Yeah, Putin is a lot like Milosvic was in his moves and actions. He too was a communist opportunist when that worked for him to get ahead. Then, he became an ultra-nationalist. The fact that the Tartars were brutalized by Stalin, like the Ukrainians who were purposely starved in the millions (Stalin stole their grain to build his utopia), makes them good candidates for Putin's mistreatment. And he'll know that there will be people who accept that he's championing Christianity when he does it because the Tartars were historically Muslim. You're definitely onto something. Maybe RT Television could use your rationale.
http://www.businessinsider.com/liz-wahl-quits-rt-2014-3