Vladimir Putin is back to his old self, or at least that is what his propagandists and the man himself would like us to believe. For the first time in over two and a half years, Putin ventured on an overnight trip abroad. While Russia’s focus in 2022 has been on Ukraine and Europe, Putin headed in a different direction, traveling deep into Central Asia for a visit to Tajikistan. This was followed by a trip to the hermit nation of Turkmenistan for the Summit of Caspian States where he would be joined by the leaders of the nations that border the Caspian Sea. Putin’s trip abroad was likely scheduled to coincide with the G7 meeting in Bavaria and NATO Summit in Madrid where leaders from the world’s most powerful democracies further outlined their plans to isolate Russia and lend greater military support to Ukraine.