Putin on keeping Zelensky
A plan for a new Little Russia
When words matter
From Karl Sanchez on Substack (Karlof1), back when he was writing comments on Moon of Alabama, I learned the value of looking at what Vladimir Putin and other Russian figures actually say ==and not what the (Western) media say they say—or just ignore. With most political figures, it doesn’t matter to much how they reply to reporters— it's mostly spin or — a kind of signaling.
Reporters don’t care - who really wants to listen to Sir Keith or de Leyen?
During the Biden years, journalists would ask questions of Biden people but the questions were carefully curated before hand and the answers scripted – there was no spontaneity, no sense of rational, honest response. Cold, tea with a fly in it.
Putin is unusual among world “leaders” in his ability to take questions in various venues from the widest range of people and answer in an articulate, intelligent manner— unscripted—and at length. A talent I have seen in only a few people — Lavrov for one. And Julian Assange!
That is not to say, Putin has not prepared for these questions – he does his homework—so that his responses are almost always factually accurate and take into account contradictions. Of course, in many cases, just as with his Western counterparts, he knows what the questions will be beforehand —but he answers with intellectual honesty —thinking on his feet in a way that no modern leader can do.
Trump does not seem scripted either - but he does not “think” on his feet! He responds — reacts. But he does not think. Hence, the desperate, misinformed and sill y comments that characterized his “debate’ with Kamala Harris.
One can see Putin’s abilities very clearly in his five hour year-end reports to the Russian people, also at Valdai.
Putin’s interview
And recently he responded to questions from Pavel Zarubin, a favored Kremlin journalist in a way that demands comment and careful thought.
Pavel Zarubin: We are seeing an avalanche of statements and debates these days, with everyone discussing Trump and why he is so adamant that Zelensky must hold elections and that his approval rating is just at four percent. There has been a lot of criticism among the Europeans regarding Trump’s statements. Some even believe that the current stance of the US President is actually playing into Russia’s hands. Do you believe this is actually the case?
This is not an easy question to answer because it asks Putin to resolve contradictions, some probably on everyone’s minds.
He does that. He explains the ironies of Zelensky’s present role
…he has become a destabilising factor for the army, society and the state. I am certain that the current US President, Mr Trump, understands this, which explains why he has been pushing the head of the Kiev regime to hold elections.
As I see it, Trump’s goal is to restore political stability in Ukraine, consolidate society and enable the Ukrainian state to survive.
Overall, this benefits Ukraine more than Russia, since our conflict is with the current regime, not the country itself.
Okay, so Trump’s goal is to “enable the Ukrainian state to survive”. That “state” is defined in the next sentence as “the current regime, not the country itself”.
This is an important distinction too easily ignored. A “state” is not the same as a “country”. A “state’ is a political construction. A “country” is a people. Multi-ethnic federations like Russia or China understand this only too well.
What Putin is saying is obviously is that playing musical chairs in the current fascist regime would not resolve the issues, which reflect a pernicious ideology. Therefore, a new (recycled) leader – such as Poroshenko or Zaluzhnyi – would not help—and probably make things worse. .
Poroshenko after all helped finance the Maiden Coup and was President in 2014 when Western Ukraine began its attack on Eastern Ukraine (Donbas and Lugansk).
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko (right) posing with a soldier with the Nazi SS TotenKopf on his chest (second left).
Zaluzhnyi in front of a desk adorned with of (genocidal) OUN-B leaders and Nazi-collaborators Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych. Photos of both Shukhevych and Bandera hang on the wall,
Getting elections in Ukraine might be difficult obviously with the Ukrainian parliament—the Rubberstamp Rada— representative only of the current regime, as you can see.
On 20 March 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a ban on 11 political parties for alleged ties with Russia: Opposition Platform — For Life, Party of Shariy, Nashi, Opposition Bloc, Left Opposition, Union of Left Forces, Derzhava, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialists and Volodymyr Saldo Bloc.[72]
On 20 June 2024, also Our Land party was banned with the accusation of the Security Service of Ukraine of subversive activities against State, bringing to 19 the number of banned parties since the beginning of the Russian invasion.[
To get fair and representative elections, you would need to hold new elections for the Rada first before the Presidential election - which would mean recognizing opposition parties which have been banned and their members persecuted. Without a doubt, you would also need a new constitution—and a new properly supervised electoral system.
In other words, Putin’s distinction between “state” aka “regime” and “country’ is very important. This is not a trivial or sophomorically semantic since there is no legitimate Ukrainian “state” right now. Not by any legal measure I can think of, anyway.
It follows that Trump’s idea of quickly holding elections for a new president would not result in “democracy” or viable change—or political stability. Only a Russian victory, unconditional surrender, and banning of NeoNazi ideology under a new constitution could accomplish that.
Western Ukraine is a madhouse and just opening the doors won’t help.
A difficult matter….
Imagine if at the end of WWII, the Allies had permitted the Nazi government to retain power under a new leader?
General Alfred Jodl, Chief of Staff of the German Army? He signed the surrender but was executed in 1945, later exonerated in 1953.
If we were to adopt Nuremburg standards, neither Poroshenko or Zaluzhny would be eligible for anything but the noose. We hung Japanese and German “war criminals” for less.
So where is the element of choice?
Putin says:
It may sound strange but frankly, in this situation, we would be interested in him (Zelensky) staying in power and continuing to weaken the regime with which we are involved in an armed conflict. However, if the goal is to strengthen Ukrainian statehood, then a different approach is needed – bringing to power those who have the trust of the Ukrainian people.
The only way to do that —bringing to power those who are trusted by the Ukrainian people— would be a.) completely purging the Nazis from public life b.) referenda such as was the case in the four Oblasts that joined Russia.
This is obviously not what the US is thinking – because it would likely leave “Ukraine” as a tiny rump state on the Polish border. Also, it takes time. Trump wants a fix that will fit in a news cycle.
It is also very probable that the Black Sea oblasts, traditionally Russian, would opt to join Russia—challenging the balance of power in the Black Sea. The US wouldn’t like that!
Kiev and the oblasts to the east and south, perhaps more to the West could opt for independence— but they would have only to look at Russian redevelopment of the Four Oblasts to the South to see the benefits of siding with one of the world’s fastest growing economies and access to BRICS.
Europe has nothing to offer as its countries devolve and their economies collapse. Obviously that the US has nothing to offer either – just exploitation – although US collaboration could be managed in the case of new republics belonging to the Russian federation—hence, Russia’s offer to the US to cooperate in development of rare metals in the Donbas.
In addition, reconstitution as republics that are part of the Russian federation allow oblasts of the former Ukraine to default on debt and agreements concluded under the previous “regime”. It would be in effect a “debt jubilee”.
As Michael Hudson will tell you dumping debt is the key to fast(er) recovery.
BRICS?
Yes!
Putin makes another thing clear in this interview.
Russia wants peace but it does not subscribe to the American “spheres of influence”, neo-imperialist division of the world into hierarchically ordered domains with (of course) American primacy – one world, not under God, but under the dollar.
Orwell’s 1984 Map of World. Same as Trump’s!
Trump has insisted that without the dollar as a reserve currency, or even as a devalued quasi-reserve currency, the US economy will collapse. For him, that is an existential issue. So, his concept of Spheres of Influence does NOT include BRICS.
BRICS is egalitarian and heterarchical and now representative of the global majority. It continues to grow,
Ukraine therefore does not have to be a vassal state. With no foreign debt and financial obligations to the West null and void, BRICS can fill the gap, providing capital and help, in non-exploitative manner just as it is doing in East Asia and all those “disputed” areas in the map.
Putin is careful to qualify his comments this way:
Let me emphasise that we also respect the position of our BRICS friends, who have established the Friends of Peace group. I talked to the President of the People’s Republic of China today, and we discussed this too. He informed me that the Friends of Peace group will hold another meeting in New York soon to discuss this agenda.
Not only do we welcome these efforts, but we are also grateful to all our partners who have been raising these issues and want to bring about a peace deal. Why am I saying this? This is not just about the Europeans – other countries also have the right to and can participate in this process, and we respect that.
This is Putin’s long-standing position. Russia will negotiate with and collaborate with anyone, as long as it is an equal relationship, based on trust,respect and international law.
The US, of course, has a long way to go to prove it can be trusted.
Chappy believes in sharing
Sharing is caring and caring is sharing. As you can see, Chappy brings his favorite toy to the bed he shares with Ichi — just in case, Big Bro’ feels in the mood.
I am getting Chappy ready for his Big Visit to the Vet, which promises to be hugely expensive, so please help out by buying us coffee. Chappy needs blood and fecal matter tests - and then the special medication of the Mansoni Tapeworm, which might have to be applied more than once.
A country is lines on a map while a nation is a group of people sharing common values.
Any surviving Ukrainian state will owe a ton of baksheesh to the West. Any portion annexed to Russia is debt free - perhaps providing a little additional incentive to be on the right side of the line at the end of the exercise . . .
The US is offering to restore access to the SWIFT system to Russian banks. It'd be prudent for only one designated bank to take that role on behalf of the nation. That keeps driving traffic to the organic financial system, allows scrutiny of (oligarchs) funds transfers and maintains "separation distance" with the Western economy.
Nice Mr.MacFarlane,
I would only add what it's missing here, not in your article, but in this story. Xi and his collaborators have showed the intelligence, culture and style at Munich Security Conference, another monster son of the depraved West as Davos. The level of the speech given there was so higher and smart and political than all of the others idiots from the West that spoke, especially of that New Nazi of Vance.
The West have chosen a class of Politicians that are all but cultured. Whatever you look for from USA to Europe you'll find the worst species of snakes, poisonous puppies, orcs and parrots but you wont find a human being as defined in the vocabulary.
And all of this politicians and bureaucrats have promoted the worst kind of men and women to surround them. The media followed promoting ignorant and uncultured as the best ones, the one that deserve interviews, popularity and rewards. So the citizen understood that the wind changed and started behaving criminally, form evading taxes to arrogance and bad manners, from stealing to tricking and counterfeit. No matter if are small or big crimes, but the most today are delinquents.
Try to name an honest man/woman that you are not friend with, how many 5? 10?
As my motto says: We live in a World of Criminals made for criminals.
No hopes for the West except a new Far West...