German political scientist, member of Valdai International Discussion Club Alexander Rahr presented his book '2054: Putin's Code', which has become a bestseller in Germany before its release in Russia. "I worked on this book for five years, and it was a great pleasure for me. This book is a kind of time machine. The story begins 500 years ago in Ivan the Terrible's era. I compare this era with the current one. It's not about the personality of Ivan the Terrible, but precisely about the era, when a new Russian state was established after Ivan the Terrible besieged Kazan. And now I see Putin as a historical figure who built Russia after the end of communist rule," Rahr said.
"Now, as then, there are certain problems, including in relations with Europe and the West. For the first time, embargoes and sanctions against Russia were imposed under Ivan the Terrible's rule. I also wanted to take my readers back in time to the end of an era that ended 30 years ago when the Berlin Wall fell. Then there were very different plans, very different ideas about which direction Russia would take, including in relations with the West. Many things have already been forgotten, but it was worth remembering now," the author says.
"The book has become a matrix for me, which overlaps epochs so that interesting conclusions can be drawn. This book is not about Putin, it's about Russia. And of course, Putin’s presidency will go down in history as a time when Russia was stabilized after the 1990s. Now we are at an important historical borderline. Recall the Treaty of Versailles, which was signed at the end of World War I, it lasted until World War II, then was broke. Then the Yalta peace treaty was created, which was destroyed in 1990. I describe era of the third balance of power, which I called the 'Paris Charter'. This is a liberal world focused on Western ideas, on the Western rules of the game, which are also being changed now. Therefore, I ask myself questions, I invite readers to debate the idea of what the world will be like after the 'Paris Charter'."
For me, Putin is one of the main players along with the U.S. president, the German chancellor and the president of the People's Republic of China, who are now building this world," Rahr believes.
In his opinion, problems remain in modern Russia: "I try to provide my own vision, my recipes. It is always important to talk about the role of Germany's friendship and relationship with Russia or Russia's with Germany. For me, Putin is the so-called German in the Kremlin, a politician who hopes that Germany will promote common interests in the West in the G20, in the G7. I think that of all Western leaders he has the most competent relations with Merkel."
