Posted on 03/18/2022 3:20:38 AM PDT by Peter ODonnell
Did you ever wonder what happened to Dmitry Medvedev? He was co-leader of Russia with Vladimir Putin between 2008 and 2018 and was seen as a moderate and somewhat pro-western compared to Putin.
Under their constitution, Putin could not run for the presidency in 2008 and Medvedev succeeded him, promptly nominating him as prime minister. Medvedev revealed later that they had struck a deal, whereby Putin could run again as president in 2012. The term limits were increased to six years, Putin and Medvedev switched jobs, and continued to collaborate on a wide range of initiatives.
The 2018 presidential election returned Putin to power and he continued to collaborate with Medvedev. However, during 2019 he was formulating new legislation to place all power in the hands of the presidency, and giving himself the chance to run twice more (in 2024 and 2030).
Medvedev was basically sacked for being too liberal. Rather than being exiled or killed like other Putin opponents, Medvedev was shuffled into the second-in-command role of the National Security Council, of which Putin is the chairman. Basically then, Medvedev is now Putin's top security advisor and probably runs the Council day to day. Its various roles are what you might suppose, assessing military and economic threats and proposing responses to them.
Here's another interesting thing I learned, this time only concerning Putin. In March, 2018, Chairman Xi took steps in China to make himself considerably more powerful within their politburo structure, basically the "prime director" of the state. In June, 2018, Putin visited China and was given the top state honor, the "Friendship Award." Putin and Xi have been close since, and you would have to think that the subject of one-man rule came up during their friendly chats. The timing is certainly about right, within a year Putin had placed into motion all the steps that saw his power increased to near dictator status in Russia.
There may be a bit of rivalry between Putin and Medvedev who are colleagues from St Petersburg and associates since they were young men. In 2008, Medvedev was seen to have successfully handled the South Ossetia file where he pushed back at Georgia in defence of enclaves Russians claimed should be independent. With a rather small loss of life he succeeded in the objectives (whether we might agree or not) and had that situation wrapped up in favor of Russia. Putin's first military adventure in Ukraine was relatively successful. But Medvedev was part of the government then. This latest fiasco is all on Putin.
That is, unless Medvedev advised him to do any of the things he has done. I am sensing a nyet on that one.
Medvedev must be a very circumspect fellow to have kept his head this far. But he is probably the only credible person in Moscow right now who could, in theory, replace Putin if the military there decide they've had enough of his over-reach. Who else would the rest of the world trust or who would have any following within Russia?
Something to watch for in coming days might be a revolt in Moscow and possibly an overturning of the legislation that gave too much power to one man. That power now threatens the whole world with the real possibility of a wider war, something no sane person would want. Medvedev strikes me as a very sane person.
Really?
Even after the comment Medvedev made yesterday?
Medvedev was listening to Obama on an “open mic”.
Obama: “When I win re-election, I’ll be more flexible”.
(How did Obama know he’d win re-election?).
Interesting how 2012 is a turning point.
Putin and XI consolidate power.
Obama is re-elected and gets more “flexibility”
Trudeau admires China’s Xi to “get things done”
I could not find that comment? What did he say?
Misleading title. Should be:
Putin and Medvedev — here’s what I think
Russia warned the United States on Thursday that Moscow had the might to put the world’s pre-eminent superpower in its place and accused the West of stoking a wild Russophobic plot to tear Russia apart.
Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said the United States had stoked “disgusting” Russophobia in an attempt to force Russia to its knees.
“It will not work — Russia has the might to put all of our brash enemies in their place,” Medvedev said.
Little Ukraine and a twerp named Zelenskyy is probably enough to bring Russia to it’s knees.
The fact that Russia didn’t bulldoze the country in 1 week and still can’t shows they are a paper tiger.
They won’t use nukes.
That’s true.
IF their military was as strong as they claim, why issue the threat of nuclear war?
Putin knows the army is weak, and is puffing himself up like a scared little cat to make him look bigger than what he is.
One of the units in Ukraine is the elite 4th Guards Tank Division, and they’re getting their butts handed to them.
This lays out the entire Russian order of battle in Ukraine:
I had heard that comment but thought it was Putin who said it, sounds like Medvedev is trying to remain the loyal servant, but who knows what he’s really thinking at this point. I suppose this dismissive attitude towards Ukraine is fairly common in Moscow, but they seem to have badly miscalculated what the world would think, this is not some little country that few people know anything about, where Russia can get away with pushing it around (like Moldova, where they have taken over 10% of the country known as Transnistria) or Georgia which was too small to mount much resistance.
This is a major European country now, and seen that way if not before, certainly after these events (but in Europe it already had that status).
Anyway, I think we all know this cannot go on indefinitely, and Putin will fall from power. The only questions are who will do the deed, and who will replace him? And will it lead us to a better place when it happens?
Don’t recall exactly, but it had to do with rejecting criticism of putin
If China wanted to take over Russia instead of Taiwan, who’d stop him? Hitler made friends with Stalin too. China needs oil just like Hitler, and a little real estate for 1.4 billion people wouldn’t hurt.
“He comes to his end, with none to help him.”
Putin could be the last king of the beast state, he who “was, is not, and is to come.” Following the seven kings (of the USSR), he is of them, became not of them for a while, now is back to being of them.
He goes to his end (the lake of fire, perdition) with none to help him. This would argue that China stays out or in fact does choose to invade eastern Russia, although one would suspect there would be little hesitation in Moscow to nuke Chinese military facilities, probably no reason to nuke Chinese cities in that scenario, other than perhaps one or two obvious ones.
China could otherwise quite easily over-run eastern Siberia and perhaps even central-western Siberia although going that far would invite massive resistance better supported from the rear. Going beyond the Urals would not work for China, they are no Mongol horde. But that would all go nuclear pretty quickly, I would think. So if Xi sees it that way too, the tempting target will remain just that, a temptation. Perhaps something to exploit if the west and Russia suffer massive losses in a different nuclear exchange.
These are not good times to have a man like Biden at the top, probably just doing what unknown advisors are telling him to do and say. They are answerable to nobody except the top paymasters. They certainly don’t give a flying f___ about the average citizen of any western nation, as shown in the debacle unfolding in Ukraine, that will be us at some point if we don’t come to our senses and (a) enact election reform and or (b) take the vote away from those who have no clue.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.