Putin’s Closet | Identity, Power, and the Uses of Shame

Описание: A bold, insider-level discussion of Vladimir Putin’s deepest vulnerabilities — and what they mean for global security. Drawing on the provocative psycho-biographical work of Fredo Arias-King and J. Michael Waller, this panel explores how unresolved trauma, narcissistic injury, and hidden identity struggles may drive Putin’s paranoia, aggression, and carefully staged displays of power.

The speaker, Fredo Arias-King , unpacks how these personal dynamics intersect with geopolitical decision-making and consider whether the West should leverage them through strategic, non-kinetic tools such as symbolic humiliation, cultural pressure, and ridicule. This conversation goes beyond headlines, examining the ethical and strategic stakes of using psychology to challenge authoritarian regimes—and asking whether exposing the man behind the myth could be key to reshaping the conflict in Ukraine.

Fredo Arias-King is a longtime activist and analyst of the former Soviet bloc and Latin America, focusing on transitions from authoritarian rule. He is president of CASLA Institute, Prague, which supports and advises democratic activists challenging Latin America’s dictatorships. He is also the founder of the Washington-based “Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization”, now 33 years old. He serves on several boards, including at the Center for Security Policy, a think tank in Washington, DC; the Lech Wałęsa Foundation; and Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies (2016 - 2024). He is also a regular contributor on Russian-area affairs to CNN en Español. Fredo has an MA in Russian and Eurasian Studies and an MBA from Harvard University, and undergraduate degrees from American University in Washington, DC.