Putin celebrates his 70th birthday with prayers for his health amid the crisis of war.

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin turned 70 on Friday, with congratulations from his subordinates and Orthodox Patriarch Kirill imploring everyone to pray for the health of Russia’s longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin.

In the year Putin, who was appointed Kremlin chief on his last day in 1999, faces his regime’s biggest challenge since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the biggest conflict with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The army there is reeling from a series of defeats over the past month.

On his birthday, Putin is due to attend an informal meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States in St. Petersburg, his hometown and the former imperial capital founded by Peter the Great.

As officials hailed Putin as the savior of modern Russia, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia implored the country to hold a two-day special prayer for God to grant Putin “health and longevity.”

“Lord our God, we pray to you for the leader of the Russian Empire, Vladimir Vladimirovich, and we ask you to give him your rich mercy and generosity, give him health and long life, and save him from all visible and invisible opposition. Enemies, strengthen him with wisdom and spiritual strength, to all, Lord, hear and have mercy” said Kirill.

In the year Putin, who has vowed to end the chaos in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, faces the most serious military crisis any Kremlin chief has faced in at least a generation since the 1979-89 Soviet-Afghan war.

Dissidents like jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny have blamed Putin for leading Russia to its destruction, building a broken system of incompetent sycophants that will eventually collapse and inherit chaos.

Her supporters, Putin, saved Russia from destruction by an arrogant and ruthless West.

“One of the most influential figures of our time, our national leader, the world’s number one patriot, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, turns 70 today!” According to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

“Putin has changed Russia’s international position and forced the world to consider our great empire.”

War failures

But the war in Ukraine has forced Putin to burn enormous amounts of political, diplomatic and military capital.

More than seven months into the invasion, Russia has suffered heavy losses in men and equipment and has been hit on multiple fronts over the past month as Putin’s army has lurched from one humiliation to another.

Putin began to announce the annexation of the states Only partially Under Russian control – and the Kremlin says their borders have not yet been defined – and threatens to defend them with nuclear weapons.

The partial mobilization announced by the president on September 21 was so chaotic that even Putin was forced to do so. Admitting mistakes and order changes. Hundreds of thousands of people fled abroad to avoid being called up.

They even have traditionally loyal Kremlin allies. Condemned. The failures of the military – although they briefly stopped criticizing the president himself.

Despite Putin’s claim that the “special operation” in Ukraine was to enforce Russia’s “red lines” and prevent the alliance from advancing on Russia’s borders, Putin finds himself faced with a resurgent, united and expanding NATO.

There are signs of stress. China and IndiaWith successive waves of Western sanctions, Russia has become more dependent as a geopolitical and economic partner.

Speaking about Putin’s birthday, former Kremlin speechwriter Abbas Galyamov said: “It’s normal to sum up the results on an anniversary, but the results are very embarrassing, so it’s better not to pay too much attention to the occasion.”

History lessons

Putin

His crackdown on the opposition, independent media and non-governmental organizations and his years in prison along with his chief critic, Navalny, have so far seemed unassailable. In the year Changes to the Constitution in 2020 It has paved the way for them to buy until 2036, and there is no leading competitor to replace it.

He keeps a full schedule of meetings and public events and always manages to keep his short speech to longer on video conferences on topics ranging from labor to education. The Kremlin has denied repeated speculation about the accusation Health problems.

As he grew older, Putin seemed preoccupied with his legacy. He compared his actions in the Ukraine in June to the Tsar’s campaigns. Peter the GreatIt suggests that both are engaged in historic missions to reclaim Russian lands.

Putin was fond of quoting the Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin, who said that Russia had a special mystical and sacred path that would ultimately lead to an imperfect world order.

In a televised discussion with teachers this week, Putin expressed a keen interest in learning about another part of history – the 18th century. Peasants’ revolt He blamed it on the Great Queen Catherine – “the weakness of the central authority in the country”.

One lesson seems to have been taken to heart by the man who ruled Russia for more than two decades: When faced with the possibility of rebellion, the ruler must be strong and vigilant.

Writing by Guy Falconbridge and Mark Trevelyan

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