This, I believe has been demonstrated by his restraint when dealing with attacks on his country. Remember the Russian passenger jet being blown out the sky in Egypt. Then the military jet being shot down on the Turkish Syria border. Did he retaliate in a knee jerk reaction? No. In total contrast. No sooner had Paris been attacked French fighter jets were in the air that very same day! The west could learn a thing or two about Russia and restraint instead of edging us ever closer to WW3. And before anyone says WW3 is never going to happen. I urge you to look at the current provocation between Saudi Arabia and Syria. Not only that, the Russian prime minister said today that we are once again entering a cold war!
I can tell you exactly why the anti Russia propaganda is in overdrive. Because Putin has done more damage to ISIS that all NATO countries combined. Not only that. Putin has chucked George Soros out of Russia, and is doing the same with cults such as The Watchtower.
Go and have a look over on the news section of jw.Borg. The propaganda is parallel to the western governments is vilifying Russia and Putin.
We are being fed lies every day. The latest being Russia is responsible for thousands of civilian deaths in Syria when a close Annalise's of this accusation actually leads to the accusers doorsteps. Its actually American forces who are responsible for the deaths, and Russia have provided evidence of this, unlike America!
Stop and think for a minute. Assad was forced into power when his brother was killed in a car crash (I think) he didn't want to be a leader of a country. Assad's wife is British. The chemical weapon attack proved to be false, Assad did not murder his own countrymen. In fact, his fellow countrymen love Assad. Those who are fleeing from Syria are doing so, not because they are fleeing a regime. Its because we, in the west are raining down bombs on a daily basis and the Syrian refugees are running from these bombs. Our western governments created this refugee crisis, not Syria or Russia. In fact, Unlike our western governments who forcefully entered a sovereign country, Russia was invited into Syria.
So the question is. Who are the antagonists here? I would say its our Western governments, along with our western cults!