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Russian expert warns: "Putin will be the last to understand"

2022-03-28T11:47:34.957Z


Russian expert warns: "Putin will be the last to understand" Created: 03/28/2022, 13:38 By: Bettina Menzel Photo released by Russia's state-run Sputnik news agency shows Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, chairing a meeting with government officials via conference call on March 10, 2022. © picture alliance/dpa/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP | Mikhail Klimentyev The political expert Piontkovsky


Russian expert warns: "Putin will be the last to understand"

Created: 03/28/2022, 13:38

By: Bettina Menzel

Photo released by Russia's state-run Sputnik news agency shows Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, chairing a meeting with government officials via conference call on March 10, 2022.

© picture alliance/dpa/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP |

Mikhail Klimentyev

The political expert Piontkovsky considers Russia's military invasion to have failed, but Russian President Putin will be the "last" to understand this.

Moscow/Kyiv - New negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are to start soon.

So far, the parties have not been able to agree on a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.

In the run-up to the negotiations that are now beginning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had insisted on peace "without delay".

But a Russian expert sees a problem in the person of Russian President Vladimir Putin:

"

Putin will probably be the last to understand that his military operations have failed," political scientist Andrei Piontkowski told German TV broadcaster RTL.

Ukraine war: "Putin will be the last to understand that military operations have failed"

On February 24, Russia launched a war of aggression against Ukraine, but according to military experts, progress is said to be slower than planned.

For example, Ukrainian troops are said to have pushed back Russian forces around Kyiv and Kharkiv in counterattacks on Sunday (March 27).

In view of the current developments, Piontowski believes that Russia's military invasion of Ukraine has already failed - as does a prominent US colleague.

Piontkowski is considered a Putin expert.

He has written numerous books, including one entitled Another look into Putin's soul.

The former opposition member has now left Russia.

When asked whether Putin was aware of the current situation in Ukraine, Piontkowski answered RTL

.

: "As the saying goes, the man is the last to know that his wife is cheating on him."

Occupying and controlling the vast territory of Ukraine is impossible, Piontkowski explained in an

RTL

interview.

Unusually harsh criticism has also come from former members of the Russian general staff.

They did not criticize this military operation from a moral point of view, but as professional military experts.

The criticism could later serve as a basis for justification: "The generals could say: Vladimir Vladimirovich, we warned you," said the political scientist.

Andrei Illarionov, President of the Economic Analysis Institute (left), Andrei Piontkovsky, Russian political scientist (centre), and lawyer Anton Dolgikh attend a meeting of the opposition Coordination Council at the Izmailovo Hotel in Moscow in 2012 (archive image).

© IMAGO / ITAR-TASS / imago stock&people

Ukraine conflict: political scientist sees a military solution for Russia - but not for Putin

According to Ukrainian sources, on Monday (March 28) Russian forces continued to break through defense lines around Kyiv.

The troops are probably trying to advance to the Ukrainian capital.

But from the point of view of the political scientist, this is not a sensible plan.

"The fact that Kyiv, for example, cannot be taken is the opinion of all the world's leading military experts," said Piontowski in an interview with RTL.

Now it is up to Russia to save face.

The Donbass compromise is well suited for this: "General Ruzkoi formulated it very clearly: 'We will get Donbass within the framework of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions'.

According to the motto: We'll get Donbass and leave you alone - such a compromise offer from the General Staff," summarizes the political scientist.

This approach can be sold "very well" to the Russian population: First, it can be said that Donbass has been saved.

“Secondly, we destroyed Ukraine's military structure.

Thirdly, Ukraine no longer wants to become a NATO member,” explained Piontowski: “We won and that was it.

The war is over, the people of Donbass are 'liberated'.”

Putin in Ukraine war: Donbass compromise "deadly" for Russia's president

This solution would be fine with the political elite in Russia, but for Putin it is a "deadly option," believes the former opposition figure.

Putin will not be removed from power immediately, “but his reputation will suffer.

He always wants to appear as a kind of invincible macho.

And of course he is perceived as a loser.” Accordingly, the political scientist sees two stumbling blocks on the way to the Donbass solution: on the one hand the resistance of Ukraine - and on the other hand Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.

In addition to books and scientific papers, Piontowski has also published numerous articles for publications such as

Novaya Gazeta, The Moscow Times, The Russia Journal

and the German newspaper

Welt

.

His forecasts were not always correct at first.

In 2012, for example, following the protests following the presidential elections in Russia, he predicted that Vladimir Putin's fall was "only a matter of time."

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-03-28

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