The myth of the master strategist – Part 1: Vladimir Putin, 'Smoke and mirrors?'

Regular readers of The Looking Glass would be fairly familiar with the typical format. Usually each issue features an assessment of an emerging issue of interest to strategic and defence planners, often (but not exclusively) featuring an 'Australian' angle. For the next two iterations though, the publication turns its attention to myth-busting.

This issue of The Looking Glass starts off with a myth many specialists have been flagging for a while but has recently become manifestly obvious. Contrary to popular belief, Vladimir Putin is not actually a master strategist. Not grasping this has had negative real-world implications. Not least of which has been the conviction that Putin would swiftly overcome Ukraine through a combination of superior strategy and capabilities. Indeed, this was a key driver in the reluctance of many Western states not to provide Kyiv with advanced weaponry, even when the Russian invasion was imminent. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put it in an interview with the Washington Post, 'I think the majority of people who called me – well, almost everyone – did not have faith that Ukraine can stand up to this and persevere'.

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