The Misanalysis of Alexander Dugin as "Putin's Brain"

Those who bother to research these things will know that Alexander Dugin, the Russian ideologue, is not "Putin's Brain" or “Putin’s Rasputin”.

Dugin is a peripheral figure in terms of influence in the Kremlin. In fact, Dugin's neo-Eurasianist ideology was not compatible with Putin's cautious, pragmatic brand of conservatism.

Putin’s consistent links with the West and his constant yearning for the Russian Federation to be treated as an equal "partner" in international affairs was essentially inconsistent with Dugin's neo-Eurasianist philosophy of multipolarity.

It is only since the latest escalation in tensions between the West and Russia involving the "Special Military Operation", the Western package of sanctions including the cancellation of Nordstream 2, the West's seizure of Russian assets and overtly anti-Russian as opposed to anti-Russian government policies, that a final break with the West and a drive towards de facto multipolarity or bipolarity) has become the official policy of the Kremlin.

It is now with the drive towards creating alternative global institutions of trade in concert with China and other non-aligned nations that Putin can be said to be aligned in any form with Eurasianist sentiments.

The previous designation by some analysts of those in the Russian state who are "Euro-Atlanticists" and those who are "Eurasianists" will perhaps begin to make sense, although under the current climate it is unlikely that anyone near the seat of power in Russia could be classified as a "Euro-Atlanticist". Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev who was claimed to be such has been revealed in recent times to be as much a hardliner as anyone in the Kremlin.

Unfortunately, the tragic murder of Dugin's daughter by a bomb attack intended for him is unlikely to put to rest the misanalysis of Dugin as "Putin's Brain".

© Adeyinka Makinde (2022).

Adeyinka Makinde is a writer based in London, England.