How much longer before Putin 'gingerly' raises the flag of peace?

It is interesting to note that there is now a panicked scramble by Putin to his 'bosom' friends in Chechnya and China as the powerful and successful Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Russian Kursk and Belgorad oblasts continue to pummel Putin's forces.

As AP reports,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday made an unscheduled trip to Chechnya, a mainly Muslim republic within the Russian Federation, his first visit in nearly 13 years, as Ukraine’s stunning cross-border incursion into western Russia entered its third week." (AP: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis)

AP: 21 August 2024

As AP also reports,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese premier Li Qiang Wednesday, hailing growing trade relations as Moscow becomes increasingly dependent on Beijing for political and economic support.
....
“Chinese-Russian relations are at an unprecedentedly high level,” said Li, who earlier had met with his Russian counterpart, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

The meeting took place as Russia struggled to push back a Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region now in its third week. And overnight, Moscow experienced one of the largest waves of drone attacks on the Russian capital since the start of the Ukraine conflict." (AP: 22 August 2024) (my emphasis)

 AP: 22 August 2024

All these meetings were against the background, as Devdiscourse News Desk reports,

"Ukraine reported on Wednesday the destruction of Russian pontoon bridges in Kursk region using U.S.-made weapons, a strategic move amidst their ongoing incursion into the area." (Devdiscourse: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis) 

As also reported by John Varga (right),

"Ukraine launched a huge drone attack on a major Russian airfield in the Volgograd region in the early hours of Thursday morning.
...
Ukraine has stepped up its aerial bombardment of Russia in recent weeks and months, as it seeks to disrupt Russia's war machine.

Oil refineries, airfields, air defence systems and ammunition warehouses have been remorselessly targeted in a carefully calibrated campaign." (Daily Express: 22 August 2024) (my emphasis)

More significantly, however, countering Putin's mouthpieces blustering about the use of 'nuclear' weapons, US Presidentn Biden has,

"President Joe Biden (left) has quietly approved a new US nuclear strategy focusing on China’s rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal earlier this year, a new report has revealed.

The Nuclear Employment Guidance (NEG) is designed to prepare the US for potential nuclear confrontations with Russia, China, and North Korea, The New York Times reported. The strategy takes into account the rapid expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal and ongoing threats from Russia, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine, the report said." (Maroosha Muzaffar: The Independent: 21 Augist 2024) (my emphasis)

Which rather puts into perspective Putin's mouthpiece, Dmitry Medvedev, once again 'indirectly' threatening to use nuclear weapons in Putin's war with Ukraine.

As Guy Faulconbridge (right) writes,

"Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region means there will be no talks between Moscow and Kyiv until Ukraine is completely defeated on the battlefield, Dmitry Medvedev (below: left), deputy head of Russia's Security Council, said on Wednesday.
 ...

"They understand that there will be NO NEGOTIATIONS UNTIL THE ENEMY IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY DESTROYED!" (Reuters: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis)

One merely has to listen to the rantings of Stanislav Krapivnik on Russian TV to gain an insight into the 'apocalyptic' mindset of Dmitry Medvedev.

Russia Media Monitor: 18 August 2024: YouTube

The continuing counter-attack by Ukraine against Putin's forces, on Russian soil, is beginning to reach a 'near' crescendo in the political ears of Putin.

Desperately scambling to the few friends that he still has on the international political scene, such as Ramzan Kadyrov of Chechnya, Xi Jin Ping of China, and Kim Jon Un of North Korea, Putin now knows that his 'nuclear war' threats are falling on deaf ears.

How much longer before he gingerly raises the flag of peace? 

UPDATE : 24 August 2024 

Trying to keep pace with the ongoing and current developments in the Ukraine-Russia war is like running after a tornado that keeps changing direction.

Oli Smith (left) reports that,

"Olga Skabeyeva, one of the leading pro-Putin voices on Russian state TV, suggested Russia was prepared to unleash nuclear strikes if the incursion continued." (Express: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis),

whilst, 

"Sergei Chemezov, the head of the Russian state corporation which supplies Moscow with many of its arms for the war, Rostec, told Reuters news agency that the country “feels confident” at the prospect of a wider conflict" (Kate Nicholson (right): Huff Post: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis), 

and Putin is proclaiming that,

"But Chemezov is not the only person boasting about Russia’s abilities recently – Putin just told some of his troops that “we are absolutely, absolutely invincible” (Kate Nicholson: Huff Post: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis).

 Yet John Varga (left) reports that,

"Russian locals in a Siberian town are having to raise money to buy body bags for their soldiers, according to reports.

"So many Russian soldiers have been killed in the Irkutsk region that the local authorities have run out of money to transport them back to their relatives.

"Local people are now having to crowdfund for body bags and the transportation of corpses." (Express: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis)

 And as Oli Smith also reports,

"Russia's failure to stop a Ukrainian invasion of Kursk has exposed Vladimir Putin's fragile grip on the country, it has been claimed.

Western officials warned the surprise incursion, more than two and a half weeks ago, has "undermined" the Kremlin propaganda narrative that claimed a "Russian victory was inevitable". (Express: 24 August 2024) (my emphasis)

All of this comes against the background of :- 

• The United States has announced a new round of military assistance to Ukraine, following a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden. (Al Jazeera: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Joshua Posaner: Politico: 24 August 2024)
  
• Ukraine struck another huge blow against Russia's navy on Thursday after destroying and sinking a train ferry used to transport military equipment to Crimea." (John Varga: Express: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis)
• "Ukraine has launched another drone strike on an oil depot that has already been burning for six days in Russia's Rostov region, and Russians fear the blaze could reach nearby kerosene reservoirs, triggering a much larger explosion." (Newsweek: 23 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Like a raging tornado, Putin's currrent war in Ukraine is reaching a 'near' crescendo in his political ears.

Indeed, Putin is downplaying Ukraine's attacks in the Kursk and Belgorad Russian oblasts purely as a "large-scale provocation".

As Peter Dickson (left) writes,

"Russia’s propagandists are taking their lead from Putin himself. The Kremlin dictator has remained remarkably tight-lipped over Ukraine’s invasion, and has limited himself to only a handful of public statements. Notably, there have been no attempts to rally the Russian people against the invader or engage in the kind of historical grandstanding that Putin normally favors. On the contrary, he has opted for a strikingly understated approach. Putin initially branded the invasion a “large-scale provocation,” and has since compared the advancing Ukrainian army to “terrorists.” " (Atlantic Council: 21 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Yet another indication exposing Vladimir Putin's fragile grip on the country.

 

 

 

(to be continued)

The noose is rapidly tightening around the neck of Putin.

The dust is beginning to settle on the shifting of the international 'political' tectonic plates over the spectacular and devastating advances of the army of Ukraine into Russia's Kursk and Belograd oblasts.

inews on Microsoft Start: 18 August 2024

Thus, as YP Rajesh (left) reports,

"Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) will visit Ukraine, the Indian foreign ministry said on Monday, his first trip to the war-torn country since its conflict with Russia and about a month after he met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow." (Reuters: 19 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Bear in mind, as YP Rajesh further reports,

"New Delhi is seeking to deepen its relationship with the West while keeping ties intact with old friend Russia."

 This sudden Indian development comes on the heels of the army of Ukraine consolidating its position in the Kursk and Belgorad Russian oblasts, and Putin raging at his generals for allowing the Ukrainian army to enter and overwhelm Russian towns and villages as evidenced by the blowing up of the second Kursk bridge.

As Arpan Rai (left) reports,

"Volodymyr Zelensky is asking his closest allies to help Ukraine with more logistics for promised ammunition as he presented a nightly update on the frontline actions.
.....
He added: “However, when it comes to supplies from our partners, we need things to speed up. There are no holidays in war. We need decisions—we need timely logistics for the promised aid packages. I’m specifically addressing the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.” (The Independent on Microsoft Start: 19 August 2024) (my emphasis)

The Independent on Microsoft Start: 19 August 2024

David Parsley (left) also reports that,

"The UK is still considering granting permission to Ukraine to use its long range Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory, i has learned.
...
UK defence sources dismissed reports over the weekend that suggested the US has delayed permission for Kyiv to use the British-donated long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia, following a request from Keir Starmer to President Joe Biden to approve the move.
...
Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources also stressed that the Government does not comment on the operational detail of specific equipment, but added that Ukraine does have a legal right to defend itself by attacking Russian territory under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter." (inews on Microsoft Start: 18 August 2024) (my emphasis)

As also reported by  Steve Goldstein (right),

"European defense contractors traded sharply lower on Monday after a report Germany would stop providing new military aid to Ukraine.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, citing internal documents and letters from Finance Minister Christian Lindner, said Berlin will continue to provide previously approved assistance, and future aid will come from proceeds on frozen Russian assets." (Market Watch: 19 August 2024) (my emphasis)

And once again Putin, via his Belarus puppet Lukashenko, is threatening 'nuclear war' by invoking the Putin mantra about NATO involvement in his war with Ukraine.

As reported by John Dunne,

"Belarus leader Aleksandr Lukashenko has again warned of nuclear war and has deployed troops along the length of his country’s border with Ukraine. (left: Lukashenko and Putin)

He has regularly suggested that WW3 could be triggered if Ukraine’s western allies becoming even more embroiled in Ukraine’s battle against Russia.
...
"If they send NATO troops [to Ukraine], this will start WW3." (London Evening Standard: 18 August 2024) (my emphasis)

But as Hamish de Bretton-Gordon (right) correctly writes,

"It must be made clear, even to the most timid leaders in Europe, that the nuclear option is not actually available to Putin. The West both can and should remove the shackles it has put on Ukraine and allow that bold nation to fight with its hands free, using its Western weaponry to its full range and capability.

This decisive action by Ukraine is an opportunity for Starmer and his new team to make decisions that could hasten peace in Eastern Europe." (The Telegraph on Yahoo News: 15 August 2024) (my emphasis) 

As his troops flounder in Kursk and Belgorad, the noose is now rapidly tightening around the neck of Putin.

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Putin is now 'politically' flailing to save himself.

The worlds' airwaves, internet, and media outlets are awash with an avalance of "total surprise" at the advancement of Ukrainian troops onto the soil of Russia.

'Armchair' generals throughout the world are frantically scurrying to glean exactly what has happened to Putin, as they are also trying to 'read the tea-leaves' in the wake of the Ukranian army's advance into Russias' Kursk and Belgorad regions of Russia.

Times Radio: 12 August 2024: YouTube 

DW News: 10 August 2024: YouTube

Recall that in the last blog entry I stated that,

"The current diplomatic actions and political statements coming from the EU, UK, US, and international politicians, as Putin now falters if his demands to turn Ukraine into a vassal state of Russia are not met, now changes Harold Wilson's famous phrase into, "An hour is a long time in politics". (blog entry: 5th August 2024)  

One simply cannot keep pace with the critical events unfolding in Kursk and Belgorad.

Russian popagandists are twisting themselves into 'political' pretzels trying to 'logically' respond to Ukraine's swift advances into Russia's Kursk and Belgorad oblasts.

As interviewed on Radio Times, Sergei Markov (left), political scientist at Moscow University and former adviser to President Putin has to admit that,

"If Russia does not respect the border of Ukraine, Ukraine will not respect the border of Russia. This is understandable by most of the people" (cf video below)

Further in the interview he goes on to say that,

"Any peace agreement should take the reality on the land [i.e. the land that Russia invaded, stole, and annexed, from Ukraine]

Times Radio: 12 August 2024: YouTube

It is obvious that Putin is now terrified as he furiously paces around in his bunker.

So much so that, as reported by Gergana Krasteva (left),

"Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said people from Krasnaya Yaruga district were being evacuated.

The region remains under a missile alert, and people are being urged to shelter in their basements.

Again and again, the Kremlin’s mouthpieces have repeatedly insisted that Russia has the situation under control, but judging from Ukraine’s advances – verified by geo-located footage – this is not the case" (Metro on Microsoft Start: 12 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, we now learn from Isabel van Brugen (right) that,

"Vladimir Putin has appointed Aleksey Dyumin, a former Kremlin agent, to take charge of defense in the Kursk region, seemingly replacing his army chief Valery Gerasimov's duties in the area, according to an official and multiple Russian pro-war military bloggers.
...
Reports of the appointment of Kremlin aide Dyumin—President Putin's former bodyguard and governor of the Tula region—came as Gerasimov was reported to be under fire after seemingly dismissing intelligence warnings that Kyiv's forces were preparing to launch an armored assault into Kursk, which borders Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region." (Newsweek: 13 August 2024) (my emphasis)

We have to ask ourselves whether Putin's 'siloviki' itself is in near total dissarray given that the head of Putin's army has been fired.

According to exiled Russian YouTube blogger, Inside Russia, Gerasimov has been replaced by Bortnikov of the FSB.

This, he believes, is Putin signing his own death warrant.
 

Inside Russia: 13 August 2024: YouTube

Putin is now 'politically' flailing to save himself.

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Putin is running scared!

In 1964, in the lead up to the British election, Harold Wilson (left) is supposed to have coined the famous phrase, ‘A week is a long time in politics.’

The current diplomatic actions and political statements coming from the EU, UK, US, and international politicians, as Putin now falters if his demands to turn Ukraine into a vassal state of Russia are not met, now changes Harold Wilson's famous phrase into, "An hour is a long time in politics".

This is particularly relevant as Kamala Harris has now become the de facto choice of the US Democratic Party to run against Trump is the upciming presidential election in the US, and F16 fighters have become active in protecting the skies of Ukraine from Putin's panicked and desperate onslaught against the people of Ukraine.

And as Kamala Harris has become the de facto choice of the Democratic Party to run against Trump, Ukraine starts to fly F16's against Putin's missiles and drones, 

As Anastasiia Malenko (left) reports,

"Ukrainian pilots have started flying F-16s for operations within the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday, confirming the long-awaited arrival of the U.S.-made fighter jets more than 29 months afterRussia's invasion.

The Ukrainian leader announced the use of F-16s, which Kyiv has long lobbied for, as he met military pilots at an air base flanked by two of the jets, with two more flying overhead.

"F-16s are in Ukraine. We did it. I am proud of our guys who are mastering these jets and have already started using them for our country," Zelenskiy said at a location that authorities asked Reuters not to disclose for security reasons." (Reuters: 4 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Reuters: 4 August 2024

As these F16's begin to protect the skies of Ukraine from Putin's missiles and bombs, we now also hear that,

"Ukraine has taken out a £275million Russian submarine after a missile strike on the city of Rostov-on-Don.

Kyiv's forces say they also “significantly damaged” four Russian S-400 air defence systems, dealing a huge blow to Vladimir Putin's military.

The missile defence systems are worth a combined £2billion and were stationed in occupied Crimea." (Charlie Bradley (left) and Will Stewart (right): Express: 3 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Further humiliating Putin over the loss of his submarine, Devdiscourse News Desk reports that,

"Ukraine has taken delivery of a second Turkish-built navy corvette, amid ongoing conflict with Russia. Officials did not disclose specific plans for the warships' use in the war.

Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska (left) , attended the launching ceremony of the Ada-class corvette during her visit to Turkey, announced the Ukrainian presidency." (Devdiscourse: 3 August 2024) (my emphasis)

It is no wonder, as reported by Will Vernon that,

"With all dissent snuffed out at home, Russia is turning its attention to opponents who have sought refuge in the West. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president who is now deputy head of Russia's Security Council, described them as “traitors who have gone over to the enemy and want their Fatherland to perish”." (BBC News: 4 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Devdiscourse News Desk also reports that,

"In an overnight offensive, Ukraine's military reported targeting Russia's Morozovsk airfield, alongside several oil depots and fuel storage facilities spread across three regions. These strategic hits included a key ammunition depot at the airfield, where Russian forces had stocked guided aerial bombs.
...
This operation represents a notable escalation in the ongoing conflict, showcasing Ukraine's increasing capability to strike critical Russian logistics and supply points." (Devdicourse: 3 August 2024) (my emphasis)

These developments are supported by Sinéad Baker (right), who reports that,

"Ukraine has been able to strike unusually deep inside Russia because Russian air defenses have been stretched, a warfare expert told Business Insider.

George Barros (left), a Russia expert for the Institute for the Study of War in the US, said many of Ukraine's drones were able to penetrate past the point where Russian air defenses should be able to stop them." (Business Insider on Microsoft Start: 2 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Anxiously shaking his puny fists at Ukraine, Putin has has now declared that, as reported by Hugh Cameron,

"Russian companies are offering cash prizes for the destruction of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, incentivizing troops to take out the Western aircraft that will soon be appearing over Ukraine's skies.

The news was first posted to the Telegram channel of the Russian Ministry of Defense on Tuesday.

It cited Ilya Potanin, a director of Russian oil company FORES, who said: "There will be rewards for the destruction of F-15 and F-16 combat aircraft. The reward for the first will be 15 million rubles." (Newsweek: 17 July 2024) (my emphasis)

Newsweek: 1 August 2024

Putin's desperation is beginning to show on the international political stage.

Is it any wonder that, as reported by Dmitry Antonov,

"Asked about the F-16s, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "If I'm not mistaken, rewards (for Russian forces to shoot them down) have already been offered."

He predicted the planes would not be a "magic pill" for Kyiv's forces.

"These planes will appear and gradually their number will decrease; they will be shot down and destroyed," he said.

"These deliveries will not be able to significantly influence the dynamics of events at the front." (Reuters: 1 August 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin is running scared!

UPDATE: 8 August 2024

As reported by Joe Barnes,

"On Tuesday morning, Ukrainian forces stormed across the border in an unprecedented thrust from the country’s regular army.

By Wednesday afternoon, they had captured the village of Sudzha, which is crucial for Moscow’s shipments of natural gas to Europe.

Moscow initially claimed a Ukrainian sabotage unit had “tried to gain a foothold directly on the territory adjacent to the state border”, but was beaten back by Russian forces, and after suffering “significant losses” retreated across the Ukrainian border.

However, it tweaked the post on the Telegram messaging app to remove any reference to any Ukrainian defeat.

It prompted criticism from war bloggers who accused the Russian defence ministry of delivering “overly optimistic assessments of the situation”.

“It is possible to make mistakes. You cannot lie,” the Two Majors Telegram channel wrote." (The Telegraph: 8 August 2024) (My emphasis)

The Economic Times: Microsoft Start: 8 August 2024

Putin's fear is on show to the world as he nervously addresses his generals in an emergency meeting on this disastrous development in his ongoing war with Ukraine.

The Telegraph: 7 August 2024: YouTube

 

 

 

(to be continued)