Has Putin's "truth" now become one of "fear"?

Truth is more important than its consequences.

It was Winston Churchill who remarked during WW2 that , " In war, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies".

Yet if truth is concealed because of the fear of its consequences if it is revealed, an avalanche of lies ensues that, ultimately, buries truth itself.

Trying to reveal a truth that is often concealed under an ever increasing bodyguard of lies then becomes a task of unraveling the lies that try to conceal it.

And yet, in the face of overwhelming evidence that Putin lit the touchpaper of his current war with Ukraine we have Sergei Lavrov(right), that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, recently declaring that,

"The United States is responsible for the Ukraine crisis as America seeks to reap the biggest benefits from it in economic and military-strategic terms, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, according to a statement released by the Russian Embassy in India." (Ani : The Print : 28 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

CNN : 28 December 2022

Furthermore, as reported by TASS,

"The enemy [Ukraine] is well aware of our proposals on the demilitarization and denazification of the [Kiev] regime’s controlled territories (i.e. UKRAINE), the elimination of threats to Russia’s security that come from there and it includes our new territories [DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions]," the minister said.

"There is a little left to do - to accept these proposals in an amicable way. Otherwise, the Russian Army will deal with this issue," Lavrov stated." (TASS :26 December 2022) (my emphasis) (cf also: MSN (Associated Press) : 27 December 2022)

News Of The World : 29 December 2022 : YouTube

 And whilst Lavrov is threatening Ukraine with the Russian army, Alia Shoaib reports that,

"The foreign minister (Lavrov) made the comments after Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday he was open to talks with Ukraine to end the war." (Yahoo News : 27 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

 Former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor : CNN: 26 December 2022

 But for Putin, such talks will have to totally reject the 10-point proposals (Reuters : 28 December 2022) of Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, as the basis of ANY peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

And as Putin was saying that he was, "open to talks with Ukraine to end the war", Hugo Bachega and Matt Murphy report that,

"Cities across Ukraine have been targeted by a wave of Russian missile strikes, in one of the largest bombardments since the war began.
...
Blasts were also heard in the cities of Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv and Zhytomyr.  (BBC News : 29 December 2022) (my emphasis)

What, therefore, are Putin and Lavrov trying to conceal with their demand that peace talks should begin with President Zelensky fully accepting Putin's incorporation of  Crimea, and the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, into Russia's territory?

One month ago (29 November 2022), in the words of Mohamed Vall,

"After setbacks for Russia's war in Ukraine .... the country's leaders say , "It cannot lose ..".

Putin : We have become stronger because we are together .. The truth is behind us ... and in truth there is strength ... which means victory ... Victory will be ours ..."

Mohamed Vall : AlJazeera : 29 November 2022 : YouTube

What, however, is Putin's "truth"?

Is it because, as reported by Ciaran McGrath, that,

• Vladimir Putin’s health is once again in the spotlight
• reports have suggested Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also ill, suffering from depression and drinking heavily 
• there are suggestions that potential successors are beginning to plot his (Putin's) downfall (Express : 19 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Or is it because, as reported by Arpan Rai and Matt Mathers that,

"Russia’s economy is beginning to “feel the pinch” after the G7 and other countries imposed a price cap on the country’s oil exports, an expert has said.
...
In December the G7 countries, the European Union and Australia agreed to a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil because of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine." (Yahoo News (The Independent) : 28 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Jenni Reid : MSN (CNBC) : 28 December 2022

Furthermore, as reported by Jasper Jolly,

"European gas prices have dipped to a level last seen before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February, after warmer weather across the continent eased concerns over shortages.
...
Oil prices are significantly lower than they were before the start of Russia’s invasion, and only marginally above where they were at the start of 2022. Brent crude oil futures traded at $100 a barrel on 28 February, but were at $81.84 on Thursday." (The Guardian : 29 December 2022) (my emphasis)

The current uptick in Putin's bombing campaign against Ukraine's infrastructure gives the lie to his call for "peace talks".

The current call, by that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, for Ukraine to capitulate to Putin's demands for "peace talks", whilst at the same time threatening Ukraine with the full might of the Russian war machine, indicates that he is struggling with the Russian diplomatic playbook.

The desperation of Putin and Lavrov to conceal the "truth" behind their actions and their words may, indeed, point to growing rumblings of a coup against Putin. (cf Ciaran McGrath)

For Putin, the consequences to himself of the truth behind his current actions is simply too ghastly for him to contemplate.

Has Putin's "truth" now become one of "fear"?

(to be continued)