Vladimir Putin’s government in Russia is one of the most illustrative examples of authoritarianism in Russia, as well as an example of new nationalism through enemies
Nation-building, particularly post-French Revolution has usually revolved around creating an imagined community. Traditionally this was a linguistic or even religious community, although this is not necessarily the case. In an effort to consolidate power, Putin has tied himself to conceptions of a ‘strong, successful Russia’, to the point where his re-election campaign was “Strong President, Strong Russia’. This is blatant, to the point where it seems like he can get away with it because of the successful narrative he has created for himself. Selling Russia as a nation under siege is a remarkably effective way to stifle any criticism of his regime on both the domestic and international spheres. His nation-building is based on the tension between Russia and the rest of the world, particularly the United States and Europe and this tension is designed to make the populace view him as the best means of protecting Russia as a whole.
Putin would probably be flattered by accusations of him as a strongman dictator. Russia has such a shaky history with democracy that ‘respects human rights’ is not necessarily a selling point in their politics. His narrative is carefully constructed and avoiding playing into them is something that requires a much deeper discussion.
Greg Walters. (2018, March 19). “Don’t Expect a Fourth Term to Make Putin Any Friendlier to the West.” Vice News. https://news.vice.com/en_ca/article/8xk9mg/dont-expect-a-fourth-term-to-make-putin-any-friendlier-to-the-west.
Bet You Couldn't See This Coming 
I find Putin’s election slogan interesting, especially because it echoes Trump’s “Make America Great Again.” In both there is the implication that without these men, things will not be great. I find it troubling that people buy into these kinds of statements, especially when the evidence against the individual is immense. Neither of these statements encourage the discussion you mention, and which is so important to a *properly* functioning democracy.
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Putin is definitely painting Russia as the victim against the rest of the West, making his regime indispensable to Russians, particularly in the wake of the poisoning of a ex-Russian Spy in England and expulsion of Russian diplomats across the globe, from Canada to Australia. It is a clear show of western solidarity against Russia. The fact that the nerve agent was unmistakably directly traced back to Russia makes it seem whether Putin knew exactly what he was doing when he administered the poisoning; he is renewing Cold War tensions to test the strength of this western union.
Thus, I would argue that he doesn’t have nation-building in mind. Rather, he is emphasising the standing of Russia in the World and that he is the only one that has the devices to do anything about it.
But yes, it is incredibly interesting that nations are opting for these strong leaders to fight each other. It suggests a progression towards essential authoritarianism.
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Putin and Trump are alike in that they know how to gain power. Fear is their weapon, and creating an enemy is a very effective way to gain support. As humans, it is our natural inclination to survive. History will tell us that this survival instinct always results in the election or domination of a leader that will ‘protect us’ and make the choices for us. In the best case, we are safe. In the worst case, we have someone to blame. Fear is useful because it lets these men promise that they will be the best chance.
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I think the idea of Putin attempting to ‘build a nation’ in Russia is particularly interesting. Russia is the largest country in the world and represents cultures stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Bering Strait and within that are vastly different cultures from the metropolitan center of Moscow. As we come to critique the very idea of a nation state in the West, Putin is obviously trying to reinforce the idea of rather than having your own unique culture, you are Russian over anything. This makes sense for Putin especially in the context you speak about in Russia being under siege. Being able to effectively defend your state, along with project your own power requires the citizens of your country to accept the legitimacy of your government, even if its an entire continent away.
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