The countdown for Putin has begun

The Progozhin political earthquake that struck Putin over the last week-end continues to have political aftershocks in the Kremlin amongst Putin's 'siloviki'.

As Anshel Pfeffer (left) wrote,

"Prigozhin accused a "clan of oligarchs" of starting the war for their benefit, so they could pillage Ukraine and said, sarcastically, that the "demilitarization" and "de-Nazification" of Ukraine were "pretty stories." (Haaretz : 24 June 2023) (my emphasis)

More critically, Pfeffer asks,

"But the more immediate question is: Whom will the Russian people believe now? [Putin or Prigozhin?] (ibid Anshel Pfeffer)

As recently reported by Jeremy Bowen (right),

"The drama over the border in Russia has hardened the view in Kyiv that Mr Putin's time as Russia's president is coming to an end.

"I think the countdown has started," said Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky's closest adviser." (BBC News : 28 June 2023) (my emphasis)

CNN : 28 June 2023 : YouTube

Richard Ashmore also writes that,

"Vladimir Putin is “bitter and “disenchanted” like “Hitler and Saddam Hussein” in the final moments of their rule and could be on the brink of losing power, a defence expert claims. Echoing some of the worst dictators in history, the Russian despot will be “fuming” after the recent rebellion by Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin exposed his shaky grasp on rule." (Express : 27 June 2023) (my emphasis)

Putin's 'bitterness and disenchantment' is best illustrated by the recent cruel and callous bombing of a pizza restaurant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk by Putin's forces.

As reported by Ryan Merrifield and Rachel Hagan,

"At least eight people are dead, including three children, while dozens more have been injured after a Russian missile strike hit a restaurant in Ukraine, Kyiv officials have said.

It's feared more casualties are trapped in the rubble and debris following the attack in Kramatorsk.

It's understood the popular Ria Lounge restaurant was hit, which was "packed" with volunteers, soldiers and journalists at the time of the attack." (The Mirror : 27 June 2027) (my emphasis)

Sunita Patel-Carstairs: Sky News: 28 June 2023 & Instagram: 28 June 2023

Sky News : 28 June 2023 

And against the backdrop of this criminal attack against civilians by Putin's forces, Mike Stone (left) reports that,

"The United States will provide Kyiv with a new military package worth up to $500 million, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, in a show of support for Ukraine's fight against Russia as Moscow deals with the aftermath of a mutiny by mercenary fighters.

The package will include ground vehicles including Bradley fighting vehicles and Stryker armored personnel carriers, and munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, according to a statement from the Pentagon." (Reuters:27 June 2023) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as reported by Ukrinform,

"NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the Alliance must not underestimate Russia despite the recent events and stressed the importance of providing further support to Ukraine.
...
“We all saw the events in Russia over the last days.  These are internal Russian matters. But what is clear is that President Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine has deepened divisions, and created new tensions in Russia. At the same time, we must not underestimate Russia. So it is even more important that we continue to provide Ukraine with our support. And I expect that our Summit in Vilnius will send a clear message of our commitment,” Stoltenberg said."  (Ukrinform : 28 June 2023) (my emphasis)

Perhaps even more disconcerting for Putin, besides the reaffirmation by Stoltenberg of NATO's commitment  to continue to support Ukraine in its war against Putin, is the announcement by China’s envoy to the European Union (EU), Fu Cong (left), that,

"In an interview with Al Jazeera, China’s envoy to the European Union (EU), Fu Cong, suggested that China supports Ukraine’s goal of restoring its territorial integrity.

Fu answered “I don’t see why not” when questioned about whether he supported Ukraine’s objectives of restoring its borders as they were in 1991.

This includes the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia forcibly annexed from Ukraine back in 2014." (Yen Zhi Yi: Mothership News: 28 June 2023) (my emphasis)

As Richard Ashmore wrote,

"Vladimir Putin is “bitter and “disenchanted” like “Hitler and Saddam Hussein” in the final moments of their rule" (ibid Richard Ashmore )

The countdown for Putin, as pointed out by Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky's closest adviser, has begun. 

UPDATE 1 : 07.14 June 29 2023

Interviewed by Mika Brzezinski (left) on MSNBC (28 June 2023)  Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, said,

"This is, and remains in many ways, an extraordinary moment because I think it further revealed the failure of Russia's war in Ukraine, both abroad and also at home.

And we're seeing some cracks emerge not just in what it's doing on the ground in Ukraine but, .. if you put this in perspective it's really extraordinary.
....
Across the board this has been a failure for Putin and we're now seeing internal cracks emerge, not just the external ones in terms of his prosecution of the war."  (MSNBC : 28 June 2023) (my emphasis)

Interview of Anthony Blinken by Mika Brzezinski (28 June 2023)

 

 

(to be continued)