What is the scariest fact about Vladimir Putin?

There are several scary facts about Vladimir Putin, so let’s take them in descending order:

 

1. Dr. Putin is the first truly competent peacetime leader in Russia’s long history. In fact, he is probably the most competent national leader in the world today, though President Xi is very competent, too.
2. Dr. Putin’s Cabinet is also the most competent national team in the international big leagues, from its star defense minister, Sergei Shogyu who turned Russian arms from world laggard to world leader almost over night, to Nadia Nabulliana, his central banker, who had a vault stuffed with gold and foreign exchange when the US imposed sanctions, and whom the world’s central bankers voted as tops in the world. And–everyone’s favorite and world’s #1 diplomat, Sergei Lavrov…the list goes on. No Western country comes close to fielding a comparable team.
3. His handling of foreign affairs outwits his enemies every time. Take Crimea. Given its strategic location, Crimea has been contested by numerous powers throughout history, including the Greeks, Mongols and Ottomans, among others. After several wars between the Ottoman and Russian empires, Russia was able to annex the entirety of Crimea at the end of the 18th century, eventually establishing a naval base for its Black Sea Fleet at the port city of Sevastopol. Yet Crimea continued to be fought over in later conflicts, including the Crimean War and both world wars. In 1954, Crimea was transferred from the Russian to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic. Then, when Russia’s enemies attempted to gain control of Crimea’s naval base after a coup in 2014, Putin was ready and–almost overnight–permitted Crimeans to rejoin Russia and give her control of the Black Sea…without firing a shot or even raising his voice: the greatest geostrategic coup of the 21st. century.
4. His defeat of terrorism in Syria, a job which NATO forces completely failed to accomplish after years of fighting. At the invitation of Syria’s democratically elected government, he intervened and smashed the Western-sponsored extremists and drove them out of the country.
5. He has the support of 83% of his people, the highest level of support from the toughest people on earth.