Russian unrest grows against Putin as soldiers angry at being ‘sent to kill or be killed’

“President Zelenskyy urged the Russian population to stand up to Vladimir Putin to stop their soldiers from being sent to Ukraine to “kill or be killed.” In his latest televised statement, the Ukrainian leader said several thousand Russian soldiers had been taken prisoner since the start of the invasion on Thursday. He urged the troops to reconsider their mission in Ukraine as he reiterate Kyiv is not prepared to give into Moscow’s plans.”

“He also urged Ukrainian expats to make their way back to the motherland to join the fight against Russian troops.

Addressing the public in Russian, President Zelenskyy said: “I want everyone in Russia to hear me, everybody.

“Hundreds of captured soldiers who are here in Ukraine don’t know why they were sent here to kill people or to be killed.

“The sooner you tell your government the war has to be stopped, more people from your country will stay alive.””

“Your nationals are voicing their opposition to this war, we know that many people in Russia are shocked now by the brutality of the Russian Government and this is the right reaction. I’m grateful for this reaction.”

Comment: It would appear that Putin’s actions in Ukraine are eroding his support on the home front. The demonstrations against him are still small, but the fact that anyone at all is out in the street is remarkable.

People seem to think that Shoigu and Gerasimov are rational and competent soldiers. Well, pilgrims, they don’t look like much in their toleration of Putin’s excesses.

And now we have the public release of an elevation in the alert level of Russian nuclear forces. Why has Putin done this. Several possibilities;

  • He has become mentally unbalanced and desperate. This is the most worrisome possibility.
  • He actually fears a NATO attack on “Holy Russia.” This seems unlikely.
  • He sees that the great mass of Americans is terrified of any mention of nuclear weapons. I am informed that the GRU reads Turcopolier.com pl

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1572311/Russian-news-warning-Putin-soldiers-killed-Ukraine-invasion-Zelenskyy-vn

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54 Responses to Russian unrest grows against Putin as soldiers angry at being ‘sent to kill or be killed’

  1. plantman says:

    Putin’s operation in Ukraine might be “eroding his support on the home front”, but that might have to do with his piss-poor communication’s strategy. “Denazification” might sound like a great idea, but what does it mean in practical military terms? Does it mean toppling the government and replacing it with a Moscow-friendly regime?

    I don’t know, and I’m not alone in my confusion. I thought Putin was just going to provide a security umbrella for the two new republics and go home. Now the troops are outside Kiev. What’s that all about?

    I read a blurb by Patrick Armstrong today that made sense of it all but, clearly, Putin has not gotten his message out. Alot of people still don’t know what the mission’s objectives are. Here’s Armstrong:

    Had I been at home I would have read Putin’s speech earlier and understood sooner. What he is talking about is what the Soviet Union tried to do from 1933 onwards: namely to stop Hitler before he got started. This time Russia is able to do it by itself. In other words, Putin feels that he is making a pre-emptive attack to stop June 1941. This is very serious indeed and indicates that the Russians are going to keep going until they feel that they can safely stop.

    • Leith says:

      Plantman –

      No, it was not from 1933 ‘onwards’. It was only from 1933 to 1939 when the Hitler-Stalin Alliance was signed to divide up Eastern Europe.

      And prior to 1933 the Soviets secretly provided training camps for the German military in contravention of Versailles. That included a flying school for future Luftwaffe fighter pilots in Rostov, a tank training school in Kazan (Generals Guderian & von Thoma trained there), and a Kriegsmarine facility in Polyarny near Murmansk. Plus they gave German defense industry factories deep inside Russia for building and testing tanks, aircraft, and artillery.

  2. Lowmire says:

    Defeating Russia here means we break Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Belt & Road, and taking away Russia’s ability to project power in the Black and Mediterranean Sea.

    This is far more dangerous than the Cuban Missile Crisis. The amount of Jewish support for the literal Nazis in Ukraine will let you know why the mass media is all in on this and to top it off, the central banks.

    Russians have 3 choices here:
    1. Escalate fight to Middle East and skyrocket energy prices to put pressure on western populace.
    2. Cut a deal quickly with Ukraine, but I fear this will be sabotaged.
    3. All in ok Ukraine.

    Losing is not an option.

    • DAVID+C+KISSINGER says:

      “The amount of Jewish support for the literal Nazis in Ukraine will let you know why the mass media is all in on this and to top it off, the central banks.”

      What a ridiculous, bigoted statement. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, are both Jews. Israel is the only other nation in the world where this is the case.

      I have been glued to the news from a wide ideological spectrum. What I see is the war being reported in real time without bias as opposed to “the mass media being all in on this.”

      There are indeed Neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian military. They are a small minority. I would venture to guess that on a per capita basis, there are no more Neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian military that there are in our military.

  3. Mark Gaughan says:

    Can we trust what Zelenskyy is saying?

  4. A. Pols says:

    It seems to me over the last few days that:
    The Russians are being somewhat opaque about how things are going, to the extent that it’s a challenge to figure out things. Maybe they don’t want to count their chickens just yet.
    The Ukraine side is showing defiance and boastfulness (thousands of killed Russians). Maybe that’s what one would expect; after all, whatever is the true state of affairs, they’d want to keep spirits up.
    In reality, I suppose we all really are just going to have to wait a bit before we know what the true state of affairs is. I find that fog of war thing frustrating because, y’know: I just want to be in the know and I’m not.

    • zmajcek says:

      According to various sources in the next 2-3 days they are about to close the pocket around Ukranian forces in Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as approach Zaporozie and Dnipro.

      This is big.

  5. Sean says:

    The big development of the past 24 hours was the EU’s freezing of Russian central bank assets. They basically told Russia it can’t use its vaunted $600 billion in currency reserves except in a few limited ways. It’s like the bank where you keep all your money telling you, sorry we don’t like how you live your life, from now on you can only make withdrawals for buying this, this or this.

    This took absolutely everyone by surprise, most of all the Russian leadership. The central bank asset freeze is a much much bigger deal than getting cut off from Swift. Russia has no response lined up, and the ruble will get absolutely crushed tomorrow. The prices of imported consumer products in Russia will double in a week. Something along those lines. If this were done to the USA, it would absolutely be thought of as a declaration of war.

    Putin had no response and threatened nuclear escalation. Also because NATO is openly committing to sending huge amounts of weapons to a country that Russia is at war with, and there is talk of trying to do a no fly zone over Ukraine (which would be insane in my opinion).

    There is not much Chinese help. They will establish some sort of mechanism to keep trade flowing with Russia but the value of the Russian currency including against the Chinese yuan will get crushed. Russia is looking at their biggest recession since the 1990s starting this Monday.

    On the military front Russia is actually picking things up and working through the fact that their army is still very green. They have had almost no combat experience since the war in Chechnya. Georgia was a little sideshow that lasted for a week, and Syria has been an air and special forces operation with zero regular army troops.

    I have no idea what Putin will do. He can try an off ramp or he can push through the giant recession coming. I assume he will turn off the gas in response. It will be a bit like the old Soviet Union. Except they can still travel to Egypt and turkey and China with their devalued rubles.

  6. tedrichard says:

    pl ……”the express” ……seriously!

    continued and escalating western msm hysteria along with ukrainian military fantasies put to twitter by its comedian in chief are inverse to their actual ability to influence and or change the ultimate outcome to their liking. facts on the ground matter not fantasies in the virtual world. listening to western msm what with their demonstrated massive credibility gap with the truth at this early stages is akin to believing in santa claus and the tooth fairy as real.

    soon enough the indisputable facts will be known and all the he said she said make believe will disappear or be shown to all as a fools utterance. until then we wait.

  7. chris moffatt says:

    I would not believe what either side has to report at this point. Obviously it is untrue that thousands of russian soldiers have been made prisoners. Quite the reverse, but Russian forces have been paroling most of those who surrendered. Sounds to me like Zelensky is desperate. Anyway, in war truth is always the first casualty viz the ukie ace who “shot down six russian aircraft”.

  8. jim ticehurst says:

    Other Headlines Today..Russian Warships Capture Two other Ships In Black Sea..

    OT: The CYBER ATTACK on Russia Shut Down SIX Sites.. including:
    The KREMLINS OFFICIAL WEBSITE..

    • jim ticehurst says:

      Sunday…22/27/22
      Today ..I Listened to the lastest Comments from Schultz..spoken In German..
      He says Germany is Totally United With NATO.. PUTIN must Be Stopped

      2, The Other Interview In German was with German Alexander HUG..
      Who States,,THe OSCE Must END…
      O,,,Orginaztion
      S.. For Security
      C. Cooeration
      E. In Europe..

      JT

  9. Eric Newhill says:

    Seems to me that Zelensky and the NATO countries are engaging in some massive and terrible propaganda. I don’t believe a single word (or image) of it. Z probably doesn’t have 2 or 3, let alone hundreds, of Russian PWs.

    Putin is taking great pains to not destroy Ukr infrastructure and to not kill any more civilians or Ukr troops that minimally necessary. There is no “shock and awe” attack. He clearly wants to unify with the Ukr people, less the Nazis and US puppets.

    Zelensky has been publicly talking about obtaining nuclear weapons and Ukr is a corrupt poorly governed country that should not have them by anyone’s assessment. At the same time talk about Ukr joining NATO is perennial. Ukr has clearly been a play thing of the US anti-Russia crowd. IMO, Putin absolutely had to act on Ukr now, in defense of Russia, or there is a good chance it would have been too late by the time Biden’s term is over.

    NATO is now a decrepit toothless/clawless tiger. Most of the key countries are dependent on Russia (even the US) for oil and other essentials. Can Germany even get its military aircraft off the ground? Why not show NATO for it has become and remove the threat of it having a last desperate angry thrashing outburst should Ukr join and make trouble for Russia? The US is also dependent on China, to whom it has sold itself, and China is aligning with Russia to form a new world order.

    In light of the above, Putin seems completely rational – bold, but rational.

    All NATO countries can do at this point is try to take over the minds and perceptions of their own citizens. Sad. Pathetic, actually. It won’t change the reality on the ground in Ukr or the larger geopolitical crises one bit.

    • TTG says:

      Eric Newhill,

      You and a few others here have mentioned several times that Zelenskiy talked about obtaining nuclear weapons. This is based on his recent speech in Munich. These are his only words referring to nuclear weapons.

      “Otherwise – who’s next? Will NATO countries have to defend each other? I want to believe that the North Atlantic Treaty and Article 5 will be more effective than the Budapest Memorandum.
      Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world’s third nuclear capability. We don’t have that weapon. We also have no security. We also do not have part of the territory of our state that is larger in area than Switzerland, the Netherlands or Belgium. And most importantly – we don’t have millions of our citizens. We don’t have all this.
      Therefore, we have something. The right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to ensuring security and peace guarantees.”

      How can any sane and thoughtful person construe those words as an intention or even a desire to obtain nuclear weapons? Such talk is a deliberate lie and propaganda to justify the Russian invasion. Indeed it is sad and pathetic.

      • Leith says:

        TTG –

        All the ones screaming that Zelensky wants nukes never listened to his speech. They are just parroting Putin’s talking points.

        Pretty soon I expect they will be hollering “Babe Ruth eats shit”, like my Dad heard a German yelling at him in Monte Cassino over 70 years ago.

        • jim ticehurst says:

          If Zelinsky..Had Drawn NATO into This Conflict,,By Giving Ukraine NATO Status..He Would Have Had A Nuclear Umbrella..He Tried That PLEA to The End
          and Continues To Do So.
          JT

          • Leith says:

            JT –

            Ukraine interest in joining NATO started back in 1992. They formally applied for NATO membership in 2008. Yuschenko was Pres, not Zelensky.

            But NATO would never give membership to any country involved in border disputes. Putin knows that. The whole NATO-in-Ukraine blabbering by Moscow is a scam.

        • Eric Newhill says:

          Leith,
          Nonsense. Zelensky actually conflated nukes and a security agreement from NATO. Basically, he was whining that Ukraine gave up its nukes in exchange for protection from NATO (whether as a member or as a non-member) – which is some major revisionist history in itself. He wanted to be able to attack Russia or have NATO do it for him. Maybe he wanted to continue to be a trouble maker in the Donbas and get away with it too by having Big Brother NATO watch his back.

          After 2014, the color revolution, why would Putin trust NATO to follow normal protocols for membership or alliance?

          Also, I’ll ask you to please not continue to try to mind read me or psychically view what I have read – or not – and where my ideas come from. You’re not good at it.

    • Datil D says:

      Eric

      “In light of the above, Putin seems completely rational – bold, but rational.”

      I agree, up until 4 days ago he was the shrewdest leader, to soon to think differently. Holding back the majority of his forces, we don’t know why. He obviously wants to recruit rather than flatten Ukraine. China has been coy but we don’t know what Putin and Xi talked about in Beijing. Now Xi is bringing DPRK up to speed which could bring another million and a half army if into the fray.

      https://news.yahoo.com/china-vows-cooperation-north-korea-024830429.html

  10. Polish Janitor says:

    Putin has definitely lost his marbles. He is insecure, and I really think he did not expect this strong reaction from the civil society to the military and security spheres to his ongoing disastrous decisions in Ukraine. Very disappointing move from a pathetic autocrat in Putin to threaten the world with nukes… very sad. It is amazing how pro-Putin progressives and conservatives alike used to drool over his faux reasonableness and steadiness vis-a-vis the ‘geopolitical chessboard’ whereas now he is exposed as just another insecure 19th century-like invader who has not gotten the results he was expecting to get so he resorts to nukes to raise his hand. I hope he returns to reason and sobriety and while there’s time withdraws from Ukraine and put a stop to this stupid campaign of his. I remember up until a few years ago when he would rank among the most popular world leaders in polls and surveys, but those days are surely gone. There’s an expression that says ‘ when someone picks up a big stone and threaten you with it, is in fact is a sign that he does not want to throw it’, so I think this is the case with Putin to elevate his hand in the supposed run up to the negotiation with Zelensky. Now it is Putin vs the rest of the world. Last but now least, I would like to thank you Col. Lang for your fairness and non-nonsense approach to politics and geopolitics.

    Polish Janitor

  11. Sean says:

    As I let the new western sanctions roll around in my head a little, I think the main result will be a very difficult adjustment period for Russia of about 6 months, something in that ballpark. The ruble will get crushed tomorrow, consumer import prices will go through the roof in ruble terms, including for Chinese products.

    But at the end of the day (or after a few weeks), Russia will establish payment methods for trade with all the big countries outside the western block. China, India, Brazil, the Middle East, etc. China and India will have something up and running as early as tomorrow, for sure in a week. So there will still be real natural resource products flowing out of Russia at the same or greater scale than before, to all major markets outside the West. After a lot of financial panic, these real trade flows will stabilize the ruble and things will return more or less to normal. Minus exports to the West which will get blocked I think from the Russian side (the West is literally asking Russia to give gas and oil to them for free under these sanction terms). Life will also be a lot less cool for Russian rich people and Yuppies in Moscow & St Petersburg. Trips to Egypt, Istanbul, China, Vietnam, are not as cool as to London paris Switzerland etc

  12. Babeltuap says:

    What is the value in pushing out further than the two loyalists areas. If he can force Zelinsky to finally honor some terms like stop shelling those areas it’s a fairly big achievement. He gets the regions, the attacks stop and NATO flails around on the ground for a bit with a sore kidney. Putin gets the value. Let NATO and their 98% control of the media proclaim they won again like everything else. They defeated Trump, Truckers, Putin, anti-vaxxers…sure you did buddies..meh.

  13. d74 says:

    Zelensky, a credible source of information? I doubt it, especially when it comes to Russian actions.
    Snake Island, already forgotten?
    Vlassovs are likely, but nothing that changes the course of events.

    We are the subjects of an information war. Everything is exaggerated in one direction or the other. Deceptions and masquerades on all levels.

  14. Michael Droy says:

    I’ll believe this as soon as we see photos of hundreds of captured Russian soldiers.
    I know in 2014 no photos of 10k Russian troops in Ukraine were needed for the western media, i like to see a pic or two

    • Just another old guy says:

      As a matter of fact there are dozens of Utube, cell phone and twitter videos of destroyed Russian equipment I have seen (quite a few showing Ukranian armor shot up as well). The numbers of destroyed Russian equipment in them is probably in the range of 200 vehicles including everything from tanks to supply trucks. There is one from Bucha today which shows probably 20 vehicles. These videos put the lie to the claim that the Russians have encircled Kiev or even have control over the NW side of the metro area toward Belarus.

  15. Christian J. Chuba says:

    “The demonstrations against him [Putin] are still small, but the fact that anyone at all is out in the street is remarkable.”

    I have to go back 30yrs to remember the last antiwar protest in the U.S. Are Russians more empathetic or their MSM less manipulated?

    “He [Putin] has become mentally unbalanced and desperate.”

    Going to (sort of) agree w/you here. Putin has been in office too long. I don’t know if he is unbalanced or not but the mentality that you cannot leave office is unhealthy. George Washington got it right.

  16. Just another old guy says:

    An interesting addition to my point yesterday detailing the thousands of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons being sent in country by various NATO countries. Today Sweden said that among the military equipment it is sending Ukraine will be 5000 (not a typo) anti-tank weapons. Can you even imagine what it will be like for Russian armored columns if they actually try and move into Kiev proper. The Ukrainians can use these weapons like candy as they already know 7-8000 more are on the way to them.

  17. optimax says:

    PL mentioned that logistics will be problem for Russian military the deeper they move into Ukraine. This video supports that. Russian tanks stranded on the road after running out of fuel. Ukranian and soldiers even joke about it.

    https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1572306/Kyiv-invasion-Ukraine-Russia-soldiers-tanks-fuel-Vladimir-Putin-latest-news-vn

  18. MapleLeaf says:

    It is a real challenge to comprehend exactly why Putin now choose to commit this act of aggression. I’ve seen a few people mention that the Russian Foreign Ministry was caught off guard in December with the diplomatic push Putin demanded. Clearly the breadth and depth of information they have access to far exceeds those of us outside of any national power-elite.

    The only thing I can think of, is that this is part of a joint China/Russia play to finally unseat the US as global hegemon. The US already engaged in a kind of silicon-embargo of China, and just today a military spokesperson used the term (if translated correctly) of US “salami tactics”, echoing the Russians.

    If China gets involved (perhaps pushing to take Taiwan), and stops being the factory for the West, in combination with Russia sending none of its natural resources westward… what exactly would happen to life-as-we know it in N. America or elsewhere? Toss in Iran disrupting oil markets through action in the Middle east and… well, it really seems like the end-of-days for FIRE economies. How could any military action reverse such decisions?

    The sooner people sit down, and negotiate a settlement, the more likely we are to avoid such an outcome. But seeing how myopic those very same people have been over the last 20 years… doesn’t instill much confidence.

    JIT/offshoring appears to have been the noose by which the financial western elites may have hung us all

  19. blue peacock says:

    As I noted a few threads back about Fog of War, we can’t really trust any media reports at this juncture. I’m curious has Putin called for Zelensky to be removed and replaced by whom or specified what are his near term objectives?

    I know something about the banking system and commodity markets – that is my area of competence. IMO, the SWIFT messaging system non-access for couple of Russian banks (does not affect the major Russian banks) announced is not the nuclear button that the Twitterati and corporate media are playing it out to be. First, all energy products are exempt. Even the US is a significant buyer of Russian energy products and that has not yet been sanctioned. One thing that many don’t get is that the global banking system is highly levered and the plumbing is rickety at best. It has not been stress-stressed and no one knows where the weak links remain buried. Freezing the account of the Russian central bank on the computer systems of other central banks may sound pain free for the west. But that’s a bullet that you can only shoot once. The ricochet could hit one of your own and trigger a chain reaction that you didn’t anticipate especially when offshore dark financial pools are all highly levered. There’s credit but very little real collateral with liquidity.

    Another observation is that my Twitter feed has suddenly become dominated by heroic Ukrainian stories and images of apparently destroyed Russian military vehicles, when a few days ago there were none.

    Bottom line is that nothing seems to be add up at this point of time. It is not clear what Putin’s military/political objectives are with surrounding Kiev? It is not clear what the European & American “response” actually means on the ground? Clearly the sanctions announcements are more bark than bite.

    I find it fascinating that covidian hysteria has vanished. It is like the lockdown of the past couple years and the vax mandates didn’t even happen. It is like Trudeau going all fascist couple weeks ago has also disappeared.

    I think it pays to remain skeptical. We’ve been played a lot recently with one emergency after another.

  20. Marlene says:

    May be of interest here, since you are strategists, of the velicity of advance between Russian operation in Ukraine and US operation in Iraq…

    Russia’s advance has been extraordinarily rapid…

    https://twitter.com/bazaarofwar/status/1497408494995218432

    • Pat Lang says:

      Our advance in Iraq was much faster. But when we got to Baghdad the Iraqis di not surrender. The resistance just went underground.

      • Begemot says:

        “Our advance in Iraq was much faster.” And that was aided by an unrestricted air assault and unrestricted use of artillery by the US. The Russians have tied one hand behind their back with their limiting their use of air and artillery to minimize civilian casualties. This, of course, makes their task harder. Considering these self imposed limitations, they seem to be doing pretty well. How well could the US Army fight without unlimited air and artillery? Not very well at all.

    • Pat Lang says:

      Marlene

      I have been doing this kind of work for 50 years. Do not presume to tell me how to do it..

  21. jim ticehurst says:

    2/27/22 Updates

    In The Past Hours..TV News Says…Zelinsky is Offering Up A WHITE FLAG
    and Has Agreed to Meet The R. USSIANS””” At The Border of Belarus..
    I doubt If That would Bring Putin OUT in The OPEN….

    But A Russian Delegate As Normal..

    Opinion..Putin is very frustrated by Now.,,More Anger Displayed…Than at the Start

    So Nuke Option..Went On DEFCON ONE..
    In Russia.. Normal Response For ANY Nation at this Point..

    Other Matters..I’ll Be Back Later..

    Hoe You Had a Good Lunch Pat..:ove Those Head Clearing ..Breaks..
    Miss Your PATIO..PhotsM aybe Soon..
    JT

    • jim ticehurst says:

      Back Now..Lunch Break,,Medium Size Shrimp Cock to on Begin

      OT..Fox News Was inside Ukraine Showing the YOUTH making
      home made Bombs and IEDs..WHY..???

      Reminds me of all The Media Coverage Of The War in IRAQ..Every Move Dicussed..Displlayed..and discussed in the Studios..By The the Media and the Retired Generals..ALL politicans in Uniforms..

      Pat Resents that and So do I..
      Just Now..FOX had TRAY Gowdoy on interviewing former
      NIA Director RATCLIFF About Cybrer Attacks…

      To Much To Public and Risks Americas..National Security..
      Which To ME is PRIORITY…Over RATINGS..

      • jim ticehurst says:

        In Regards To Cyber Attacks,,On The United States,,
        I Live in a Large DOD Community,,Everyone I Know
        On Facilitys..And The Retired Agent I Lunch With
        Monthly ,,,
        Long Ago..Told Me Their Data Had Been Hacked..
        And Obtained..By The Hackers..Federal Agents..and DOD Employees. Many Government Agencys Have Been Hacked
        Thats Known and Published Data
        JT

    • jim ticehurst says:

      Tonights Web Search for Todays News

      Saw Current Sattelite Images on a 3 Mile long Russian Convoy Approaching
      KIEV,,It Was Taken 7 hours ago,,,,

      Another Site The MIRROR..”Fears Putin Has Lost His Mind” Gone into Isolation..

      Todays Washington Post by Joel Gehrke..@ 5:25nPM

      “Euroe Stares Down Putins Nuclear Threat,,Everything Is On The Table”

      JT

  22. Jose says:

    Putin was probably embolden by:

    1. US intelligence agencies telling China everything we would allow (betrayal)
    2. the US calls for Zelensky to relocate out of Kyiv (defeat)
    3. the price of fuel going up would wash the coast of the invasion (follow the money)

    This all changed when Zelendsky said “ni,” and the Ukrainian resistance stiffened.

    Neither the Bidenista’s or NATO deserve any credit for this success if published sources claim Putin has to win within ten days or he will be out of money.

    “The fatter the flea the leaner the dog.” – Ukrainian proverb

  23. Lefty665 says:

    Col,
    Is the NATO invocation of Article 4, defense of an ally, a possible fourth reason for Putin to put Russia’s nuclear forces on higher alert? Could it be a warning to NATO to be careful that its activation of the Response Force and its supply of weapons to the Ukraine not overreach?

    I am not a fan of Putin. It does seem that he has been pretty clear about his imperatives and that we have not listened or acknowledged that Russia has similar concerns on its doorstep to ours with the USSR in Cuba in ’62.

    Thanks for “Lang’s Rules”, they may help some of us civvies muddle through what we are seeing and hearing.

  24. There are frequent attempts in MSM and elsewhere to
    1) portray the invasion of Ukraine as al Putin s idea,
    2} portray Putin as mentally unbalanced, and
    3) claim Putin is losing support at home due to the war.

    Such claims ignore some very relevant facts, e.g.,

    Two years ago, [current DCI William (Bill)] Burns wrote a memoir entitled, “The Back Channel”. It directly contradicts the argument being proffered by the administration he now serves. In his book, Burns says over and over that
    Russians of all ideological stripes—not just Putin—loathed and feared NATO expansion.
    He quotes a memo he wrote while serving as counselor for political affairs at the US embassy in Moscow in 1995.
    “Hostility to early NATO expansion,” it declares, “is almost universally felt across the domestic political spectrum here.”
    On the question of extending NATO membership to Ukraine, Burns’ warnings about the breadth of Russian opposition are even more emphatic.
    “Ukrainian entry into NATO is the brightest of all redlines for the Russian elite (not just Putin),”
    he wrote in a 2008 memo to then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
    “In more than two and a half years of conversations with key Russian players, from knuckle-draggers in the dark recesses of the Kremlin to Putin’s sharpest liberal critics, I have yet to find anyone who views Ukraine in NATO as anything other than a direct challenge to Russian interests.”

    https://peterbeinart.substack.com/p/bidens-cia-director-doesnt-believe

    See also
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/02/28/former-russian-ambassador-and-current-cia-director-bill-burns-knew-exactly-what-would-trigger-vladimir-putin-to-enter-ukraine/

    The CIA Director is crystal clear that Russia would be seriously triggered about any prospect of Ukraine entering NATO.

    • Pat Lang says:

      KH
      There is no longer a job called DCI. Burns is director of the CIA.

      • jim ticehurst says:

        AT..Good Morning,,,

        Fox News was Interviewing Matthew Shoemaker.
        Former Director at DIA..last Nite,,at
        JT

        • Pat Lang says:

          jim ticehurst
          No such person was ever director of DIA.

          • jim ticehurst says:

            you are correct..he was on tv with references to
            He Being Former DIA,..He Was a Former DIA Intelligeence Officer..He Is Not Now..he Contracts Out His Services..Now Has a TV Gig With Fox..
            JT

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