On the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, many leading Western publications have prepared special analytical publications or investigations dedicated to the reasons for this aggression. The Financial Times spoke on condition of anonymity with six members of Putin’s inner circle to understand how decisions were made on Ukraine.
The publication claims that the decision to launch a “special military operation” was made by such a narrow circle that many Kremlin officials, members of the cabinet of ministers and representatives of the Russian business elite learned about the invasion when it had already begun and could not believe what was happening.
One of the FT sources said that even Sergey Lavrov found out everything two hours before the start of the “special operation”. And when alarmed oligarchs began to call and write to the Russian Foreign Minister, trying to get clarifications, Lavrov answered briefly: “Putin has three advisers - Ivan the Terrible, Peter I and Catherine the Great.”
And it is true. Putin really believes in everything that speaks of sacredness and Peter I. He thinks that he will go down in history as Peter the Great,” one of the former senior Kremlin officials told the FT.
“Stalin was a villain, but a good manager, and it was absolutely impossible for him to lie. And no one can tell Putin the truth. A person who does not trust anyone begins to rely on the opinion of a very narrow circle of people. And these people are lying to him, - says the second interlocutor of the British newspaper.
Now Putin is trying to justify his decision to invade. He convinces not only his environment, but also himself that there was no choice.
“He tells his entourage that, yes, we were not at all ready for war. The army is in chaos, industry is in decline. But it is better to understand it now and in this way, and not when we are conquered by NATO,” one of the sources said.
As for the lies that are constantly told to him by those closest to him, the most striking proof is the story of Viktor Medvedchuk.
“Medvedchuk assured Putin that Ukraine was ready to fall into the arms of Russia. But many in Moscow knew that if Medvedchuk said that it was raining, then the sun was shining brightly outside the window. How could anything serious be done on the basis of what Medvedchuk says!” - said one of the interlocutors.
And now, after a year of war, Putin finds himself even more isolated from his subordinates than ever before. And those who want to continue to enjoy his favor lie again and again.
An interesting moment was reported to the British newspaper by one of the interlocutors. It was believed that one of the main initiators of the special operation was Nikolai Patrushev. However, according to the source, Patrushev, at a meeting of the Security Council three days before the invasion, asked the president not to rush.
“He knew what a deplorable state the army was in, and he tried to convey this to Putin. But Putin was overconfident. He knows better than his advisers, just as Hitler knew everything better than his generals.” - said the source.
Another important point is that two of the six interlocutors claim that the way denied the possibility of using nuclear weapons in the war with Ukraine. According to them, he realized that even limited tactical use would not benefit Russia in this war, and the radio cloud would fall on Russian territory.
Based on all the information, the FT interlocutors are sure that Putin is absolutely ready for a protracted war. He believes Russia will find ways to withstand the economic pressure.
Therefore, he changed his rhetoric when he addresses ordinary Russians. It is no longer possible to lie to them that the war will not affect the majority of the country’s population. This was acceptable in the first months after the invasion, when the lives of most citizens continued to follow their normal course. Now Putin is speaking big words about the mobilization of forces and the need for universal unity in the face of the Western threat. And this is completely consistent with his belief in his historical mission.
Earlier, the British newspaper The Times named three people who most influenced the decision of the murderous dictator to start a war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
See also: “Putin’s” people “, which willingly” hides “all the nonsense about the SVO, will also trust the puppet substitute for Putin,” - Vladimir Fesenko
Source: Fakty
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