In a recent editorial for The New York Times, Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar — who wrote a book about Vladimir Putin called "All the Kremlin's Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin" — explained that the autocrat's most influential adviser is Dr. Yuri Kovalchuk, the largest shareholder in Rossiya Bank and controlling shareholder of several state-approved media outlets. As a result, Putin seems to share Kovalchuk's worldview, one which "combines Orthodox Christian mysticism, anti-American conspiracy theories and hedonism." It is also obsessed with resurrecting the Russian empire, holds that the way to do so is to conquer Ukraine, and which is utterly unconcerned with how present conditions might hinder the achievement of that goal.
In other words, while Putin still sounds like a man who is concerned about his own survival, it is not absolutely certain that this is still how he feels. Even though it is likely his priority, observers cannot be positive that he feels that way — and considering that he controls nuclear weapons which could destroy humanity, that poses a significant problem.
