Unexpectedly died of Covid-19

You are a Russian military officer seconded to the Security Council in 2022. President Putin has unexpectedly died of Covid-19. Write a memo for Dmitri Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, evaluating President Putin’s foreign policy in Europe, Asia, or the former Soviet Union (pick one focus region) from the perspective of “hard,” “sharp” and “soft” power before and after the “special military operations” in Ukraine. Identify the specific tools President Putin has used in your region and discuss the effects of these tools (both positive and negative) in pursuing Russian interests. What would you suggest the new president change in this mix and why?