Vladimir Putin Safe in the Arms of His Comrades
He’s already talking about nuclear war.
Our long international nightmare (daydream?) is over—Vladimir Putin is back in action.
Putin’s 10 day absence from the public eye launched the international media into a frenzy of rumors, speculation, and justified nervousness on the part of Putin’s political enemies.
Some speculated that he had fallen ill, others that he had died. Still others believed that he was in Switzerland to celebrate the birth of his love child with former gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
Yet today he resurfaced, by all accounts looking bright eyed and bushy tailed—and amused at the rumor mill he set in motion.
From The Times of Israel:
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atanbayev, who met with Putin Monday in St. Petersburg’s ornate Konstantin Palace, referred to the swirling rumors about Putin’s condition, saying that the Russian leader is in good shape. Atanbayev said that Putin drove him around the palace’s park before the talks, adding that “the president of Russia not only walks, but speeds around.”
“It would be dull without gossip,” Putin retorted with a smile.
…
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov greeted reporters Monday with sarcastic remarks: “So, have you seen the president paralyzed and seized by the generals? He has just come back from Switzerland where he attended the delivery.”Peskov added on a more serious note that the Kremlin has grown tired of refuting speculation about Putin’s condition. “The more we talk about it, the more intense (the speculation) becomes,” he said.
The chatter started last week, after Putin cancelled a number of public events, including an important trip to Kazakhstan. His reappearance today coordinates with the one year anniversary of the controversial Crimean referendum that Putin used an excuse to annex key areas in Ukraine.
On Sunday night, a pre-recorded interview with Putin informed the world that Russia had its nuclear arsenal on alert last year, following the upheaval in Crimea:
Asked if Russia was prepared to bring its nuclear weapons into play, Putin said: “We were ready to do it. I talked with colleagues and told them that this (Crimea) is our historic territory, Russian people live there, they are in danger, we cannot leave them.
“It wasn’t us who committed a coup, it was the nationalists and people with extreme beliefs.”
But this was the worst-case scenario, he added, in the documentary broadcast on state-run channel Rossiya One. “I don’t think this was actually anyone’s wish — to turn it into a world conflict.”
Moscow hasn’t indicated when that interview was originally taped, but the fact that it aired on Sunday—before Putin’s formal return to the spotlight—is a clear signal to those defending Ukrainian sovereignty that no matter where he is, Putin is watching.
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Comments
He’s as narcissistic and vain as our own president. Check for signs of plastic surgery.
But he loves HIS country. Also, I’m sure his balls are much, much bigger.
The “nukler” BS is just a high, inside fastball, thrown at the head of our cowardly “leaders”.
I bet it makes them back away from the plate.
I haven’t seen a slicker operative in my lifetime. He could probably teach Sun Tzu a few tricks. He plays the fools like a violin and he never lets anybody see him sweat.
Well, let’s review history, starting with the so-called “Arab Spring”. Western support for a hardline/terrorist regime in Egypt. A violent regime change and amplified chaos in Libya. Destabilization of Syria, which has a direct affect on Russian assets, and former (?) American allies. A violent coup in Ukraine, which has not only a direct affect on Russian assets, but also poses a threat to Russian sovereignty. The Russians would be insane to ignore a clear and progressive threat to their nation and lives. Doubly so if the administration is implicated in corrupting Israeli elections.
It’s not going to be long until Ukrainians realize that they were had. some Americana think that when they sent a delegation here asking for armaments they were asking for armaments. No, they were asking for money, and not the meager 2 bil we are supposed to give to their half existing army. Ukraine is nearing default and, realistically, will take hundreds of billions, which they are not going to get.
Have you heard of the Konstantinovka riot?
Why not? We are already $20 trillion dollars in debt. Surely we can redistribute another $20 trillion and sequester a similar amount to control inflation, and still provide material support to friends and allies of the current administration and special interests.
I actually haven’t followed the events in Ukraine, other than to note certain milestones in the developing chaos since the coup. What I have noticed is the irrational prejudice against Russians, and Putin specifically, that has provided cover for the vultures picking apart Ukraine’s resources and people, and establishing a conflict zone between Europe and Russia. Perhaps a mental artifact from the cold war.
I suppose this is not exactly a novel progression, but Bush’s administration did seem to maintain at least a semblance of cordial relations. So, there was Clinton who established a Muslim state in Europe, with overt and cover reasons. Then there is Obama’s administration that is running roughshod over all the national regimes, notably Muslims, thereby antagonizing everyone in the Middle East and surrounding areas.
What a mess. What extraordinary corruption. But is it extraordinary, or just part of a secular cycle?
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The Konstantinovka riot was the community’s response to what was essentially a hit and run by government agents. Collateral damage, I suppose. An inevitable outcome in an environment where a faction is seeking the pole position in its space. As I said, a mess.
Total mess. Another Arab Spring. My parents recently offered to send some money to friends in Ukraine, which is the lest we can do considering the price of hryvnya, but we were told that the money wired there frequently vanish into thin air…
I followed Ukraine/Russia very close. I do consider myself a Russophobe. But if you are going to be a Russophobe at least know your stuff. Much of what comes out of people is knee-jerk reaction, like not knowing St. basil cathedral from Kremlin. I think it all comes down to Putin being an acceptable villain because he has blue eyes.
I don’t buy into the whole of plunging of Ukrainian resources narrative because Ukraine really doesn’t have that much to offer in the 21st century. Allegedly to bring it into EU is 200 bil (which would go into their oligarchs/bureaucrats pockets anyway). Ukrainians themselves, particularly their elites, destroyed their own country. Putin is in no hurry to get to Kiev either, even though it’s Russia’s ancient capital.
I think where Bush2 truly did a good job is with Russia. They are not our friend, but they didn’t have to be our enemy either. Condi is a Russia expert who was thrusted into Middle East and ended up handing Gaza over to Islamist.
Konstantinovka, I think, is a spontaneous outpouring of popular anger. Ukraine alleged that they’ve already arrested the FSB perpetrator, only how was he suppose to arrange a traffic accident involving the presumably drunk Ukrainian soldiers in a military vehicle?
The problem is plundering of resources (and foreign aid) – not – plunging.
The biggest problem in these (3rd world miserable) countries is corruption.
Uncle Samuel,
Agree about corruption. In the case of Ukraine in particular we’d have to pump hundreds of billions into their economy and station NATO, and even that wouldn’t be enough. We got ourselves in a cituation where we can’t win.
Let’s not forget how much American liberals/leftists loved Putin when he first came on the scene.