Is Putin becoming entrapped in his own "tangled web" that his deceptions is weaving?

Yesterday Putin reacted towards the news about Canada sending 200 military trainers to Ukraine for both the international and home audiences by stating that,

"In order to contain Russia a full selection of methods is being used from attempted political isolation and economic pressure to a wide-scale information war and special services methods.....
But such tricks do not work with Russia, have never worked before, and will not work in the future" (Reuters video (The Globe and Mail : Wednesday, Apr. 15 2015)

Responding to Putin's outburst, the Canadian Defence Minister, Jason Kenney (right), stated that,

"...150 to 200 Canadian troops will be stationed 1300 kilometres away from the zone of conflict ...We are possibly as far removed from the conflict [as is possible]"

Furthermore that,

"Confrontation in this area [eastern Ukraine] is all coming from Vladimir Putin's illegal aggression. It is critically important that the world, particularly NATO allies, send a strong message to Vladimir Putin of deterrence that his agression will not be rewarded ...." (ibid The Globe and Mail) (my emphasis)

And just as Putin is once again blaming the west for his annexing of Ukrainian Crimea, and for the war between Russia and Ukraine that is still raging in eastern Ukraine,

"..Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (left) said a drive by the United States and its allies to bring Kiev closer to the West was a threat to Moscow and had forced it to react.

"The United States and its allies have crossed all possible lines in their drive to bring Kiev into their orbit. That could not have failed to trigger our reaction," he told an annual security conference in Moscow. (Gabriela Baczynska : Reuters :Thu Apr 16, 2015)

And whilst Putin's propaganda war against the west, aimed specifically at the US, is beginning to reach a crescendo, we learn that on his TV phone in with the Russian people today, Elizabeth Piper (right) reports that,

"President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russian military forces were not in Ukraine, denying allegations by Ukraine and Western countries that Moscow is providing troops and support for pro-Russian rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine." (Reuters : Thu Apr 16, 2015)

There is an overwhelming reason why Putin's propaganda machine is going full blast in its attack against the US and its western allies namely, the failing Russian economy.

In today's marathon TV phone in with the Russian people, Putin's advisors primed him beforehand to blame all their growing economic hardships on the US and its allies in the west.

As the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports today from Moscow,

".. such phone-ins are highly choreographed but do reveal Russians' concerns. Russians' real incomes have fallen this year for the first time since Mr Putin came to power." (BBC News : 16 April, 2015)

Putin desperately tried to put a gloss on the current suffering of the Russian people because of  his single-minded obsession with restoring the vanished "Imperial Russian Empire", irrespective of the costs that this is having on the Russian people, the lives of Russian soldiers, and particularly the Ukrainian people.

As Sarah Rainsford further reports,
 
"Mr Putin said the Russian economy would take about two years to bounce back from recession, or less as the rouble's value was rising again.

 

He said there were encouraging signs that Russian agriculture was growing and replacing imports of Western food.

However, a dairy farmer introduced as "John - a Russian citizen" (left) grilled Mr Putin over the hardship faced by farmers. 

"You say everything is going well - sorry, that's not true," the farmer said. "I have five children... I need some assurance about their future in Russia. Do you believe the statistics or are they lying?" he asked in English-accented Russian...." (ibid BBC News) (my emphasis)

Putin's reply rather says it all.

"I don't have reason to disbelieve the statistics," he said, adding that the government would have to increase subsidies for farmers." (ibid BBC News) (my emphasis)

The magician Houdini (right) was renowned for his daring exploits in escaping from near impossible situations.

Putin is no 'Houdini'

As he, and his 'siloviki' circle of advisors, continue to spin his 'fantastical' tales about the US and its western allies being the sole cause of his invasion of, and annexing of, Ukrainian Crimea, his current war with Ukraine, and the increasing suffering of the Russian people; the tangled web that his deceits is weaving is slowly but surely beginning to 'entrap him' in an ever increasing downward spiral of  irrational actions. 

(to be continued)