Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has to put on a brave face. “The special operation in Ukraine is going according to plan and in full compliance with the timetable,” he said in a session of his nation’s security council, though via Zoom, because no table is long enough anymore. “All tasks set during the special operation in Ukraine are being accomplished successfully.” Well, Kyiv and most of the country’s major cities remain in Ukrainian hands, they’ve lost thousands of soldiers, Russia still lacks air superiority, the whole world is against them diplomatically (even Cuba!) and sports-wise, and they’ve had to shut down the remaining vestiges of independent media and protests.
That was the plan? If so, it was a shitty plan. This is the far more likely reality, from a supposedly trustworthy source:
President Joe Biden was the only person who was clear and blunt about Putin’s intent to invade, and maybe U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Much of the world heaped scorn on Biden for his relentless proclamations that war was coming, and that Putin had decided to invade. Here is El Salvador President (and dictator-in-training) Nayib Bukele, a few days before Russia invaded, responding to Biden’s announcement that Russian commanders had been given the order by Putin to attack:
If you’re wondering if Bukele ever admitted he was wrong, the answer—of course—is no. Just like the myriad people (like Glenn Greenwald and so many Fox News personalities) that relentlessly attacked Biden when he was right all along. (El Salvador did abstain on the U.N. General Assembly vote condemning Russia and its invasion.)
Just imagine: Had Putin held back, Biden would’ve looked the fool. Fox News would’ve had a field day, happy to carry Putin’s water and do his bidding by continuing to tear Democrats down, while building up Russia-loving Republicans.
Still, it wasn’t just the punditry and Russia-loving diplomatic establishment that was wrong about Putin. If you take a gander at that news report above, it seems that the Russian political establishment was also caught unaware. And apparently, so was the Russian military, given its sorry state of readiness and performance. With an actual invasion a distant possibility, it was okay to grift grift grift, from the oligarchs delivering broken equipment to military commanders and supply officers pilfering their unit’s equipment for vodka and other luxuries. I mean, even tire maintenance was severely lacking, to disastrous effect.
Now, if this entire Russian establishment was caught unaware, and the diplomatic world was caught unaware (including clearly, top Russian ally China), then it’s clear that only a handful of people would’ve known of Putin’s plans.
Plus Biden. Biden knew. And you know that’s not driving Putin’s paranoia to most extreme levels, as it should. Wouldn’t be surprising if Putin executed his entire inner circle, just in case an American source is among them.
Thursday, Mar 3, 2022 · 7:42:48 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Another example of Ukrainian civilians vs. Russian armored convoy. These same guys who won’t drive a tank over those people, will go back a few miles and wait while those people, and their homes, and their schools, and their kids, are reduced to pulp by missiles.