Is Putin's 'strategy', and his 'oligarch' klan, beginning to unravel?

Andrey Illarionov (left), former Senior Economic advisor (2000-2005) to Putin, subsequently resigned from this position on 27 December 2005 saying that Russia was no longer politically free, but run by an authoritarian elite. "It is one thing to work in a country that is partly free. It is another thing when the political system has changed, and the country has stopped being free and democratic," he said. (Wikipedia)  (my emphasis)

And today, Paul Goble (right) informs us that recently,

"Speaking in Kremenchug this week (July 13, 2015), Andrey Illarionov said that Ukraine should continue to negotiate in its quest for peace but that it should reject the documents known as Minsk-2 because “the essence of this document is that the Ukrainian authorities are rejecting their sovereignty over the Ukrainian-Russian border.” (The Interpreter : July 13, 2015) (my emphasis)

Illarionov further states that,

"Minsk-2 requires that the Constitution of Ukraine be changed so that “the domestic and foreign policy of Ukraine will become a hostage of the decisions taken by separatists in the DNR and LNR” and by implication of those in Moscow who are supporting them." (ibid Paul Goble) (my emphasis)

In a speech delivered at the Atlantic Council on 7 Apr 2015, Illarionov informs us that possibly as long ago as 2004 Putin was already preparing for this war.

What is significant in the speech of Illarionov, amongst other things, is his proposition that,

"Is this war not only against Ukraine but also against the west? If we listen to Kremlin propaganda they would definately confirm "yes"."

This realization that Putin is ominously building up, and continuously exercising practically the whole Russian army, has led many NATO countries in the EU to similarly begin joint exercises, as in the case of the military exercise dubbed 'Rapid Trident'

"Ukraine's Defense Ministry says some 2,000 troops are involved in the exercises [in western Ukraine], dubbed Rapid Trident 2015, which was launched at the Yavoriv military training field in the Lviv region on July 20.

Almost 800 Ukrainian soldiers, more than 500 U.S. troops, and 700 other servicemen from 16 other countries are taking part in the drills that are expected to last until August 1." (RFERL : 21.07.2015)

Added to which, as Julian E. Barnes in Brussels and Gordon Lubold in Washington inform us,

"The Pentagon is moving toward providing Ukraine with bigger, longer-range radar to help it counter artillery being used by Russia-backed rebels, as U.S. military officials signal a growing willingness to bolster the country’s defenses." (Wall Street Journal: July 22, 2015) (my emphasis)

This comes just as,

"Ukrainian State Border Service troops in Luhansk region on July 22 downed an enemy drone, which was made in Russia, according to the service's media liaison office." (UNIAN : 22.07.2015) (my emphasis)

 
It is therefore no wonder that the 'Rapid Trident' military exercise in western Ukraine, together with Ukraine being provided with longer-range radar has, to say the least, evoked the usual angry response from Putin.

"The Russian envoy to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko (left), said on July 21 that the maneuvers "disrupt" the process of implementing the Minsk agreement signed in February and aimed at putting an end to fighting between government forces and Russian-backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine." (ibid RFERL) (my emphasis)

And if this were not enough, Ivan Nechepurenko of the Moscow Times reveals that,

"...prominent Russian Kremlin critic Maria Gaidar's (right) decision to become a deputy to Mikheil Saakashvili, the current head of Ukraine's Odessa region, demonstrates the extent to which the ongoing conflict has divided the two countries ....." (Moscow Times : Jul. 20 2015) (my emphasis)


 "This is not just a local conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it is a conflict of values, a civilizational conflict between freedom, democracy, honesty, normal business and Soviet bureaucratic oligarchical gangsterism," said Gaidar, the daughter of Russia's reformist late prime minister Yegor Gaidar (left), who introduced sweeping market reforms in the country in 1992." (ibid Ivan Nechepurenko) (my emphasis)

 Like any other Mafia gangster group Putin's oligarchs, who have been targeted by the sanctions of the US, the EU, Canada, and Japan, amongst other western nations, are now circumventing the sanctions imposed upon them by simply transferring their wealth to their children

"Russian oligarchs hit by American sanctions have transferred significant assets to their offspring, an investigation by The Times reveals." (Ukrainian News : July 22, 2015) (my emphasis)

 

 I am reminded of the late Boris Nemtsov's exposure, IN 2012, of this relationship between Putin's oligarchs and their children. (add English subtitles by clicking on settings)

Maybe now the research of Karen Dawisha into the corrupt financial aspects of Putin's regime will finally be used as a counter to Putin's weaponising of information, as exposed by  Peter Pomarentsev.

(to be continued)