Vladimir Putin remains a powerful, geopolitical force, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that Vladimir Putin remains a powerful, geopolitical force but also suggested the Russian president’s recent military forays might be “doing us a favor.”
Gates, speaking on Capitol Hill, cast Moscow’s actions as a needed wake-up call. He said Putin’s recent airstrikes in Syria and perhaps more importantly his intervention in eastern Ukraine should alert America’s European allies to increase military spending.
Gates argued that NATO countries committed many years ago to spending 2 percent of their Gross Domestic Product. However, just five of the 28 countries were complying.
“What Putin has been most impacted by … is the collapse of the Russian empire,” Gates said. “Putin is all about lost power, lost glory, lost empire. He is not crazy. He is very much an opportunist.”
He also said Putin’s two basic objectives are to “restore Russia to great power status” so that his country becomes an integral part of every international situation and to “build a buffer of friendly states.”
When asked what the United States should do about Putin, Gates said he was “not a madman” and would “hesitate” and “pull back” when faced with resistance.