not only for Moscow but also for China, which has done much to prevent Russia’s war from quickly becoming a defeat for the Putin regime.Putin’s revanchism has sparked a geopolitical fire. Through nuclear blackmail, he has managed to hold the West back from providing the full scale of necessary aid to Ukraine, aid that could have accelerated the expulsion of Moscow’s forces from all Ukrainian territories. In this way, the Kremlin has succeeded in prolonging the confrontation.The imperial class that has existed in Russia since the reign of Peter I is focused on preserving and expanding the Russian Empire. For this imperial class, individual Russians have no significance, except in cases where they threaten the survival of the empire itself.Whatever it may be called, Russian Empire, Soviet Union, or Russian Federation, the attacks on Georgia in 2008 and on Ukraine in 2014 were direct actions of this imperial class, whether acting under the guise of Russian imperialists, Soviet communists, or totalitarian Putinists.It is already clear that Putin’s two-dimensional strategy makes no sense in a future three-dimensional world, where space travel, artificial intelligence, and new weapons of mass destruction render old geopolitical calculations hopelessly outdated.Putin is hopelessly stuck in 1709, yet it is now 2025. When Peter I created the Russian Empire, Putin, his pale shadow, acts as its gravedigger, still failing to grasp what the war in Ukraine will ultimately mean for the Russian Federation.Putin will never be recognized as a modern version of Peter the Great. The dictator himself provoked a David-versus-Goliath battle. And as is well known, despite his strength, Goliath can never defeat David, no matter what he does. The dead Russian troops are unlikely to help the Kremlin leader become “Putin the Great.”SourceAbout the author. Viktor Kaspruk, journalist.The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.