A former member of Russia’s parliament, Boris Nadezhdin, has said it’s impossible for Russia to defeat Ukraine and has called for peace talks in extraordinarily outspoken criticism on state TV of President Vladimir Putin‘s strategy in Ukraine.
Nadezhdin’s comments, in a clip viewed more than 3.2 million times, is the latest sign of unease among the usually staunchly pro-Kremlin pundits on Russian state TV as a Ukrainian counteroffensive makes unexpectedly large gains.
Nadezhdin’s comments sparked a debate on the show about how Russia should respond, which included bolstering its military forces in Ukraine or withdrawing them and ending the war.
“People who convinced President Putin that the special operation will be fast and effective, we won’t strike the civilian population, we’ll come in, and our National Guard, along with Kadryovites [Chechen fighters], will bring things to order, these people really set all of us up,” Nadezhdin said.
“The president didn’t just sit there and think, why don’t I start a special operation.
“Someone told him that Ukrainians will surrender, that they will flee, that they’ll want to join Russia.
“Someone had to be telling him all this. They also said the same on TV.
“We’re now at the point when we have to understand it’s absolutely impossible to defeat Ukraine using those resources and colonial war methods with which Russia is trying to wage war, using contract soldiers, mercenaries, no mobilization.
“A strong army is opposing the Russian Army, fully supported by the most powerful countries, in the economic and technological sense, including European countries.”
The TV host asked if Nadezhdin was suggesting Russia fully mobilize against Ukraine to which he insisted he wanted the opposite—peace talks to begin.
“I’m suggesting peace talks about stopping the war and moving on to dealing with political issues.”
Nadezhdin’s outspoken criticism surprised Western commentators, with Guardian journalist Shaun Walker noting that Russian chat shows “always had the ‘NATO shill guest’ who said relatively sensible things and could then be torn down by the others.”
“But Boris Nadezhdin here speaking some dangerous truths, you wonder if he might simply get arrested soon,” he tweeted.
Over recent weeks, as Ukraine launched its counteroffensive against Russian-held regions, some Russian TV pundits have turned critical of the war, opening cracks in the previously solid support and confidence in Putin’s strategy voiced on state TV.
TV host Ivan Trushkin said at the beginning of September that the help Ukraine is getting from the West could prevent Moscow from achieving a “total victory.”
Trushkin said that Ukraine’s war effort was being done “either by U.S. approval or even coordinated by someone there.”
“As long as there are outside powers willing to send people, give them weapons, fill their heads with radical information, it seems to me that unfortunately, we will be unable to attain a total victory,” he added.
Last week the Daily Beast’s Julia Davis posted a video, that has now gone viral with more than 1.5 million views, showing Russian pundits being critical of how the war in Ukraine has been going.
“Watch this roundup of clips, featuring panicked Kremlin propagandists on several state TV programs, discussing impressive gains by Ukraine’s Armed Forces in reclaiming control over Ukrainian territory,” she added as a caption.
“But Boris Nadezhdin here speaking some dangerous truths, you wonder if he might simply get arrested soon,” he tweeted.
Nope he won’t get arrested. I would say he’s saying what a lot of Russians are saying, including Lavrov, that negotiations are needed. He didn’t criticize Putler, he criticized the advisors. He never said the invasion was wrong, or it should never have happened. He’s just been planted there by the Kremlin to test the water IMO.
Putin the genocidal nazi revisionist has had an “out” all along. He has killed many Ukrainians that he can call nazis back home and everyone will believe him. Even if he went back to the 1991 borders (minus Sevastopol) he could claim success.
Approximately 25% of Russians oppose the war and they probably understand that it is genocide. It may be more it may be less. We just don’t know.
The other 75% are either ghouls who love genocide or halfwits who sincerely believe that Ukraine bombs its own schools, hospitals, kindergartens, old peoples homes, shopping malls, energy infrastructure, businesses etc.
What hope for this vile country? None.
Peace can begin as soon as all Russian forces are out of Ukraine. I’d throw in withdrawal from Moldova as well.
“A strong army is opposing the Russian Army, fully supported by the most powerful countries, in the economic and technological sense, including European countries.”
Yes, Ukraine’s army is strong. It is generally smart, courageous and has high morals and morale. But, the help it got was a bare minimum and much of it came quite late. The ruskies will never admit this fact. It would make their humiliation even greater.
Not the time to negociate yet.
Putin has been wounded the the Kharkiv offensive was a stunibg success but Putin needs to be decicively beeten in the field.
Otherwise he (or his sucessor) will lick their wounds and start over again in 10 years.
This is not a war againest just putin. It is a war againest the idea of “The Russian Mir”
or the rebuilding of the Russian Empire. It did not start with Putin and will not necissarily end with him. That idea applies to all of the former republics, the former Wasaw Pact. even North America it seems.
So even if Russians give up on Ukraine there is still the Baltics and all of the Stans that can fwll under Russian green eyes.
Until the Russian Mir hs been regulated to the trash heap of history it will rear it’s ugly heand a strike again.
Defeat Putin NOW and prevent this from being a bad situation to a catastrophy.
Agreed and I’ve said that many times too. Until the Moscow Misfit Marauders can accept the fact that they are just one of many nations they will have to suffer the consequences and banishment until they can finally follow rules and laws.