Putin hoped to devolve authority away from himself and become more of a czar-like figure while consolidating Crimea and possibly incorporating Donetsk and Lukhansk. It has been suggested that Navalny is not a stooge of the West but pro-Western.
The speaker discusses Putin's intentions, including devolving authority and consolidating Crimea and Ukraine by removing it as a major factor on the world stage.
The conversation touches upon different Russian figures and historical events from varying perspectives including Stalin, Khrushchev, Medvedev, Navalny, and General Svorikin's use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Reflecting on the use of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the speaker considers the precedent this set on the use of them in warfare and the revulsion felt afterwards.