"The key to understanding what Vladimir Putin is up to is to understand his ideas, habits and emotions," says Brian Taylor, professor and chair of political science and author of The Code of Putinism. "Current poor relations between Russia and the West are due to a fundamental mismatch in outlooks between Putin and his close associates and most Western leaders. These starkly different mentalities, more than conflicting interests – although these exist as well – are the main source of today’s difficulties and the main barrier to better relations," he says. Taylor's article "Putin the hero" was published in the Conversation. 07/24/18