In an exclusive interview with Al Majalla, Russian political philosopher Aleksander Dugin—widely known as “Putin’s brain”—voiced his criticisms over the Biden administration’s recent decision to permit Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory. His anger was palpable throughout the discussion—although he conveyed it in a calm and measured tone.
In his view, Russian President Vladimir Putin remains undeterred in the face of Biden’s “crazy” aggression, which he says will not affect Moscow’s edge on the battlefield, adding that Washington’s decision to green-light long-range missiles was meant to “put Trump in an awkward position.” In a Zoom interview from his home in Moscow, Dugin warned that the only thing the US could do in the transition period as President-elect Trump assembles his team before his inauguration on 20 January was to provoke a nuclear response from Russia, explaining that “this could tie Trump’s hands in his bid to end the war.”
When asked if over 1,000 days of war has hurt Russia economically, Dugin struck a defiant chord, explaining that “sanctions were a blessing in disguise in that they reduced Russia’s dependence on the West, boosted its domestic production and developed its industrial sector,” he said.
Meanwhile, he outlined Russia’s revised approach to the multipolar world—one that seeks to rebuild alliances with the Global South and pivot away from the ‘Atlanticist empire’ led by the United States. “We might have lost the West, but we are now discovering the Global South and new poles in the Islamic world in places like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey, Iran, Qatar, Indonesia, and Pakistan. For the first time in Russian history, the Islamic world has become something of real importance,” he says.
Here's the transcript of the interview in full:
What could happen in the Ukraine war in the two months before Trump takes office?
If we are talking about conventional weapons, Russia will undoubtedly win on the battlefield. I can’t say how soon this will happen, but it’s clear that the initiative is in our hands. Neither the quality nor quantity of conventional weapons used will change the course of this war. This was clear even before the US elections. This dynamic defined the balance of power even before Ukraine launched its attack in Kursk.
For his part, Biden was desperate to change the balance of power ahead of a Trump presidency because the former president openly declared his desire for peace in Ukraine. If Trump follows through on his stated intention, this will mean Russia will win the war very soon. Without weapons from the West, Ukraine cannot sustain the war.
What's your view on Biden's latest decision to authorise the use of long-range missiles in Ukraine? Is it aimed at trying to force Trump to get stuck in the war?
Yes, precisely so. But even strikes inside Russian territory won’t be able to change the balance of power. They will cause pain, of course, and losses, but they will do nothing to change the reality that Russia is winning the war. The only thing they could do is provoke a nuclear response from Russia, which could tie Trump’s hands in his bid to end the war.
I think Biden should be charged with high treason for putting American lives at such risk. He is, in fact, endangering all of humanity because of his senile incapacity to rule and make responsible decisions. This gives Trump all the more reason to put this group of crazy globalists in jail when he comes into office.
I hope Mr. Putin will be smart enough not to take the bait, but the response will be extremely serious. European capitals are now in danger. One more Ukrainian long-range missile strike on Russia backed by a European power could provoke nuclear strikes against NATO.
