Although his ambitions were probably very different, the actions of Vladimir Putin have had repercussions on the world that are actually not that bad.
In the aftermath of his machinations to install an inept buffoon as the president of the United States, the US population seems to have awakened to the fact that democracy needs to be defended against fascists plotting to overthrow the legally elected government, that more people need to vote for their system to be less vulnerable to manipulation, and that their age-old system, designed in the 18th century, just might not be optimal for a modern democracy.
Putin's invasion of Ukraine has made the world come together against Russia. The EU has sent loads of weapons to aid Ukraine, and imposed sanctions on Russia despite the negative effects it will have on many EU countries as well. The UN has made multiple statements against Russia, even though their Security Council is paralyzed by Russia somehow having inherited the veto power that was once granted to the USSR. And, last but not least, NATO has been strengthened a lot by the renewed threat of a common enemy.
All in all, this would count as a huge loss for Putin and a win for democracy and peace. It came at the cost of Russia losing whatever trust it had managed to build internationally since the fall of the Soviet Union, but the Russian people are not blameless in this. They need to be yanked out of their dream of returning to former glory and start electing leaders that can show some humility and play by the same rules as others in the international arena. Yes, they have been lied to, but they swallowed the lies much too eagerly, and continue to do so. Perhaps reality will now finally knock on their door hard enough for them to notice.
