Kuleba: Putin cares only about his place in history books
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tells France 24 that Putin's actions are driven primarily by a desire to secure a grand historical legacy, linking this to the symbolism of St Petersburg's Bronze Horseman monument.
A France 24 interview with former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba explores the idea that Vladimir Putin's actions may be driven less by geopolitical calculation than by historical ambition.
The starting point for the discussion is the Bronze Horseman, the renowned equestrian statue of Peter the Great standing in Senate Square in St Petersburg. The monument was commissioned by Catherine the Great to honor the city's founder. Its pedestal carries a brief inscription: "To Peter the First, Catherine the Second, 1782."
A question of legacy
The program raises the question of whether Putin sees himself as a third name to be added to that lineage — effectively "Vladimir the Great." It asks whether this kind of ambition, a drive for territorial expansion regardless of cost, could be the true motive behind the war in Ukraine.
Kuleba, who served as Ukraine's top diplomat until recently, argues that Putin's overriding concern is how he will be portrayed in history books. According to Kuleba, this motivation may help explain why Russia's leader is willing to sustain a long and costly war — an attempt to cement his own place in Russian history alongside figures such as Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.
The nearly 24-minute program offers a broader historical and psychological perspective on the Russian president's motivations, tying the symbolism of past empire-building to the present-day conflict in Ukraine. The segment aired as part of France 24's "Spotlight" show on 3 October 2026.
