The "strongman" myth

Tough guy Vladmir Putin is terrified of a child's anti-war drawing.

Before you denounce Vladmir Putin for his military adventures in Ukraine, you should take a moment to take a look at it from his perspective, and consider the many serious issues which provoked him into action.

These include encroachment by NATO, Russia protecting its historic sphere of influence and the Russian diaspora, and [checks notes] drawings by 13-year-old schoolgirls.

It started with a drawing.

The instructions to the students at School No. 9 in the Russian town of Ephraim, 300 kilometres south of Moscow, were rather simple: illustrate your support for the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.

But Masha Moskaleva, 13, did not follow the teacher’s orders.

Her drawing depicted Russian missiles headed toward a mother and child standing next to a flag bearing the words, “Glory to Ukraine.”

The explosive fallout has sent a cold chill through the entire coun…