Putin is now drinking in the "Last Chance" saloon.

Notwithstanding the many rumours circulating around the internet regarding the health, or otherwise, of Putin; what is certain is that the ramping up by the West of supplying the Ukrainian army with sophisticated weaponry to defend itself against Putin's impending onslaught against Ukraine has ruffled many feathers in the Kremlin and the Russian Duma.

As reported by Joe Gould (left),

"Weeks before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western officials agreed to send a flurry of offensive armored vehicles to Ukraine’s battlefields that they previously refused to deliver for fear of provoking Russia — heralding a new phase of international support for Kyiv." (Yahoo News (Air Force Times) : 18 January 2023) (my emphasis)

 This 'new phase' of international support for Kiev is best exemplified by, as reported by the Kyiv Independent,

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in a CNN interview he would consider providing military aid, including Israel's Iron Dome air defense system, to Ukraine.

“Well, I’m certainly looking into it,” Netanyahu said when asked about the possibility of Israel sending the Iron Dome to Ukraine." (Kyiv Independent : 1 February 2023) (my emphasis)

Hindustan Times : 1 February 2023 : YouTube

And whilst Netanyahu is "considering" providing Ukraine with Israel's Iron Dome air defence system, AP News reports that,

"Ukraine’s defense minister said Wednesday that Ukrainian lives will be saved by a sophisticated air-defense radar that France is supplying and which is powerful enough to spot incoming missiles and exploding drones in the skies over all of Ukraine’s capital and its surrounding region.

The minister, Oleksii Reznikov, was so enthusiastic about what he called Ukraine’s new “electronic eyes” that he quickly coined a nickname for the Ground Master 200 radar — the “Grand Master.” " (AP News : 1 February 2023) (my emphasis)

More significantly, as reported by Leila Abboud, Henry Foy, and Ben Hall,

"France has signalled openness to sending fighter jets to Ukraine as western countries weigh the next steps in military assistance to help Kyiv resist Russian attacks.

“By definition, nothing is excluded,” President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference in The Hague on Monday, adding that he had not received a request for jets from Ukraine. (Financial Times : 31 January 2023) (my emphasis)

And as reported by Dominic Nicholls (left),

"Washington is preparing to send missiles to Ukraine which could strike almost the entire Russian-occupied region of the country, US officials have said.

Two officials said the weapons announcement would be made this week in a new $2 billion package of military aid, according to Reuters.

It would be the first time Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), a new weapon designed by Boeing, were sent. (The Telegraph : 1 February 2023) (my emphasis)

Is it therefore any wonder that, as reported by Caitlin McFall (right) that,

"Russia on Wednesday took aim at Israel and warned it not to get involved in the war in Ukraine by providing arms to Kyiv, claiming such a move would "lead to an escalation of this crisis."

"We say that all countries that supply weapons should understand that we will consider these to be legitimate targets for Russia’s armed forces," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (below left) said according to a report by The Times of Israel.

"Any attempts — implemented or even unrealized but announced for the supply of additional, new or some other weapons — lead and will lead to an escalation of this crisis," she added. "And everyone should be aware of this." " (Fox News : 1 February 2023) (my emphasis)
 
What is rather interesting about this "threat of global war" from Maria
Zakharova is that it has not publicly emanated either from Putin nor from his dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.

Besides having to contend with the accelerated inflow of advanced weaponry into Ukraine, Putin now also have to contend with the fact, as reported by Alarabiya News, that,

"Officials from ex-Soviet states in central Asia and the Caucasus say the war has prompted their governments to look for ways to reduce dependence on Moscow by turning to rival powers including Turkey, the European Union and Middle East countries. All spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid antagonizing the Kremlin.

Current and former Russian officials, also speaking on condition they not be identified, said Moscow is reacting nervously, even harshly, as the Kremlin becomes less certain of its ability to assert influence in its own backyard." (Alarabiya News : 1 February 2023) (my emphasis)  

And as reported by Georgia Digital News,

"Armenia has refused to host Russia’s military for routine exercises. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan harshly criticized Russian peacekeepers’ failure in the region. As a response, Moscow pushes Armenia to clarify its position." (Georgia Digital News : 22 January 2023) (my emphasis)
 

Georgia Digital News : 22 January 2023

As he prepares to launch approximately 500,000 more Russian soldiers into his war with Ukraine, Putin's desperation to achieve some success against Ukraine to mark its one-year anniversary seems to primarily be focused on presenting the Russian people with a sense of success rather than failure.

 As reported by Y Rabinovitz,

"Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russian forces were trying to make gains in order to showcase their progress by the war's Israel Nation Newsfirst anniversary, adding that the situation in the Donetsk province was dire.

“A definite increase has been noted in the offensive operations of the occupiers on the front in the east of our country. The situation has become tougher,” Zelenskiy said in a video address." (7 Israel National News: 2 February 2023) (my emphasis)

Putin is now drinking in the "Last Chance" saloon.

STOP PRESS!!

Alessandra Scotto di Santolo (left) has reported that,

"Kazakhstan, one of Russia's closest allies, will close its trade representation in Russia, the Prime Minister has declared. 

Announcing the news, the country's Ministry of Trade said the offices will be closed down by order of Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov." (Expess : 1 February 2023) (my emphasis)

She goes on to further report that,

"In November, Putin travelled to Armenia for a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
  .....
At the end of the summit, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan clashed with the Russian leader over Putin's reluctance to come to his aid in a conflict against Azerbaijan." (ibid  Alessandra Scotto di Santolo)

And just yesterday, as reported by Tim Hanlon (right), 

"Russia is planning something major to “gain the world’s attention” on the first anniversary of the war with Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
...
It appears as though Putin's plan is to overshadow events in the West to show support for Ukraine a year into the war, with Lavrov saying Russia "will do everything" to grab the attention.
...
At the same time Russia has made veiled nuclear threats to the West over the way it has been providing military armaments for Ukraine." (Mirror : 3 February 2023) (my emphasis)

And as reported by NDTV,

"President Vladimir Putin on Thursday vowed a decisive response to any country threatening Russia and lashed out against Germany for promising tanks for Kyiv.

His threats came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the Kremlin was consolidating its forces for a fresh offensive.
...
"We have something to respond with," he added. "A modern war with Russia will be completely different." (NDTV : 3 February 2023) (my emphasis)

Tim McNulty also reports that,

"During a visit to Volgograd to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the battle of Stalingrad, two of Putin's security guards were seen carrying black cases. It is said that one of the black cases carried by Putin's security guards serves as a foldable shield to protect him in case of an attack, while the other is thought to hold the button for launching Russia's nuclear weapons." (Express : 2 February 2023) (my emphasis)

As also reported by BBC News,

"Vladimir Putin has compared Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the fight against Nazi Germany, in a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of the Battle of Stalingrad.
...
"Those who hope to defeat Russia on the battlefield do not understand, it seems, that a modern war with Russia will be very different for them," the 70-year-old leader said. "We are not sending our tanks to their borders, but we have the means to respond. It won't be limited to the use of armoured hardware. Everyone must understand this." (BBC News : 3 February 2023) (my emphasis)

BBC News : 3 February 2023

 

(to be continued)

Expect more dangerous "nuclear sabre rattling" from Putin.

 In my blog entry of 18 January 2023 I speculated that,

"Is Putin staring into the abyss of declaring war against NATO?" (blog entry : 18 January 2023) 

Hardly had the ink dried on US President Biden and German Chancellor Scholtz giving the 'green light' to supplying Abraham's and Leopard tanks to Ukraine than, as reported by Jack Newman (left),

"Russia is now 'at war against NATO and the West' and has taken the invasion of Ukraine to a 'different stage', a senior EU official has admitted, raising the terrifying spectre of a global conflict.

The 'game-changing' deal among Western leaders to pump sophisticated tanks into the [Ukraine] to blast through the Kremlin's invading forces has sparked fury in Moscow which has threatened to escalate the war beyond Ukraine's borders." (Mail Online : 27 January 2023) (my emphasis)

 MSNBC : 27 January 2023

As Carlo Martuscelli (left) earlier reported,

"Continued deliveries of arms to Ukraine by its allies in the West will lead to retaliation with “more powerful weapons,” a top official in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime said on Sunday.
...
Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia’s lower house, the State Duma, threatened Europe and the U.S. with “global catastrophe” over their continued military support to the government in Kyiv, which is trying to continue retaking territory it lost in the Russian invasion.

Volodin directly invoked the use of nuclear weapons in his statement over messaging app Telegram." (Politico : 22 January 2023) (my emphasis)

CNN : 28 January 2023

More significantly, as reported by Sophia Ankel (left),

"A military coup in Russia is likely as President Vladimir Putin is starting to look like a "second-rate dictator," his former aide said on Thursday.
...
"As problems pile up in the country and the army, that the authorities are unable to solve, Putin is more steadily transforming in people's eyes from a great strategist to an ordinary, second-rate dictator," he [Abbas Gallyamov] said. (Yahoo News (Business Insider article) : 27 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Critically, Putin is  having to scramble around to replenish his war machine.

Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's glove puppet, has been forced to deny that the Russian army is critically running low on missiles and artillery.

As  reported by Jake Cordell,

"Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev hit back on Tuesday at Western reports that Russia is running low on missiles and artillery, saying Moscow's weapons stocks were enough to continue fighting in Ukraine.

"Our opponents are watching, they periodically make statements that we don't have this or that ... I want to disappoint them. We have enough of everything," Medvedev said during a visit to a Kalashnikov factory in Izhevsk, around 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) east of Moscow." (Reuters : 23 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Unfortunately for Medvedev, as reported by CNN, Russia is suffering from serious military equipment shortages.

 

CNN : 27 Jan 2023

There are now unverified rumours swirling around the internet that Putin is seeking help from the Taliban.

Whether or not Putin is seeking help from the Taliban, Medvedev, having to hit back at Western reports that Russia is running low on missiles and artillery, does signify that these Western reports have hit a raw nerve regarding the state of Putin's war machine.

We can, therefore, expect more dangerous 'nuclear sabre rattling' from Putin.

(to be continued)

For Putin, time is fast running out.

In my blog entry (3 April 2016) I wrote that,

"Meanwhile, one of Putin's closest allies in Africa, President Zuma of South Africa, who signed a controversial and secretive deal with Putin  for Russia's Rosatom to build nuclear reactors in South Africa, has been found guilty of breaking the South African constitution to embelish his private estate at Nkandla to the tune of £13 million stolen from state coffers. This theft elicited from him a public apology but, like Putin the 'kleptocrat', he simply ignored demands for his resignation. (cf. also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBucRobI4rM)" (blog entry : 3 April 2016)

Fast forward to 2023 and, as reported by Cecilia Macaulay & Pumza Fihlani (right),

"South Africa has defended its decision to hold a joint military exercise with Russia and China next month.

Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor condemned the "double-standard" which says some countries can perform such exercises but others are not.

"All countries conduct military exercises with friends worldwide," Dr Pandor added.

The comments came at a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pretoria." (BBC News : 23 January 2023) (my emphasis)

What is rather disconcerting is that,

"Both parties described the other as a friend, with Naledi Pandor describing their talks as "wonderful" " (ibid Cecilia Macaulay & Pumza Fihlani) 

Africa News : 23 February 2023 : YouTube

Cecilia Macaulay & Pumza Fihlani further report that, unlike South Africa,

"Many African nations - including Nigeria and Kenya, the economic powerhouses of West and East Africa respectively - voted in favour of a UN general assembly resolution in March last year, condemning Russian "aggression" and demanding its withdrawal from Ukraine." (ibid Cecilia Macaulay & Pumza Fihlani)

What is rather interesting to note is that, as reported by Luke McGee (left),

" It is often said in diplomatic circles that Germany’s 21st century model for success has been built on three pillars: cheap Chinese labor, cheap Russian energy, and American guarantees of security.
...
One German official told CNN that it will be hard for mainstream (German) politicians to break free from old habits: “They have an inherent skepticism against siding overtly with the USA and a subtle hope that the relationship with Russia can be fixed.” (CNN : 21 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Thus the reluctance of Scholtz to give the green light to supplying Ukraine with Leopard tanks, whether from Germany or those EU countries which at 'biting at the chomp' to supply Ukraine with their Leopard tanks.

DW News : 23 January 2023 : YouTube

Both Germany's Scholtz and the South Africa Foreign Minister, Naledi Pandor (right), seem to be somewhat beholden to Putin, feeling that they have a duty to Putin because of what Russia has done for them. 

Paul Withers : Express : 23 January 2023 ; "Germany 'terrified of upsetting Putin' "

In the case of Germany, all that cheap oil and gas, and the German preferred investment opportunities in Russia; and in the case of Naledi Pandor, the misguided belief that Putin, rather that the former USSR, helped the ANC in its struggle against 'apartheid'!

As Karl-Peter Schwarz (left) also writes,

"In a representative study, the Center for Monitoring, Analysis, and Strategy (CeMAS) concluded that approval ratings for pro-Russian conspiracy theories among the German population have increased overall over the course of the Ukraine war. In April 2022, 12 percent agreed with the statement that NATO had provoked Russia until Russia had to go to war. In October, 19 percent were already of this opinion, 16 percent of them in western Germany and 33 percent in eastern Germany. The opinion that Ukraine is part of Russia was shared by 12 percent in the west and 24 percent in the east." (Gis Report : 17 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Please note that  former German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, was raised in East Germany. (cf. Marcel Fürstenau : East Germany: A failed experiment in dictatorship : 10 July 2019)

Lavrov, that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, is now scrambling around Africa to curry support for Putin's war with Ukraine as Putin's Kremlin 'siloviki' begins to disintegrate.

As reported by John Varga,

"Vladimir Putin is facing a major revolt from his key Chechen and Wagner allies, after a row over facial hair escalated into open warfare. The Kremlin recently appointed the Russian Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, as the overall commander of Moscow's forces in Ukraine. The General replaced Sergey Surovikin, who had been in the post for just a mere three months." (Express : 24 January 2023) (my emphasis)

For Putin, time is fast running out.

In the words of Lavrov,

"Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, has said that Russia is "almost" in a conventional war with the West as the Kremlin fumes at the level of support for Ukraine." (Charlie Bradley : Express : 24 January 2023) (my emphasis)

(Charlie Bradley : Express : 24 January 2023)

(to be continued)

Is Putin's "nuclear" sabre rattling now poised to become a reality?

In my previous post (18 January 2023) I wrote that,

"Disturbingly, as reported by Luke Whelan (left),

"Vladimir Putin could launch nuclear weapons in a bid to "take as many people as possible with him" as a result of his fading health, according to a Russian telegram group called General SVR who claim to have spoken to Kremlin insiders. The Russian despot is reportedly isolated and "withdrawn" as he suffers the side effects of drug treatment for a serious illness." (Express : 17 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Is Putin staring into the abyss of declaring war against NATO?" (blog post : 18 January 2023)

As reported by Andrew Osborn,

"President Vladimir Putin [speaking to workers at a factory in St Petersburg] said on Wednesday that Russia's powerful military-industrial complex was ramping up production and was one of the main reasons why his country would prevail in Ukraine.
...
"Victory is assured, I have no doubt about it." (Reuters : 18 January 3023) (my emphasis)

Putin's "Victory is assured" was soon followed by his glove-puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, declaring that,

""It never occurs to any of the lowlifes to draw an elementary conclusion from this: The defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war can trigger a nuclear war," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a top Putin ally who now serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council, said in a post on Telegram." (MSN (CBS News) : 19 January 2023) (my emphasis)

What is even more disconcerting, as reported by CBS News, is the fact that,

"Striking an eerily similar note [to Medvedev], the head of the Russian Orthodox Church professed in a Thursday sermon that "an attempt to destroy Russia would mean the end of the world."

"Today there are very big threats to the world, to our country, and to the whole human race, because some crazy people had the idea that the great Russian power, possessing powerful weapons, inhabited by very strong people… who have always come out victorious, that they can be defeated," said Patriarch Kirill, a staunch backer of all Kremlin policy." (ibid MSN (CBS News)

 DW News : 16 May 2022 : YouTube

That Putin is claiming that "Victory is assured", together with Medvedev and Kirill threatening the unleashing of a nuclear war against Ukraine, comes against the backdrop of,

" ...Weeks before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western officials agreed to send a flurry of offensive armored vehicles to Ukraine’s battlefields that they previously refused to deliver for fear of provoking Russia — heralding a new phase of international support for Kyiv." (Joe Gould : Yahoo News : 18 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Arirang News : Youtube : 20 January 2023

What is even more disconcerting for Putin, as reported by the New Voice of Ukraine, Hossein Amir Abdollahian (left), current Foreign Minister of Iran, stated that,

“We recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity within the framework of international law, and for this reason, despite excellent relations between Tehran and Moscow, we have not recognized the separation of Crimea from Ukraine,” he said.

“We have not recognized the separation of Luhansk and Donetsk from Ukraine because we insist on our consistent principle in foreign policy.” (Yahoo News ( New Voice of Ukraine) : 19 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Furthermore,

"Earlier Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (right), who is thought to be one of the staunchest allies of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, said that Crimea and Donbas are Ukrainian territories and denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine." (ibid New Voice of Ukraine)

Since the beginning of Putin's current war with Ukraine his "nuclear" sabre rattling has never ceased.

Now, staring his mortality in the face as his health continues to fade, his "nuclear" sabre rattling is poised to become a reality.

  (to be continued)

Will Putin today declare war against NATO?

In Putin's war with Ukraine, things seem to ramping up to a new level.

Putin himself is set to make 'important announcement tomorrow' on Ukraine war.

As reported by Paul Withers (right),

"Vladimir Putin is preparing to make an "important" announcement on Wednesday (18 January 2023), a pro-Russian official has claimed, as the war in Ukraine reaches a critical point.
....
It would also come just days before Russia's war in Ukraine started exactly a year ago on February 24, 2022 claims official." (17 January 2023) (my emphasis)

At the same time as Putin is going to make this "important announcement",  Alarabiya News informs us that,

"Japan is engaged deeply on issues in Ukraine and is expected to roll out plans at the “appropriate time” to support Kyiv against Russia's invasion, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday.

“Prime Minister Kishida (left) has a game plan and is already engaged deeply on issues in Ukraine,” Campbell told a Center for Strategic and International Studies event." (Alarabiya News (Reuters) : 18 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as reported by Greg Heffer,

"James Cleverly [UK Foreign Secretary] has told Britain's allies 'this is the time' to bring the Ukraine war to an end as the Foreign Secretary urged other nations to 'intensify' their support for Kyiv." (Mail Online : 17 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Mail Online : 17 January 2023

German Chancellor Scholtz is also coming under increasing pressure to allow those EU countries which have German Leopard tanks to be allowed to send them to assist in Ukraine's war effort against Putin's invading army.

As James Randerson reports,

"A move by the German government to supply tanks to Ukraine is a “very, very, very, very needed decision,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Tuesday in Davos, arguing that German public opinion is now shifting toward supplying more military aid to Kyiv.
...

“The attitude in Germany is changing,” said [Lithuanian President] Nausėda (right), but he bemoaned the delay from Berlin in allowing the release of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine — which he called a “very strategic factor in this war.” (Politico : 17 January 2023) (my emphasis)

The urgent call of  the President of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelensky, for more tanks from his western supporters comes as Christopher Sharp reports that,

"The Russian Federation has deployed intercontinental ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) to Tver Oblast region of Russia, close to its border with Belarus and within range of Ukraine. The move marks an increase in tension amid fierce fighting around the Soledar and Bakhmut in east Ukraine." (Express : 16 January 2023) (my emphasis) 

Furthermore, as I wrote in my previous blog entry (14 January 2023),

"As reported by Charlie Bradley (left),

"Russia's achieved an unwanted economic record in December as Moscow was forced to borrow £46billion in one month. This comes as the country continues to grapple with Western sanctions.
...

The Kremlin's finance minister Anton Siluanov (right) confirmed this deficit which equates to roughly 2.3 percent of Russian GDP (gross domestic product).
...
This also means that Russia's spending is more than 30 percent higher than had been forecast at the start of 2022." (Express : 11 January 2023) (my emphasis)

It is therefor no wonder that, as reported by Thibault Spirlet,

"Vladimir Putin's repeated threats of a nuclear war has raised concerns the elimination of all humanity could happen sooner than expected. Scientists are set to reveal the Doomdsay Clock next week in a highly-anticipated forecast as tensions between Russia and Ukraine could push the minute hand even closer to 12 o'clock." (Express : 17 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Disturbingly, as reported by Luke Whelan,

"Vladimir Putin could launch nuclear weapons in a bid to "take as many people as possible with him" as a result of his fading health, according to a Russian telegram group called General SVR who claim to have spoken to Kremlin insiders. The Russian despot is reportedly isolated and "withdrawn" as he suffers the side effects of drug treatment for a serious illness." (Express : 17 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Is Putin staring into the abyss of declaring war against NATO?

 

(to be continued)

2023 will be Putin's 'make-or-break' year in his war with Ukraine.

 In my last blog entry (9 January 2023) I wrote that,

"As we enter the new year, Putin and his generals are scrambling to confront the critically changing military support for Ukraine from the West"

This is best illustrated, as reported by Brad Dress (left), that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin harshly scolded one of his deputy prime ministers (Denis Manturov, the Russian minister of industry and trade) on Wednesday, accusing him of failing to keep up with orders for military equipment amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
...
“Long, too long,” Putin said, according to the meeting transcript. “Please, I ask you to expedite this work. The enterprises do not have contracts for 2023, you know, what can I say.” (The Hill : 13 January 2023) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Luan Trimi :MSN (Oh! My Mag) : 13 January 2023)
 

Luan Trimi :MSN (Oh My Mag) : 13 January 2023

Putin imploring Denis Manturov to “Please, I ask you to expedite this work ( i.e. orders for military equipment amid the ongoing war in Ukraine), has been precipitated by the critically changing military support for Ukraine from the West

 As reported by Luke McGee, Saskya Vandoorne, Sebastian Shukla and Lindsay Isaac,

"The Western alliance’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine received a shot in the arm this week as multiple European nations for the first time answered President Volodymyr Zelensky’s longstanding call to supply modern battle tanks to Kyiv.

France and Poland have pledged to soon send tanks for the Ukrainian military to use in its efforts to protect itself from Russia. The UK and Finland are considering following suit."  (CNN : 14 January 2023) (my emphasis)

And as now reported by Sean Meleady,

"Rishi Sunak (left) [British Prime Minister] will send a squadron of [Challenger] tanks to Ukraine as part of Britain's continued support for the country in its war with Russia. According to The Sun the Prime Minister has approved the plan, which will mark the first time Britain has supplied Ukraine with tanks." (Express : 14 January 2023) (my emphasis)

As was to be expected, Sabine Siebold and Andrew Gray report that,

"German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) is under pressure to approve an increase in international military support for Kyiv by allowing the export of Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine

Germany has resisted such a move so far, saying Western tanks should only be supplied to Ukraine if there is agreement among Kyiv's main allies, particularly the United States." (Reuters : 13 January 2023) (my emphasis)

 This 'feeble excuse' of Scholz to not supply Ukraine with German tanks is simply following on from former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's appeasement of Putin since his invasion of, and annexation of, Crimea in 2014, and his subsequent invasion of the Ukraine's Donbas.

 Besides having to implore Denis Manturov, the Russian minister of industry and trade, to speed up State orders for armaments, Putin is also having to resort to scramble for yet more manpower due to his army's failures in Ukraine.

As reported by Yahoo News,

"Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis (right) tells Andrea Mitchell “Putin is really scrambling” to gain more “manpower” for his fight against Ukraine. “He's going to the prisons. He's going into homeless shelters. He's taking people in their 50s and 60s,” Stavridis explains. “Putin will take anything. It’s a sign of how difficult this fight has become for him." (Yahoo News : 13 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Andrea Mitchell : MSNBC : 13 January 2023

In his interview with Andrea Mitchell (above), Stavridis also states that,

Andrea Mitchell : The other signal here is that Russia ... Putin has replaced his commander .. General Gerasimov is now taking over ... Does this signal dissension in the Kremlin to you?

Stavridis : It absolutely does ... [Gerasimov and Shoigu] ... are in an internal struggle inside the Kremlin to gain the ear .. to hold the ear of Vladimir Putin. The competing faction is the individual who leads this Wagner Group .. a man named [ Yevgeny ] Prigozhin ... (ibid Andrea Mitchell )

As also reported by the New Zealand Herald,

"As Russian troops wage a ferocious house-to-house fight for control of strongholds in eastern Ukraine, a parallel battle is unfolding in the top echelons of military power in Moscow, with President Vladimir Putin reshuffling his top generals while rival camps try to win his favour.

In the reshuffle announced Wednesday, the Defence Ministry said the head of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov (left: with Putin), was named the new chief of Russian forces in Ukraine, while the former top commander there, General Sergei Surovikin, was demoted to Gerasimov’s deputy after only three months on the job." (New Zealand Herald : 13 January 2023) (my emphasis)

The walls of military defeat continue to close in around Putin.

The Russian economy is also suffering from the economic blows of his war with Ukraine.

As reported by Charlie Bradley (right),

"Russia's achieved an unwanted economic record in December as Moscow was forced to borrow £46billion in one month. This comes as the country continues to grapple with Western sanctions.
...

The Kremlin's finance minister Anton Siluanov (left) confirmed this deficit which equates to roughly 2.3 percent of Russian GDP (gross domestic product).
...
This also means that Russia's spending is more than 30 percent higher than had been forecast at the start of 2022." (Express : 11 January 2023) (my emphasis)
 
As Putin's problems continue to become insurmountable, 2023 will be 'make-or-break' year for him in his war with Ukraine. 

(to be continued)