That’s just bullshit. Russian’s military (it’s not just Putin - he’s an authoritarian, but he’s not a supreme leader - he has to watch his step very carefully or the next authoritarian will take his place) definetly did have a strategic interest in the black sea. That’s why all that annexation of crimea business started (afaik).

So it’s the Russian government that’s enforcing the nation state’s interest here, definetly not due to the “personal whim” of someone.

Putin can’t afford to be a mad king. He definetly isn’t the only one in the Kremlin who can just disappear people…