Does Putin admire Mao Zedong?

Doubt it. The vintage difference couldn't be bigger. Putin was born almost 60 years after Mao - ascending to his present supreme position through being a KGB agent, during times when the USSR was falling apart. read more

Mao and Putin are similar in terms of how they deal with foreign powers stronger than their own countries. But the similarities, and characteristics to admire, end there. Mao was a quasi-communist with strong anarchist thinking who ended up being an ineffective ruler. read more

By Robert D. Kaplan, Chief Geopolitical Analyst at Stratfor Few people comprehend Russia's vulnerabilities like its leader, Vladimir Putin. He must try to govern a country that extends through nearly half the longitudes of the earth but that has fewer people than Bangladesh. read more