Realism, power and geopolitics: an imaginary correspondence between Machiavelli and Putin

Abstract

The two letters that follow are an imagined correspondence between Niccolò Machiavelli and Vladimir Putin. They test how far the realism of The Prince still explains contemporary geopolitics. Machiavelli, the admiring tutor, applauds Putin’s skill in exploiting the West’s political weaknesses and dividing Europe from within. Putin, in reply, embraces the cold calculus of power. He dismisses human rights and international law as Western pieties, and presents Russia as a resilient civilisation, able to endure immense sacrifice under a strong leader.