Summary

Former Polish president Aleksander Kwaśniewski claimed that Vladimir Putin told him that his three "idols" in Russian history were Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Josef Stalin during an interview with Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar.^[1]

The text describes a conversation between the former President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, and Mikhail Zygar in 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Kwasniewski recalls a conversation he had with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, where Putin mentioned his three idols in Russian history: Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and Josef Stalin. Kwasniewski noted that Putin referred to Stalin very respectfully as "Joseph Vissarionovich," which suggests a deep admiration for Stalin. The text implies that Vladimir Putin's admiration for these historical figures, particularly Stalin, might have influenced his decision to invade Ukraine.