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Putin on the road to Armageddon
Paul Craig Roberts
For some time I have been watching John Helmer carefully work his way to the conclusion that Putin’s ever-widening, never-ending “special military operation” was not working out for Putin, for Russia, or for Europe and by implication for the US. For those of you with sufficient interest, here is Helmer’s latest: https://johnhelmer.net/the-war-to-end-all-wars-against-russia-isnt-ending/
Putin tries to straddle two horses. One horse consists of finance minister Anton Siluanov, central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina, and oligarch agent Kirill Dmitriev, who has wrested control of the Ukrainian “peace talks” from the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russian intelligence and military. For Dmitriev and the oligarchs he apparently represents, making money is the only concern. This faction tells Putin that he must give up his “special military operation” or issue a general mobilization and raise taxes, thus further sinking the economy.
The other horse consists of the Russian general Staff and head of military intelligence Admiral Igor Kostyukov. This faction tells Putin that if Putin would just get out of the way, they would quickly bring the conflict to a victorious end.
So what did Putin do? He decided to ride both horses with half measures to each.
Helmer thinks as I do and I believe as Gilbert Doctorow does that Putin’s strategic mistakes are leading directly to a wider European war. European countries are now building with Ukraine long-range drone production plants, the weapons from which can hit deep into Russia, thus taking Putin’s nonsensical “special military operation” to the Russian population, energy facilities, airports, schools and residential housing. In other words, serious Russian casualties and disruptions in normal life are occurring far from the battlefield in Ukraine.
Several years ago Michael Hudson and I pointed out that Putin’s central bank director was hampering Russia’s ability to cope with US sanctions and support both the Russian economy and the conflict with the West in Ukraine. Our article was translated and published in Russia. The Kremlin ignored our analysis, and Elvira Nabiullina, who I regard as a de facto American agent, remains in place throttling Russia’s economic development and lobbying against the war effort.
Kirill Dmitriev, the oligarchs’ agent who has taken the place of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russian military in “peace negotiations,” tells Putin to give up the war and to make peace even on the enemy’s terms. Making money is what is important.
The central bank director tells Putin that the 20% interest rates that are killing businesses for the benefit of oligarch monopolies, are necessary to protect Russia from the US sanctions. If Putin would only quit the war and make peace, she could lower interest rates.
Putin, unfortunately, does not know enough about either subject to know what is correct. So he tries to straddle two horses. He is riding a pale horse toward Armageddon and the world follows.
Can Russia Survive Pusillanimous Putin until Autumn when Voters have the Opportunity to Remove Putin’s Party from Power?
Yesterday for the second time Ukrainian drones attacked St. Petersburg while Russia was holding the International Economic Forum attended by participants from 130 countries. St. Petersburg’s airport was closed in response to the attack.
What was Putin’s response? He criticized the tone of Zelensky’s message about a visit from drones as “inappropriate.”
Witnesses from 130 countries witnessed Russia’s weakness.