Putin's [Pu-trushev's] support from Victor Orban and US Republican Senators are worthless

Having gleefully rejoiced at the political impasse in the US Senate regarding the latests tranche of US aid to Ukraine, Putin [Pu-truschev] now finds himself deflated by the fact that his 'EU comrade-in-arms', Victor Orban, has failed in his attempt to stymie Ukraine's accession to the EU.

CBS News : 18 December 2023 : YouTube

As resported by Barbara Moens, Jacopo Barigazzi and Aitor Hernández-Morales,

 "EU leaders on Thursday agreed to open accession talks with Kyiv, taking a definitive step toward Ukraine’s integration into the European project by bypassing Moscow’s closest ally in the bloc: the Hungarian prime minister.
.....
EU leaders thwarted weeks of vehement threats from Orbán to veto all Ukraine-related decisions within the European Council on the summit’s first day. However in a surprising, pre-agreed move, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested Orbán leave the meeting room so leaders could, technically, make a unanimous decision in his absence." (Politico : 15 December 2023) (my emphasi)

Not however to be outdone, Orban took a leaf out of the political playbook of Senate Republicans in the US.

As reported by Jaroslav Lukiv & Jessica Parker,

"Hungary has blocked €50bn ($55bn; £43bn) in EU aid for Ukraine - just hours after an agreement was reached on starting membership talks.

"Summary of the nightshift: veto for the extra money to Ukraine," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after Thursday's talks in Brussels. (BBC News : 16 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Bloomberg Television : 15 December 2023 : YouTube

Jaroslav Lukiv & Jessica Parker go on to report that,

"EU leaders said Ukraine would not be left without support.

Ukraine is critically dependent on EU and US funding as it continues to fight occupying Russian forces. (ibid Jaroslav Lukiv & Jessica Parker)

And in repsonse to Ukraine's financial needs,  the Council of the EU report that,

 Added to which, Joe Barnes (left) reports that,

"Britain will use its naval expertise to help Ukraine control the Black Sea as part of a 10-year security pact to be signed in the coming weeks.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will pledge to “keep Kyiv in the fight” against Russia by providing military support focused on naval assets, as well as financial aid and intelligence sharing." (The Telegraph : 18 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Further accellerating Putin's [Pu-trushev's] deflation from his previous euphoria over the stalling actions of Repblican Senators in the US and Victor Orban against US and EU support for Ukraine, his critics in Russia are becoming more strident in their criticism of his war with Ukraine.

As reported by Will Stewart (right),

"Vladimir Putin has been told to 'go to the frontline yourself - and die' by the wives and girlfriends of mobilised Russian soldiers.

They demand that he ends the slaughter in Ukraine amid an upsurge in protest in his country against the war he triggered almost two years ago.
....
[The Way Home] women's protest channel asked: 'What the hell are denazification and demilitarisation?'

'Do you yourself understand what you are talking about?

'Every time you say these words, people die.

'Let us live in peace!

'Or go to the front yourself - and die.'" (Daily Mail : 19 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Daily Mail : 19 December 2023

As also reported by Gregorio Sorgi, Barbara Moens and Jacopo Barigazzi report that,

"EU leaders are promising Ukraine will still get its €50 billion aid package to help prop up its war-shattered economy against Russian invasion — with or without the backing of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
...
“It’s possible for the 26 member states to provide the money on a bilateral basis,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters after the European Council in the Belgian capital. “A bit of time and space over the Christmas period might help.” (Politico : 15 December 2023) (my emphasis)    

Furthermore, as reported by the Council of the EU,

"The Council adopted today a twelfth package of economic and individual restrictive measures in view of the continued Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. These measures deliver a further blow to Putin's ability to wage war by targeting high-value sectors of the Russian economy and making it more difficult to circumvent EU sanctions.
...

With this 12th package, we are putting forward a robust set of new listings and economic measures which will further weaken Russia’s war machine. Our message is clear, as I already stated when I chaired the informal Foreign Affairs Council in Kyiv: we remain steadfast in our commitment to Ukraine and will continue to support its fight for freedom and sovereignty. (Josep Borrell (left), High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) " Council of the EU : 18 December 2023) (my emhasis)

And Putin's [Pu-truschev's] response to these developments?

As reported by Yulia Kesaieva, Darya Tarasova, Benjamin Brown and Amarachi Orie,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned there will be “problems” with neighboring Finland after it joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) earlier this year.
.....
It was also a blow for President Putin, who has long warned against NATO expansion.
.....
“There were no problems, but now there will be, because we will now create the Leningrad military district there and definitely concentrate military units there,” Putin added in the interview by Russian state broadcaster Russia 1." (CNN : 17 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Arirang News : 18 December 2023 : YouTube

This 'temper tantrum'of Putin [Pu-truschev] yet again poses the question :-

"Who is now in charge of Russia??? 

 As reported by Iona Cleave (right),

"The independent Russian media outlet, Proekt, led an investigation into 71-year-old Putin's past year of so-called "public" meetings.

Analysing 521 meetings and speaking to Kremlin journalists, they alleged that Putin hides from visitors and has switched over a fifth of meetings to video to hide his sickness and use of body doubles.

During 43 per cent of his meetings (224 of them), Proekt claims that the president "one way or another keeps his distance", suggesting he could be hiding his use of doppelgangers.

Over 113 of his meetings were conducted over video, including almost all with his Security Council as they made major decisions over his bloody war in Ukraine without him physically present." (The Sun : 8 December 2023) (my emhasis)

As I wrote in my last blog entry,

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

It would be wise for Putin [Pu-truschev] to take heed of what Wilson said  59 years ago. " (blog entry 10 December 2023)

Putin's [Pu-truschev's] Xmas presents from US Republican Senators and Victor Orban have proved to be worthless.

                                 

 

(to be continued)

Putin [Pu-truschev] should note that ‘A week is a long time in politics.’

In my previous blog entry (6 December 2023) I wrote that,

"Having succeeded in their bid to block aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, amongst other measures, the Republicans in the US Senate have not only given Putin [Pu-trushev] the best Xmas present that he could ever have wished for, but may also have laid the groundwork for a possible modern-day "Pearl Harbor" to be set in motion that will involve NATO." (blog entry 6 December 2023)

It should therefore come as no surprise that Putin's [Pu-truschev's] Russian TV propagandists are lauding the blocking of aid to Ukraine by US Senate Republicans.

Russia Media Monitor : 8 December 2023 : YouTube

Underscoring the dangers of the blocking of aid for Ukraine by Republicans at this critical  juncture in Ukraine's war with Putin [Pu-truschev], Elizabeth Haigh reports that,

 "The first lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska (left) has warned the world will 'let Ukrainians die' if they do not continue their support as the war with Russia comes towards the end of its second year.
...
The Ukrainian first lady said: 'We really need the help. In simple words, we cannot get tired of this situation, because if we do, we die'.

'And if the world gets tired, they will simply let us die.'

'It hurts us greatly to see the signs that the passionate willingness to help may fade. It is a matter of life for us. Therefore, it hurts to see that.'" (Mail Online : 9 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as Gabriela Baczynska and Andrew Gray report,

"The European Union will find ways to provide more financial support to Ukraine even if Hungary vetoes it as well as membership talks for Kyiv at a summit next week, a senior official said on Friday.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) has threatened to block moves to give Kyiv 50 billion euros in budget support through 2027 and the green light for membership talks - a key strategic objective for Ukraine as it fights Russia's invasion.

Failure to deliver on those two proposals would come as a heavy blow to Ukraine, exhausted after nearly two years of a war that has descended into a fierce attritional battle with little change to the front lines this year." (Reuters : 8 December 2023) (my emphasis)

CRUX : 7 December 2023 :  YouTube

Meanwhile, as reported by Le Monde (with AFP),

"French President Emmanuel Macron met with Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday, December 7, in a bid to break the deadlock ahead of an EU summit after the Hungarian leader threatened to block further backing for Ukraine.
...
Macron welcomed Orban at the Elysée Palace for a working dinner from 1930 GMT to discuss "several subjects" on the agenda for the EU summit next week ..
...
The dinner will mark a rare welcome by a major Western European leader for the Hungarian strongman, who has retained closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin than any other EU leader, even after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine." (Le Monde with AFP : 7 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Haber Lütfen : 8 December 2023 : YouTube 

Whilst Macron has laid out the red carpet for Victor Orban, Barbara Moens, Jakob Hanke Vela, Clea Caulcutt and Hans von der Burchard report that,
 
“We have no time for games [with Victor Orban] at this moment,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (left) said earlier this week.

“If we are in a situation where peace in Europe is under attack, then we must do everything we can every day and every hour to protect our people, and even more so the people of Ukraine.” (Politico : 7 December 2023) (my emphasis)

The contrast between French Macron and German Baerbock regarding Victor Orban could not be starker. 

In similar vein, the contrast between US President Biden and US Republican Senators and Congress members regarding aid for Ukraine could also not be starker.

Putin [Pu-truschev] may be pleased indeed with US Republican Senators and members of Congress over their blocking of aid for Ukraine, just as he (they?) is pleased with the stand taken by his comrade in arms, Victor Orban, over EU aid for Ukraine.

But for how long?

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

It would be wise for Putin [Pu-truschev] to take heed of what Wilson said  59 years ago.

    

 

(to be continued)

Putin's [Pu-truschev's] euphoria at political impasse in financial support for Ukraine .

Two days ago Arpan Rai (left) reported that,

"Ukraine’s Western allies must keep up their support for the country through a difficult winter to come in its war with Russia, Nato’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has said.

Mr Stoltenberg admitted Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive this summer had failed to make significant territorial gains, but described Russia’s failure to capture any more major cities as a “strategic defeat” for Vladimir Putin’s invading forces.

“Wars develop in phases. We have to support Ukraine in both good and bad times. We should also be prepared for bad news,” the Nato chief said in an interview with German broadcaster ARD. (The Independent : 4 December 2023) (my emphasis)

As Stoltenberg was reinforcing NATO'S support for Ukraine, Putin [Pu-truschev] was gleeful as the Republicans in the US House of Representatives continued to thwart US President Biden's attempt to gain more funding support for Ukraine.

As reported by Haley Britzky and Lauren Fox,

"The Biden administration’s dire warning that the US will soon be out of money for Ukraine has run up against a grim reality on Capitol Hill, where some House conservatives have balked at supporting more Ukraine funding and Senate Republicans are insisting on making it part of a broader spending package to include money for Israel, Taiwan and the US Southern border." (CNN : 6 December 2023) (my emphasis)

As also reported by Frank Thorp V, Kate Santaliz and Lori Rampani,

"A classified briefing for senators on the White House's request for aid for Israel and Ukraine became "heated" Tuesday, with Republican members storming out of the meeting.
...
But it fell apart, senators from both parties said, after Republicans began asking about the border. GOP members in both chambers have demanded serious changes to immigration policy to address rising migrant crossings in exchange for passing new aid for Ukraine. (NBC News : 6 December 2023) (my emphasis)

DW News : 5 December 2023 : YouTube

 Aljazeera also reports that,

"The victory of the far-right in the recent Netherlands election and fiscal challenges in Germany are also complicating negotiations over the budget, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The delay is endangering crucial pledges to Kyiv made months ago. A budget agreement would be “very, very difficult”, a senior official said.

The 50 billion euro ($54bn) instrument proposed is designed to keep Kyiv solvent to 2027. A failure to approve long-term funding, as well as a separate 20 billion euro ($22bn) facility for weapons purchases, would hit Kyiv hard as the war grinds on.

Olha Stefanishyna (right), Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, last week described the EU summit as an “existential moment” for her country." (Aljazeera : 4 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Notwithstanding the critical implications of US Republicans denying Biden's call for more funding support for Ukraine and the EU grappling with its budget, Farouq Suleiman reports that,

"Britain's foreign minister David Cameron (left) will underline the importance of support and humanitarian funding for Ukraine during his first visit to Washington since he assumed his post last month, the UK foreign office said on Wednesday.

The former prime minister will travel to the United States to reaffirm both the strength of Britain's relationship with Washington and London's continued support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion." (Reuters : 6 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Putin [Pu-truschev] may be rejoicing at the US and EU political impasse in support for Ukraine, but he also has to contend with the fact that,

"Ukraine’s military has said it has clashed with Russian forces 97 times across the frontline over the last 24 hours, amid fierce fighting as Kyiv looks to defend its lines.

 The general staff of the Ukrainian army said that it had repelled Russian attacks around Bakhmut and other areas of the east, and had pushed Vladimir Putin’s forces back around Zaporizhzhia in the south." (Maira Butt (right): The Independent : 6 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Maira Butt goes on to report that,

"Ukraine’s military security services are claiming Russian forces are killing their own troops using drones so they can’t be captured.

Spokesman for the Tauride Defense Forces, Oleksandr Stupun, made the claim on Ukrainian national TV saying: “The fact is that the Russians do not allow their soldiers to surrender.

“There have even been cases when Russian drones have killed their own wounded.” (ibid Maira Butt) 

Putin [Pu-truschev] would be well advised to heed the words of Jens Stoltenberg (right).

 “Wars develop in phases. We have to support Ukraine in both good and bad times. We should also be prepared for bad news,” the Nato chief said in an interview with German broadcaster ARD.

This small moment of Putin's [Pu-truschev's] euphoria in light of the US and EU political impasse in support for Ukraine may, indeed, be short-lived. 

UPDATE : 7 December 2023

 Rachael Bunyan (left) reports that,

"US Senate Republicans have given Vladimir Putin 'the greatest gift he could hope for' by blocking a £50billion package of wartime funding for Ukraine, President Joe Biden said.

Biden had pleaded with Republicans yesterday for a fresh infusion of military aid for Ukraine, warning that a victory for Russia over Ukraine would leave Moscow in a position to attack NATO allies and could draw US troops into a war.

But hours later, Senate Republicans defiantly voted to block the £50.3billion ($61bn) of funding for Ukraine from advancing, in a devastating blow to Volodymyr Zelensky. That was part of a wider £87billion package ($110bn) of wartime funding for Israel as well as other national security priorities." (Daily Mail : 7 December 2023) (my emphasis)

CNN : 7 December 2023 : YouTube

Prior to America entering WW2 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour,

"During an emergency cabinet meeting called by Roosevelt (left) immediately after the war erupted in Europe, it was agreed that the United States would remain an outside influence unless directly threatened or attacked.

Even had the government backed the war, the United States was still getting over the turmoil of World War I. The general public was not ready to join another war, opting for neutrality. A poll taken in 1939, after the outbreak of war, showed 94% as being against going to war." (Pearl Harbor : 19 January 2017) (my emphasis)

And on Tuesday past (5 December 2023),

"A classified briefing for senators on the White House's request for aid for Israel and Ukraine became "heated" Tuesday, with Republican members storming out of the meeting.
...
But it fell apart, senators from both parties said, after Republicans began asking about the border. GOP members in both chambers have demanded serious changes to immigration policy to address rising migrant crossings in exchange for passing new aid for Ukraine." (ibid Frank Thorp V, Kate Santaliz and Lori Rampani,)

Having succeeded in their bid to block aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, amongst other measures, the Republicans in the US Senate have not only given Putin [Pu-trushev] the best Xmas present that he could ever have wished for, but may also have laid the groundwork for a possible modern-day "Pearl Harbor" to be set in motion that will involve NATO.

                                 

 

(to be continued)

Putin [Pu-truschev] is now scraping the bottom of his 'ideology' barrel in desperation.

It should come as no surprise that Putin [Pu-truschev] is now exhorting Russian women,

" .... to have eight or more children and make large families “the norm” amid soaring numbers of casualties in his war against Ukraine.
...
Russia’s birth rate has been steadily falling since the 90’s and the country has suffered more than 300,000 casualties since the start of the Ukraine conflict, according to data maintained by Kyiv." 
...

In a speech via video link (note! A doppelganger?) at the World Russian People’s Council in Moscow on Tuesday, Mr Putin said boosting the Russian population will be “our goal for the coming decades”. (Shweta Sharma (right): The Independent : 30 November 2023) (my emphasis)

 

WION News : 2 December 2023 : YouTube

Yet Putin's [Pu-truschev's] realization that his war with Ukraine is further exacerbating the the falling birth rate in Russia seems not to  have quite dawned upon him.

Underscoring Putin's [Pu-truschev's] ignorance that "it takes two to tango" when it comes to boosting birth rates he has, nonetheless, decided that,

".... the Russian government approved a resolution to bring the regulatory framework in the field of military registration into line with changes to legislation adopted by parliament, Deutsche Welle reports, citing the Interfax agency. According to these changes, men aged 18 to 30 will begin to be conscripted into the Russian army from January 1, 2024. Until now, the maximum age of conscripts was 27 years.
With the new age limits, approximately 2 million more Russian men will be drafted in 2024 than would have been the case with the previously active age framework  (blog entry: 26 November 2023 : Charter97 )

thus further potentially diminishing "the tango partner of Russian women" in the birth rate stakes as yet more body bags of Russian men pile up in his war with Ukraine.

 As reported by Thibault Spirlet (right),

"A Russian soldier said that more than 1,000 of his comrades were killed during a 10-day period while fighting in Donetsk, according to a video shared by a Ukrainian official on Tuesday.
...
In it, Gennadievich said that his regiment was suffering "heavy losses," according to Gerashchenko's translation, adding that: "I was absent there for 10 days. [During this time], they had over 1,000 killed." (Business Insider : 29 November 2023) (my emphasis)

No doubt deeply concerned by the potential backlash of Russian women as yet more of their men are drafted to feed the slaughter of Russian men in Ukraine, VOA News earlier reported that,

"Large elements of the Wagner mercenary Group have "likely" been absorbed into the command structure of Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardiya), the British Defense Ministry said Sunday in its daily intelligence report on Ukraine." (VOA News : 12 November 2023) (my emphasis)

Let us recall that in April of 2016,

"Russia has announced it will now form a new paramilitary fighting force, the National Guard, which can effectively be used for non-conventional warfare if need be. This comes as the Russian Federation is heavily involved in ongoing conflicts in both Ukraine and Syria among other countries.

This National Guard will be directly answerable to Putin himself, and will become a substitute for the current Russian soldiers fighting in eastern Ukraine. This para-military force is indistinguishable from the Russian armed forces, as was the case during the Chechen wars, primarily to make their presence less controversial than his Russian soldiers now active in eastern Ukraine." (blog entry : 14 April 2016)

"This new para-military force of Putin's also signifies a growing anxiety of Putin and his kleptocratic 'siloviki' clique about the growing discontent among the Russian people because of their increasing impoverishment as the Russian economy continues on its downward spiral." (ibid blog entry : 14 April 2016 )

Then, as now, Putin [Pu-truschev] is beefing up his National Guard through fear of how the people of Russia, especially the women of Russia, will respond to 2 million more Russian men being drafted in 2024.

As reported by Joshua Askew,

"The Kremlin is worried about the political impact of war disaffection leading up to the 2024 presidential election, according to a US think tank.

Support for the Ukraine war in Russia has hit rock bottom, according to a recent poll.

The independent pollster Chronicle found that the number of Russians who fully support the invasion has almost halved since February 2023." (Euro News : 2 December 2023) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Alice Scarsi, Will Stewart, Oli Smith : Express : 1 December 2023)

Compounding Putin's [Pu-truschev's] headaches, as reported by Veronika Melkozerova (right),

"Ukraine’s security service blew up railway connections linking Russia to China, in a clandestine strike carried out deep into enemy territory, with pro-Kremlin media reporting that investigators have opened a criminal case into a “terrorist attack.”

The SBU set off several explosions inside the Severomuysky tunnel of the Baikal-Amur highway in Buryatia, located some 6,000 kilometers east of Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official with direct knowledge of the operation told POLITICO.

“This is the only serious railway connection between the Russian Federation and China. And currently, this route, which Russia uses, including for military supplies, is paralyzed,” the official said." (Politico : 1 December 2023) (my emphasis)

Calling for Russian women to have large families whilst his forces are been pounded in his war with Ukraine, Putin [Pu-truschev] is now scraping the bottom of his 'ideological' barrel in desperation. 

UPDATE : 3 December 2023 

James Kilner now reports that,

"Mothers and wives of mobilised men in Russia have called Vladimir Putin a liar and launched a campaign to get their sons and husbands back from the front line in Ukraine.
...
“The promises turned out to be empty,” it said on the Telegram social messaging platform. “We have been betrayed by our own people.”

The women said that when they waved goodbye to their men during a mobilisation round in September 2022, they were promised that they would be home within a few months.

Instead, most Russian soldiers have not been given a break and when they complain, they are thrown into punishment pits." (The Telegraph : 2 December 2023) (my emphasis)

 UATV : 1 December 2023 : YouTube

And Putin's [Pu-truschev's] response, as reported by Brendan Cole  ,

"However, the Kremlin is responding to the increasing criticism, according to the British Ministry of Defense. In its daily update, the MOD on Saturday said that the group was given a fake warning label, "likely at the instigation of pro-Kremlin actors."
...
This was part of a ploy by Russian authorities in "attempting to quash public dissent" from the angry wives by trying to pay them off and discrediting them online.

"Research by independent Russia media outlets and comments by protesting wives themselves suggest that, in recent weeks, the authorities have likely offered increased cash payments to families in return for them refraining from protest," the defense officials said." (Newsweek : 2 December 2023) (my emphasis)

rather underscores his 'ideological' contempt for those protesting Russian mothers.

 

 

(to be continued)

Putin [Pu-truschev] is now drinking in the "Last Chance Saloon".

At a "rare" online G20 group hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) on  22nd November, many were surprised at Putin's [Pu-truschev's?] recent remarks that Russia is, indeed, at war with Ukraine, just as Putin [Pu-truschev] was somewhat alarmed at the criticism heaped upon him by the other online G20 members of the group. (cf.: Kiran Sharma : Nikkea Asia : 22 November 2023)

France 24 : 24 November 2023 : YouTube

In the words of the former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, during an interview with Symone Sanders,

"..You have highlighted two very important hings that he doesn't say. He [Putin] called the war "a war", he didn't call it a Special Military Operation in Ukraine, that's what he usually calls it.

And he also labelled it a tragedy" (MSNBC : 23 November 2023) (my emphasis)

MSNBC : 23 November 2023

McFaul went on to state that,

"And in particular, it is very clear now that Putin [Pu-truschev] will NOT negotiate until he knows who the next president of the US will be ..... He feels that he could get a better deal if Mr. Trump was the president of the United States" (ibid Symone Sanders) 

Putin's [Pu-truschev's] remark that his war with Ukraine is a tragedy partly stems from the fact, as reported by Anna Frants (left), that,

"The shelves at Moscow supermarkets are full of fruit and vegetables, cheese and meat. But many of the shoppers look at the selection with dismay as inflation makes their wallets feel empty.
...
“If we talk in percentage terms, then, probably, (prices) increased by 25%. This is meat, staple products — dairy produce, fruits, vegetables, sausages. My husband can’t live without sausage! Sometimes I’m just amazed at price spikes,” said Roxana Gheltkova, a shopper in a Moscow supermarket. ...

The Russian parliament has approved a 2024-2026 budget that earmarks a record amount for defense spending. Maxim Blant, a Russian economy analyst based in Latvia, sees that as an indication that prices will continue to rise sharply.(AP Business : 24 November 2023) (my emphasis)

AP Business : 24 November 2023

But perhaps foremost in Putin's [Pu-truschev's?] mind is the fact that, as reported by Matthew Dooley (left),

"Russian soldiers are deserting on the frontlines in Donetsk amid human wave attacks launched by Moscow resulting in enormous casualties.
....
[Ukrainian Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun] said that increasing numbers of Russian soldiers were deserting the frontlines in eastern Ukraine as Moscow throws them into the meat grinder. Barrier troops are being deployed to stop retreats.

Russia has resorted to human wave attacks around Andriivka performed by so-called Storm Z units made up of released convicts and soldiers who refused to follow orders. (Express : 20 November 2023)

More recently, as reported by Erika Kinetz (right),

"Secretly recorded calls of Russian soldiers speaking from the front lines in Ukraine with loved ones back home offer a rare glimpse of the war through Russian eyes.

As the war in Ukraine grinds into its second winter, a growing number of Russian soldiers want out, audio intercepts obtained and verified by The Associated Press indicate. Russian soldiers speak in shorthand of 200s to mean dead, 300s to mean wounded. The urge to flee has become common enough that they also talk of 500s — people who refuse to fight.

These conversations also show clearly how the war has progressed, from the professional soldiers who initially powered Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion to men from all walks of life compelled to serve in grueling conditions.

The AP verified the identities of people in the calls by speaking with relatives and soldiers — some of whom are still at war in Ukraine ... " (The Independent : 26 November 2023) (my emphasis)

With "inflation" on the home front in Russia, and Russian soldiers fleeing from Ukraine's deadly onslaught against them, Putin's [Pu-truschev's] anger knows no bounds.

As James Waterhouse (left) reports,

"Russia has launched its biggest drone attack on Kyiv since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began last year, the city's mayor has said.

Residents were woken by explosions before dawn on Saturday, and for more than six hours, the booms of Kyiv's air defences echoed through the city." (BBC News : 25 November 2023) (my emphasis)

Unlike before, however, Katie Boyden (right) reports that,

"Russia has come under intense kamikaze drone attack this weekend in the heaviest bombardment by Ukraine for months.

Three of Moscow’s international airports – Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky – were forced to close, with flights suspended or cancelled.

Russia was forced to shoot down 11 drones overnight on Saturday, and another nine early on Sunday morning.

It comes as Ukraine retaliates against Russian shelling on Saturday." (Metro : 26 November 2023) (my emphasis)  

And what was the response of Putin's "old" mouthpiece, Dmitry Peskov?

As reported by France 24,

"In Kyiv ten years ago there was a coup with the use of force, the legitimate authorities were overthrown," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (left) said Sunday." (France 24 : 26 November 2023) (my emphasis)

If Peksov could only mouth a rather feeble response to the avalanche of setbacks being suffered by Putin [Pu-truschev] internationally, internally with inflation rising inexorably in Russia, and on the war front in Ukraine, then the deafening silence of that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov (right), speaks volumes.

Putin [Pu-truschev] is now drinking in the "Last Chance Saloon".

UPDATES : 28 November 2023

With  Putin [Pu-truschev] desperately trying to avert the eyes of the West from his war with Ukraine, Matthew Lee (left) now reports that,

"Secretary of State Antony Blinken is turning his attention to Ukraine, NATO and the Western Balkans after weeks of intense focus on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
...
The two-day session on Tuesday and Wednesday will include the first foreign minister-level meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body created by alliance leaders at their last summit to improve cooperation and coordination and help prepare Kyiv for eventual membership.

“Allies will continue to support Ukraine’s self-defense until Russia stops its war of aggression,” said Jim O’Brien, the top U.S. diplomat for Europe." (The Independent : 28 November 2023) (my emphasis)

Further underscoring Putin's [Pu-truschev's] desperation, Alexander Marrow (right) reports that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his official approval to a significant increase in military spending that will see around 30% of fiscal expenditure directed towards the armed forces in 2024 as he signed draft budget plans into law on Monday.

Moscow is diverting ever more resources towards prosecuting its war in Ukraine. Spending on defence and security combined is set to reach around 40% of all budget expenditure next year.

Spending on defence is set to increase by almost 70% in 2024 from 2023." (Reuters : 27 November 2023) (my emphasis)

Indeed, as Emma Burrows (left) had earlier reported,

"The main driver of that growth is Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is now as important to the Kremlin economically as it is politically.

The state and military are now playing a much bigger role in the economy than they have historically, and industries related to the war — including defense production — have helped to drive Russia’s unemployment level down to a record low of 3%.

The war has also taken hundreds of thousands of workers out of the economy, either because they’re fighting in Ukraine or because they’ve fled Russia, often to escape conscription." (AP News : 15 November 2023) 

Is it therefore any wonder that Charter97 now reports that,

"On Friday, November 24, the Russian government approved a resolution to bring the regulatory framework in the field of military registration into line with changes to legislation adopted by parliament, Deutsche Welle reports, citing the Interfax agency. According to these changes, men aged 18 to 30 will begin to be conscripted into the Russian army from January 1, 2024. Until now, the maximum age of conscripts was 27 years.
...
With the new age limits, approximately 2 million more Russian men will be drafted in 2024 than would have been the case with the previously active age framework .. (Charter97 : 25 November 2023) (cf also: DW : 25 November 2023)

More significantly, Maryam Zakir-Hussain (left) now also reports that,

"Russia has likely been forced to move several air defence systems from its Kaliningrad enclave on the Baltic Sea coast to the frontline in Ukraine amid the losses it has suffered there, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
...
“Exceptional Russian air transport movements through November 2023 suggest that Russia has likely moved strategic air defence systems from its Baltic coast enclave of Kaliningrad, to backfill recent losses on the Ukraine front,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update on Sunday." (The independent : 28 November 2023) (my emphasis) 

Putin [Pu-truschev] is, indeed, now drinking in the "Last Chance Saloon".

 

 

 

(to be continued)