How Putin’s Ukrainian Dream Turned Into a Nightmare

FP ^ | 20 Oct 15 | Adrian KaratnyckyAdrian Karatnycky is Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council., Alexander J. Motyl

[elhombrelibre]

"Whatever the larger goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s armed intervention in Syria, it has succeeded in distracting the world’s attention from his ongoing aggression in eastern Ukraine. In his half-hour speech at the United Nations earlier this month timed to reach a prime-time Russian audience, he spent only a minute on the Ukrainian conflict, focusing instead on Russia’s constructive role in the Middle East.

Putin’s rhetorical redirection is not surprising. The Kremlin’s war in Ukraine is turning into a quagmire. Militarily, it is a stalemate — which, given the vast imbalance between Russian and Ukrainian capabilities, amounts to a Ukrainian victory. Ideologically, the war is a bust, as the Kremlin’s hopes of converting southeastern Ukraine into “New Russia” have been effectively, and perhaps permanently, shattered. Economically, the war and occupation of both Crimea and the Donbas have imposed ruinous costs on Russia, whose economy has already been battered by declining global commodity prices and Western sanctions. Socially, both regions are on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe for which Russia would be blamed. In sum, Putin’s plans of weakening Ukraine have backfired. Ukraine is slowly getting stronger, while Russia is getting weaker.

[elhombrelibre]

"This last measure, which would devastate the Russian economy, has been the subject of Western policy discussions and is thus perfectly possible. And Putin could expect a backlash at home. While Russian public opinion supports the separatist cause in the Donbas, it opposes by a stable majority direct Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Unsurprisingly, Putin’s propaganda machine has assiduously hidden the fact of a Russian military presence in Ukraine, and of substantial Russian troop losses, from citizens. Putin’s legitimacy among and support by the Russian policy elite would also suffer. Hard-line nationalists already regard his abandonment of the New Russia project as a betrayal of Russian interests."

[Buckeye McFrog]

Sounds like a reply of Afghanistan. After about ten years of body bags coming back for troops the Kremlin denied were there the public will begin to turn on him.

[McGruff]

Notice anything in common?

[elhombrelibre]

Beyond that you’re anti-American and pro-Putin? No. That’s your constant theme.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks elhombrelibre.

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[Tau Food]

Some of the kids murdered on that commercial airliner:

[lodi90]

Some of the 85 kids murdered by Putinist Russia on MH17. History shows that where Russia goes misery follows.

[Tau Food]

After killing all those kids, they then looted the crash site. That Putin is a real speck guy, isn’t he?

[lodi90]

After killing all those kids, they then looted the crash site. That Putin is a real speck guy, isn’t he?

---

Also they destroyed the crime scene, removed incriminating shrapnel from pilots bodies, etc. Disgusting ghouls.

[Tau Food]

And the lies. They were so ridiculous and amateurish that they simply underscored his incompetence.