Aleksandr Dugin

Aleksandr Dugin spent decades as a marginal, if prolific, figure in Russian intellectual circles, weaving together fascist philosophy, occultism, and geopolitics into a doctrine he called Neo-Eurasianism. His foundational text, 'The Foundations of Geopolitics,' argued for a fundamental, civilizational conflict between the maritime power of the United States and the land-based, traditional values of a Russian-led Eurasian bloc. For years, his ideas were considered too extreme for the mainstream. However, following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, analysts noted a stark alignment between his long-advocated strategies—such as undermining Western unity and asserting dominance over post-Soviet space—and the Kremlin's actions. While his direct influence is debated, Dugin's ideology provides a philosophical framework for a resurgent, anti-Western Russian imperialism, transforming him from a fringe thinker into a name synonymous with the intellectual underpinnings of modern Russian expansionism.