Vladimir Putin has given himself a modest goal: Save Russian civilization. He must do this because, as he explains, outside forces seek to undermine it, and the Russian ethnic identity is challenged everywhere. To preserve Russian civilization, he has launched a three-part strategy: He is Distracting Everyone (i.e., playing geo-politics in Ukraine); Elevating Russian Culture (i.e., ousting anti-Russian challenges from Russia); and Making (Geo-Economic) Deals (i.e., playing geo-economics elsewhere). Putin has exploited Russian leverage and has successfully launched his strategy. Despite boisterous foreign rhetoric against him, Putin is still enjoying the benefits of his actions.