Putin's Geopolitical Influence 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION Putin's Geopolitical Influence in 2025: A Multi-Perspectival Scholarly Analysis In an era of unprecedented global turbulence, no single leader has shaped—and disrupted—the international order more profoundly than Vladimir Putin. As Russia's war in Ukraine enters its fourth year and great power competition intensifies, understanding Putin's influence on world affairs has never been more critical. Putin's Geopolitical Influence in 2025 offers what no other book on Russian foreign policy provides: a rigorously balanced, multi-perspectival analysis that integrates Western academic traditions with Chinese, Russian, and Global South frameworks. Dr. Naim Tahir Baig, author of over 100 internationally published works on geopolitics and international relations, presents competing interpretations side by side—allowing readers to engage critically with the evidence and form their own informed assessments. This comprehensive volume examines Putin's influence across every major theater of geopolitical competition. From the contested neighborhoods of the post-Soviet space—where Ukraine's fate hangs in the balance—to the shifting sands of the Middle East following Assad's fall in Syria; from the deepening Russia-China "no limits" partnership that reached a record $245 billion in bilateral trade in 2024, to Moscow's expanding footprint in Africa through the Wagner Group and its successors; from BRICS expansion that now encompasses eleven member nations representing nearly half the world's population, to the systematic challenge Russia poses to the Western-led liberal international order. Drawing on primary sources including Putin's major speeches, Russian foreign policy doctrines (2000-2023), official documents, verified data from SIPRI, the IMF, World Bank, and Levada Center polling, as well as peer-reviewed scholarship from Western, Chinese, and Global South academic institutions, Dr. Baig constructs the most comprehensive analytical framework available for understanding Russian geopolitical power in the contemporary era. The book addresses questions that define our geopolitical moment: Has Putin's gamble in Ukraine strengthened or weakened Russian influence globally? How has the "no limits" partnership with China evolved, and what does the growing asymmetry in this relationship portend? Why do two-thirds of the world's governments decline to join Western sanctions against Russia? What explains the resonance of Russian anti-Western narratives across the Global South? And what scenarios might unfold for Russian geopolitical influence in the post-Putin era? Putin's Geopolitical Influence in 2025 is essential reading for scholars of international relations, policy analysts, security professionals, diplomats, journalists covering global affairs, graduate students, and informed citizens seeking to understand the forces reshaping our world. With its commitment to epistemic humility, transparent sourcing, and multi-perspectival analysis, this volume sets a new standard for scholarship on contemporary Russian foreign policy. Key Features: Multi-perspectival methodology integrating Western, Chinese, Russian, and Global South analytical frameworks Comprehensive regional coverage spanning post-Soviet space, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America Primary source foundation with all claims traceable to verifiable references Updated 2025 data including latest developments in Ukraine conflict, BRICS expansion, and Russia-China relations Scenario analysis for future trajectories of Russian geopolitical influence Extensive reference apparatus including chronology, primary source repository, and annotated bibliography