Ukraine Crisis and Putin: Putin's choice is between stemming Russia's failing economy or his re-coronation as Czar.

It should come as no surprise that Elon Musk, that 'Privileged Apartheid-Reared South African', has been dubbed 'Colonel Elon Muskov' amongst Russian pro-war fanatics.

As reported by Perkin Amalaraj and Will Stewart (left),

"Russian pro-war fanatics have dubbed Elon Musk 'Colonel Elon Muskov', amid claims that his Starlink satellite system is deployed by Vladimir Putin's forces in occupied Ukraine.
...
Russia's 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade are among those using the service, around the Klishchiivka and Andriivka battlefields, says the Ukrainian GUR military intelligence agency.
...
It appears to be operative in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of occupied Ukraine, giving a decisive military advantage to Putin's forces." (Mail Online : 12 February 2024) (my emphasis)

Like Senator Tommy Tuberville who, as reported by Rachel Dobkin (right),

"Senator Tommy Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, has received harsh criticism online for defending Russian President Vladimir Putin.
...
"Last night's @TuckerCarlson's interview with Putin shows that Russia is open to a peace agreement, while it is DC warmongers who want to prolong the war. That is why I'm voting to stop 60 BILLION MORE of our tax dollars to this conflict," the senator wrote." (Newsweek on Microsoft Start : 11 February 2024) (my emphasis),

Elon Musk,

" ..... told US Republican senators “there is no way in hell” that Russian President Vladimir Putin could lose the war on Ukraine, weighing in on a conflict that has been affected by Musk’s own Starlink satellite services.
...

The discussion included Musk, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, JD Vance of Ohio, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and co-founder of Craft Ventures LLC David Sacks." ( Vinay Patel (left): Bloomberg on Business Standard : 13 February 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin must be cock-a-hoop at the public pronouncements by Musk and sympathetic Republicans in BOTH the US Senate and Congress ssupporting his invasion of Ukraine.

Putin's delerious joy at those public pronouncements by Musk and sympathetic Republicans in BOTH the US Senate and Congress follows on from, as reported by Yuliia Dysa (right),

"A preliminary analysis concluded that Russia hit Kyiv last week with the hypersonic Zircon missile, its first use in the nearly two-year-old war, the head of a Kyiv research institute said on Monday, presenting a new challenge to Ukraine's air defences.
....
Oleksandr Ruvin, director of the Kyiv Scientific-Research Institute for Forensic Examinations, said on his Telegram channel that his institute completed a preliminary analysis of missile fragments from a Russian attack on Feb. 7." (Reuters : 12 February 2024) (my emphasis)

The Telegraph : January 2024 : YouTube

But putting something of a damper on Putin's unbridled joy at Musk and sympathetic Republicans, Isabelle Stanley (left) reports that,

"Senators advanced a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Sunday despite opposition from Donald Trump and Republican hardliners.

The Democratic-led Senate voted 67-27 in a rare Sunday session to clear the latest procedural hurdle and move the foreign aid measure toward an ultimate vote in the coming days." (Daily Mail : 11 February 2024) (my emphasis)

Added to which,

Alexander Stubb declared himself winner of Finland's presidential election on Sunday after a campaign built on promises to make the most of his country's new membership of NATO and back Ukraine in its war with shared neighbour Russia. (Anne Kauranen : Reuters : 11 February 2024) (my emphasis)
The governments of Poland, France and Germany have vowed to make Europe a security and defense power with a greater ability to back Ukraine. The move has taken on an urgency as fears grow that former Donald Trump might return to the White House and allow Russia to expand its aggression. (Euronews on Microsoft Start : 13 February 2024) (my emphasis)
The Council of the EU on Monday adopted a decision and a regulation that pave the way toward using the profits generated by confiscated Russian assets to finance Ukraine's reconstruction.

The move, which is in line with steps taken by the G7, establishes a legislative route by which profits generated by confiscated Russian assets under specific circumstances could ultimately find their way toward Ukraine via the EU budget. ( Joe Stanley-Smith : Politico : 13 February 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin [Pu-truschev], determined to inflict greater pain with his continued missile onslaught on the people of Ukraine as his 'coronation as Czar of Russia' looms closer simply cannot stem the continued decline in Russia's economic coffers.

Musk and friends may be waving flags of support for him, but those flags simply will not help him economically.

Now, more than ever, Putin [Pu-truschev] realises that his choice is between stemming the continuing failure of the Russian economy or his looming re-coronation as Czar of Russia.

Mony Builders : January 2024 : YouTube

UPDATE : 16 February 2024

Steve Rosenberg (left) reports that,

"For us, who's better, Biden or Trump?" Russian TV correspondent Pavel Zarubin asked President Putin.

"Biden," Vladimir Putin replied in a flash. "He's more experienced, he's predictable, he's an old-style politician." (BBC News : 15 february 2024) (my emphasis)

How interesting that Putin should publicly state that he prefers Biden over Trump.

But why?

Rosenberg goes on to say that,

"Still, if Donald Trump does become the Republican Party's official nominee for the 2024 presidential election, he won't escape questions about Putin and Russia.

Only now, Team Trump can point to these Kremlin comments about Biden and use them to deflect the inevitable accusations that Mr Trump is the Kremlin's choice." (ibid Steve Rosenberg)

Putin's criticism of the Tucker Carlson interview also rather underscores his 'maskirovka' motive of stating that he prefers Biden over Trump.

Giulia Carbonaro : Newsweek : 15 February 2024

As Elesa Zehndorfer (left) explains,

"When White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki commented on March 9 that "they [the Kremlin] have a sort of a maskirovka, a fake story, ready to go," what did she mean?

Psaki was referring to a central element of a Soviet-era approach to non-militarized warfare known as reflexive control, or reflexive mind control. It is a devastatingly effective technique. Used to win the hearts and minds of an electorate, it is frequently used to justify—or strengthen—military action. Currently, it is being deployed as a key strategic element of Russia's invasion of Ukraine." (Psychology Today : 22 march 2022) (my emphasis)

Elesa Zehndorfer rather puts into perspective Putin's recent 'pro Biden' comments!

UPDATE 2 : 16 Febuary 2024 : 13.49

It has just been reported that Alexey Navalny has died in prison.

As reported by Kelly-Ann Mills,

"Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic has died just months after he was discovered in one of Russia's toughest jails, 20 days after going missing.

Alexei Navalny reportedly fell unconscious after he was put in solitary confinement before his death.
...
In his last post Mr Navalny had sent a Valentine’s message on February 14, to his wife Yulia, 47. It read: "Baby, everything is like in a song with you: between us there are cities, the take-off lights of airfields, blue snowstorms and thousands of kilometres. But I feel that you are near every second, and I love you more and more.” (The Mirror : 16 February 2024) (my emphasis)