The Putin Files

The Reset and Arab Spring: Putin as Prime Minister

Barack Obama arrived to the presidency seeking a “reset” with Russia. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was charged with improving U.S.-Russia relations, but hopes of a reset faded quickly with the start of the Arab Spring, when authoritarian leaders across the Middle East fell to popular protests. In 2011, Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi was overthrown and killed in Libya. For Putin, U.S. support for democracy was seen as a disguise for toppling unfriendly regimes.
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“He saw America’s hidden hand everywhere. Color revolutions left, right and center, he thought the United States was behind them.”

Antony Blinken

Obama adviser, 2009-15

“Putin conveys a huge amount through body language. He tries to show you that he’s the alpha male in the room through the way he spreads his legs, through the way he slouches a bit in his chair...”

Jake Sullivan

Chief policy adviser, Clinton campaign

“Every time an established dictator or leader falls, Putin takes it personally, because he recognizes it could be him.”

Jon Wolfsthal

Obama adviser, 2014-17

“I think that particularly for Putin, what happened in Egypt was something that really went right to his heart.”

David Hoffman

The Washington Post

“It started, again, as peaceful protests, but ends in Muammar Qaddafi being killed publicly. Putin watches that tape over and over and over again. It’s all he can talk about for quite some time.”

Julia Ioffe

The Atlantic

“It’s a mistake to have illusions about grand bargains or great strategic partnerships.”

William Burns

U.S. ambassador to Russia, 2005-08

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