In this volume we focus on the years following Putin's return to the presidency in 2012. This has been a more active period than his first two terms, including the annexation of Crimea and, ultimately, the invasion of Ukraine. Thus, this period may be characterized as the run-up to that war. The core issue discussed in this volume is Putin's redefinition of "democracy" as the foundation of society and government in the Russian Federation. Putin argues for a strong central government in which unity is characterized as the absence of dissent. In so doing, Putin seeks to recast Russian national identity, relying on a vision of Russia as the victim of Western aggression.