Masters of deception, the Kremlin elite have for years been trying to bring down Western democracy from within. But as NATO expands northward, Russia’s empty threats expose a rotten core of lies.
The NATO summit in Lithuania has come and gone. Moscow will analyze, conclude and no doubt adopt certain measures in response to certain decisions. There may even be a saber rattle or two.
We’ve heard it many times before. Such rhetoric followed Finland and Sweden’s announcements, more than a year and a half ago, that they wished to join NATO. These two great Scandinavian nations certainly did not want to be left to their own devices next to a neighbor that launched a blistering assault on its other neighbor.
Since the Kremlin rolled its tanks and planes deep into Ukraine in February 2022, it has been constantly surprised by NATO – most notably that it did not fall apart. Russia had banked on being able to bring about NATO’s implosion for years, having bribed, spread misinformation, and created an atmosphere of collapse among Euro-Atlantic partners. In fact, the complete opposite has happened.
Moscow was furious when Finland’s path to NATO membership became certain, having hitherto threatened a careful evaluation and strong response if ever that were to happen. The deadlock over Sweden’s membership was met with delight among Kremlin officials, who in turn viewed Hungary and Turkey as true friends for blocking the country’s accession to the Alliance.
But, in recent days, the surprises have just kept on coming.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took care of the biggest when he raised the ramp for Sweden’s entry. Hungary will follow that move with inertia. Secondly, Russia was surprised that President Volodymyr Zelensky turned up in Lithuania for the NATO summit, with Kremlin leaders having expected his boycott due to anger at the lack of a tangible membership proposal for Ukraine. Added to that, there’s the fact the door remains open for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, which will inevitably lead to the delivery of fighter jets to Kyiv, as well as the US announcing, after a long hesitation, that it has approved the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine.
For each of these shocks, the Kremlin has responded from its playbook of ready threats, saying it will “respond decisively” and “carefully monitor” developments. Indeed, there has been a steady stream of empty threats of counter strikes in response to virtually everything that has been happening to supposedly threaten Moscow’s interests in the past 500 days of war.
None of Moscow’s assertions have come close. None of those “powerful” Russian intelligence services and state institutes for planning and strategic research helped their employer in the Kremlin to accurately predict the moves of the “enemy.”
There has been one surprise after another before the eyes of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his court. Europe has been changing, but not in the way Moscow expected.
Someone has either failed or has not been up to the job. Alternatively – as is often the case in dictatorships – no-one wants to be the bearer of bad news. But that hasn’t stopped the bad news from coming.
Russia lied when it cited Ukraine’s intention to join NATO, and the Alliance’s readiness to receive it, as the reason for its full-scale attack on Ukraine. The real reason for the invasion was always the Kremlin’s desire to conquer, occupy and subjugate Ukraine, impose a puppet regime, and subsequently annex the country.
But the false narrative and deception about preventing the expansion of NATO further eastward and into Ukraine was a command carried out by everyone, from generals to politicians and TV propagandists. They remain convinced of that even today – so much so that a guest on Russian state TV suggested bombing Vilnius when NATO leaders were gathered there.
The reality is that Ukraine was never close to NATO membership before Putin gave the order to invade. Ukraine and Georgia received a careless promise from the US 15 years ago, but nothing ever came of it.
Ironically for Russia, it is now the Kremlin’s state-sponsored aggression that is driving and accelerating NATO membership and, in the end, Moscow’s false narrative will unravel.
Moscow’s demand that NATO stop expanding to the east and return to its 1997 borders has in fact promulgated the Alliance’s expansion to the north of Europe, in Russia’s closest neighborhood, where Moscow least expected it.
With the entry of Finland and the imminent accession of Sweden, the Baltic Sea becomes a NATO lake with all its shores belonging to members of the Alliance. The Russian enclave of Kaliningrad thereby loses all meaning and significance for Russia.
Ukraine did not join NATO. Not even this week when it had the most fans. But Finland and Sweden, superpowers of democracy and diplomacy with the world’s most modern armies, did. As far as Ukraine is concerned, while its defense is ongoing, it will not become a member of the Alliance, but will, during this time, grow into the best-trained and equipped European military force. US President Joe Biden said he would like Ukraine to join NATO “an hour and 20 minutes after the war.”
Russia’s collapse in strategic planning and assessment has been just one of many of Putin’s failures in the last 18 months, twinned with a defeat of his army at the front and political suicide on the international stage where he has been excluded from all forums with any tangible influence on world affairs. His economy, which has long been unable to finance the war it entered into (again, a bad assessment), has also collapsed.
Putin and Russia are victims of the fake news they have been spreading for decades, both about themselves and others. Their worst nightmare, which they thought was a cleverly devised lie to scare the West as well as their own population, has come home to roost.
Putin saw himself as the master of deception, with his plan to bring the West to its knees and propel Russia to triumph thanks to its mythical powers and historical mission. But when you’re this deep into a fairy tale, it can be very hard to wake up.
DR. ORHAN DRAGAŠ IS A SERBIAN EXPERT ON SECURITY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. HE IS THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY INSTITUTE, BASED IN BELGRADE; AUTHOR OF NUMEROUS EXPERT ARTICLES, NEWSPAPER COLUMNS, AS WELL AS THE BOOKS “THE MODERN INTELLIGENCE-SECURITY COMMUNITY, UTOPIA OR REALITY”; AND; “TWO FACES OF GLOBALIZATION – TRUTH AND DECEPTIONS.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/19528
“Putin saw himself as the master of deception, with his plan to bring the West to its knees and propel Russia to triumph thanks to its mythical powers and historical mission. But when you’re this deep into a fairy tale, it can be very hard to wake up.”
Putin is a master of nothing, except terrorism against weak opponents. He’s nothing but a blowhard that has been exposed by his empty threats against countries that wanted to join NATO, and countries that supported Ukraine.
Posting this on the bus on my way to work.
Trump’s a “friend” putin? Maybe. But friends don’t talk like this I think. If anything, this improves my impression of him, but I still want to hear whether he launch criminal investigations against his former head of the CDC “doctor” fauci, and other frauds of covid.
Those issues I’m still disappointed with Trump for, are mostly because of America’s policies at home, though I also felt he didn’t go hard enough against china.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-ill-give-ukraine-more-weapons-than-they-ever-got-if-putin-does-not-end-war
Clearly the “short” bus. Trump wasn’t moronic enough for ya eh?
Are you suggesting then, that you don’t want Trump to give weapons and support to Ukraine, if he gets the American presidency in 2024?
I’m even much more dissatisfied with biden than I am with Trump, but clearly, you weren’t paying attention when I said that I’m “disappointed” with Trump. That evil, arrogant, selfish, stupid, power-mad impression you may feel for Trump, I feel more accurately applies to “doctor” fauci. Trump should have FIRED that smug little liar, and taken away fauci’s multimillion dollar retirement fund, the instant fauci said contradictory nonsense.
Like how he said the BLM rioters in June 06, 2020 would expose themselves to what fauci often called a dangerously contagious deadly pandemic in covid, but deserved the opportunity to “protest.” Which sounds like he’s saying the virus was a dangerous health risk AND the rioters should be allowed to spread it among themselves. Trump didn’t fire that lousy bastard when he should have, and biden KEPT FAUCI. “It is the perfect set up for the spread of the [covid] virus in the sense of creating some blips which might turn into some surges … There certainly is a risk.” And then he followed up in the SAME interview with, “It’s a difficult situation. We have the right to peacefully demonstrate and the demonstrators are exercising that right … It’s a delicate balance because the reasons for demonstrating are valid and yet the demonstration itself puts oneself at an additional risk.”
You want to find the source on this? I gave the date fauci said it, and the words that murderer used, you look for it.
You just proved my point.
Trump is a shit president that would burn Ukraine or America to make a buck.
In real America the president is not the prosecutor, so your ideas are bunk and on the wrong website. Try some QAnon message board please. This is about Ukraine, not Trump crybaby blather.
Slava Urkaini and fuck the nonsense.
You “proved” nothing to me. You say that “Trump is trying to make a buck off the war,” but then you don’t explain why or how he is. What “profit” has Trump gotten out of this? Also, I ALREADY TOLD YOU, I’M DISAPPOINTED IN TRUMP, but I HATE BIDEN MORE. That means that if I see Trump against another Republican candidate, I’m probably going to vote AGAINST TRUMP, but with if it’s Trump against biden only, I’ll reject biden completely and vote Trump. Biden’s a pathetic, weak, zombie who’s actually said crap that seemed to “invite” putin into invading!! Another example was of biden bragging ON VIDEO TELEVISION, about how he blackmailed to have a Ukrainian prosecutor FIRED!! That was because of an investigation of corruption against the Ukrainian burisma natural gas company for which biden’s admitted crack addict son hunter biden, for which hunter assumed the title “chairman of the board,” with NO business experience in natural gas. Hunter biden admitted to the nature of drug habit himself, in his own “autobiographical” book, “beautiful things.”
You’re the one who’s calling the idea of Trump sending MORE aid than biden, moronic. I don’t want to fill up this blog with ranting, but you want to poke and poke about help coming from the “wrong” person. Help is help, no matter where or who it comes from, if you want to complain without coming up with answers, to bitch and moan about it, then that makes you sound more like putin.
You don’t even understand how quotes work and ramble way too much. Keep your QAnon garbage to yourself, weirdo. Slava Ukraini!
Seems very Ruzbot of you to bring up irrelevant social issues and then claim Trump will help Ukraine more than Biden. Utter nonsense. Trump is not pro-Ukraine he is pro Trump and a vote for Trump will never help Ukraine regain ALL of its sovereign territory. Putin wants Trump.
Republicans are shaky Ukraine supporters at best. My have times have changed with that party.
You STILL have no response for how or what Trump is “profiting” from in the Ukraine war! Amazing. Or maybe amusingly predictable. In any case, it means I don’t need to rise to your retarded bait. Though I do have to point out one thing you seem unaware of. Your username here. It suggests that while you may be a fan of Orwell, you’re more a fan of the BAD GUYS from his novel. Don’t know what I mean? Go read “1984.”
In the meantime, I can feel free to ignore anything else you say in this discussion here. If you waste everyone’s time (even wasting your own time lol) with your pointless ranting that goes nowhere and doesn’t say anything, that’s your choice. Go back to your master in the kremlin.
Ruzbot must be paid by word…and needs English lessons.
When Biden threatened to withhold aid, it was because Viktor Shokin wasn’t doing enough to investigate corruption. Biden was acting as an agent of President Obama, and the USA, the IMF, and other countries wanted Shokin to go because he failed to do investigations of corruption and economic crimes of President Yanukovych and his close associates.
Vitaliy Kasko, then the Ukrainian deputy prosecutor, told Bloomberg News that there was no truth to the accusation that Biden or anyone in the Obama administration had tried to block the investigation of Mykola Zlochevsky. “There was no pressure from anyone from the U.S. to close cases against Zlochevsky,” Kasko said. “It was shelved by Ukrainian prosecutors in 2014 and through 2015.” (Zlochevsky controlled Burisma.)
“calling the idea of Trump sending MORE aid than biden, moronic.”
No, they said that *Trump* is moronic. As is the belief that Trump would do anything to benefit anyone other than himself.
“I don’t want to fill up this blog with ranting” – And yet you keep ranting nonsense about Dr. Fauci.
So, in your mind, fighting a corrupt Burisma outfit is not fighting corruption. Hmmm…typical Leftist word salad, you could work for the Kremlin with that talent.
Try responding to what I wrote.
1. President Obama, and the USA, the IMF, and other countries wanted Shokin to go because he failed to do investigations of corruption and economic crimes of President Yanukovych and his close associates.
2. Neither Biden nor anyone else in the Obama administration had tried to block any Burisma investigation.
Of course, fighting a corrupt outfit is fighting corruption. I never suggested otherwise. But then-vice president Biden issued his demands for greater anti-corruption measures by the Ukrainian government *despite* the possibility that those demands would actually increase – not lessen – the chances that Hunter Biden and Burisma would face legal trouble in Ukraine.
Those are Marxist media talking points, friend, Bidenov himself bragged publicly and on tape about withholding aid for Ukraine unless Poroshenko fire Shokin. If that’s not blocking then I don’t know what is. Nice try though!
Circle back to my first reply on this thread. VP Biden didn’t make policy. VP Biden did what President Obama told him to do. President Obama – along with lots of others – wanted Shokin gone because he wasn’t tough on corruption.
It’s not blocking any Burisma investigation, because Burisma Holdings was not under scrutiny at the time Joe Biden called for Shokin’s ouster, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.
Maybe this will help you understand:
“reformer says”…..lmao! Ooooh, must be a GREAT source! lol…
Yes, Daria Kaleniuk – who founded Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Action Center – *is* a great source.
You could also read this article:
It explains that:
The United States and other Western nations had for months called for the ousting of Mr. Shokin, who was widely criticized for turning a blind eye to corrupt practices and for defending the interests of a venal and entrenched elite. He was one of several political figures in Kiev whom reformers and Western diplomats saw as a worrying indicator of a return to past corrupt practices, two years after a revolution that was supposed to put a stop to self-dealing by those in power.
As the problems festered, Kiev drew increasingly sharp criticism from Western diplomats and leaders. In a visit in December, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said corruption was eating Ukraine “like a cancer.” Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, which props up Ukraine financially, said last month that progress was so slow in fighting corruption that “it’s hard to see how the I.M.F.-supported program can continue.”
Well done Larry M. This site gets a little Trumpy/Biden Crime family at times. Not sure your efforts make it through the grey matter, but thanks for the effort.
What about your fucking EU? Will they save Ukraine after ‘EUROmaidan’ or just remain mostly indifferent while the US is paying the bills for their ‘further expansion’?
“Russia lied when it cited Ukraine’s intention to join NATO, and the Alliance’s readiness to receive it, as the reason for its full-scale attack on Ukraine.”
When do the mafiosi not lie? The only role that NATO plays in this war is the fact that mafia land had to strike Ukraine before it became a NATO member. It would not be possible to do so if it were a member. That’s the only reason.
This excuse falls flat, when you see the tepid response when Finland joined NATO.
Mafia land is full of hot air. Those in various Western capitols should know this by now. There are no more excuses to keep the ball and chain on Ukraine’s potential.
Yes, I’ve been hearing some forum posts on my favorite posts, and even a few comments from show hosts, acknowledging how Ukraine is a major farming source. The Daily Wire is where I heard that Ukraine produces about one fifth of all the world’s entire food supply in wheat, and is the biggest producer of sunflower crops. Of course, some of that may be fertilized by russian blood, but I completely trust that a sunflower can cleanse it of any filth. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen “Conan the Barbarian,” but I find Ukraine demonstrating a popular phrase from those movies. “What does not kill you, makes you stronger.”