Good morning,
Putin Never Minds The Facts
As an analyst on an American TV channel, to help them make heads or tails of the Russia U.S. summit yesterday I said “my head hurts listening to President Putin’s” view of the world.
Admittedly it’s not the most brilliant insight I have ever given on two decades of covering Russia and President Putin, but he seriously bent the truth in his post summit news conference. And you know what, this morning I wanted to believe him.
I actually wanted to believe Putin, is who he painted himself out to be when questioned by reporters on everything from computer hacking to human rights. Because, if Putin was actually speaking the truth we would be in a much better World because he would not be the rogue cheerleader, and great trouble maker he appears to be on every level.
On human rights he said jailed Alexei Navalny because Navalny broke laws, and refused to simply appear in court as he should have. This isn’t political repression and an elimination of freedoms in Russia according to Putin.
Never mind the fact, Putin has closed down more than 40 offices of Navalny’s political movement and jailed his followers and tried to poison Navalny. And he’s outlawed other political groups and NGO’s.
A reporter boldly asked “your political opposition is poisoned or arrested or jailed, what are you so scared of ?” Putin then trailed off criticizing America’s record on human rights from Guantanamo Bay, to arresting people who went to the Capitol, as if they were peaceful protesters. Good distraction. Bad parallel. The Capitol rioters were trying to undo a democratic election. Putin won’t have one at all.
Putin has an answer for everything including the invasion of Ukraine, which he says came after a bloody coup, even after the President Yanukovych was willing to step down he says. Never mind the fact, Yanukovych he was shooting protesters. That didn’t make Putin’s version of the revolution in Ukraine and Putin supported Yanukovych.
Putin has a point on human rights when it comes to American setting up secret prisons around the world run by the CIA in its war on terror, and Guantanamo Bay which still holds prisoners. But then he uses drone strikes and civilian casualties, in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as a defense for accusations by President Biden that Putin is “a killer”.
It’s a strange justification for everything from supporting Assad’s murderous regime in Syria, and Lukashenko’s brutal crack down in Belarus. But Putin has chosen to counter Western interests pretty much where ever and when ever he can.
On Ukraine he says he will support the Minsk agreement, to halt the war in the Donbas region. But never mind the fact, Putin sent in Russian troops to create a rebel force, and arm and direct them against Ukrainian forces, and that’s after seizing and annexing the Crimea.
When he’s asked about massing troops in Ukraines border Putin says it was just a military exercise, and not directed at Ukraine. But never mind the fact, by every estimation it was meant to intimidate Ukrainian authorities, and appear as threatening as possible.
I could go on, and on and here’s another example;
When Putin is asked about Biden wanting a more “predictable stable relationship”, Putin points to the unpredictable steps taken by America in walking away from the ABM, Open Skies, and INF Treaty. Signed in 1987 by the US and USSR, the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty banned the use of short and medium-range missiles by both countries.
Never mind the fact, Russia placed long range missiles in Europe in violation of the treaty for years, and was repeatedly called out for it before the U.S. walked away from the treaty. (Russia says the U.S. Anti-ballistic missile system was also a violation).
Does your head hurt yet like mine did hearing all this from Putin? Because while there are elements of truth in what Putin says, much of it appears to be smoke and mirrors from the Kremlin and its KGB President. Its assymetric warfare which by its very nature makes a weaker power, Russia, uses strategy and tactics including deceit to level the battle field against a stronger opponent, America.
So forgive me, if I don’t believe Putin’s promises to have genuine dialogue with U.S. representatives on Cyber Warfare, allegedly carried about by his GRU military intelligence, and criminal organizations in Russia hacking the U.S. election and ransom ware attacks on pipelines and U.S. infrastructure.
And, forgive me, if I suspect his explanations that Russian military moves in the arctic are explained as just some border controls, and bases set up for conservation.
And, that leads me to think his promises to work with the U.S. on Strategic disarmament and accounting for nuclear arsenals, and also stabilizing Afghanistan, and even Global warming are all suspect as well.
Putin has proven time and time again he plays the facts fast and loose. And Biden’s proposal “to have some rules of the road” between the two countries are likely headed for the ditch. And yes we will find out in the next 6 months if Putin in sincere, but don’t we already know? Or do we never mind the facts?
Have a good day everyone and please share this newsletter.
Dana