Very interesting interview. I believe that he is spot-on about Biden’s overarching timidity in this regard:
>”Actually, when I talk to my Western colleagues, I ask – why didn’t Russia use nuclear weapons in 2022 when there was a chance they would lose? They say Russia didn’t use nuclear weapons because they were confident they wouldn’t lose. No, that’s clearly not true. They didn’t use nuclear weapons because they’re afraid to. Everything Putin does is aimed at keeping himself in power in Russia and, if possible, fulfilling what he sees as his historical mission: creating a new gigantic space where Russia would have influence.”
>”But he values his own life far more than the lives of not just Russians and Ukrainians, but also Russia and Ukraine themselves. He’s rational enough to understand that if he starts a nuclear war, he’s likely not going to survive. And all those bunkers in Altai, for example, clearly aren’t enough. It’s not enough to be 100% sure that he will stay alive,” says Preobrazhensky.
>Therefore, Western politicians either make one mistake or another – they either consider Putin too rational, like them or see him as a madman with his finger on the nuclear button. By the way, Putin actively tries to fit the second image. And some politicians lean toward negotiating with terrorists until a gun is pointed at their head.
>”As a result, a mistaken, unequivocal situation arises – the number of people who have dealt with people like Putin is minimal, and they cannot influence decision-making strategically. To put it simply, if, for example, NATO were run by someone who had experience fighting crime in a big city and had dealt with thugs like Putin many times, they would know how to act. The only thing this type understands is power, extremely hard power, clearly indicating a readiness to use it under any circumstances, and applying that power when necessary without hesitation,” says the political scientist.
>*Also, Putin plays on the emotions of politicians who grew up during the Cold War and feel a real fear of a nuclear strike. According to Preobrazhensky, had it been made clear to the Kremlin in 2014 that any interventions in foreign countries would not be tolerated, the full-scale war would not have happened.*
>In his worldview, Putin likely sees himself as the savior of Russia and the entire civilized world. This narrative can be traced back to 2005. At the time, Russia was not as strong as the Soviet Union, and its economy cannot compete with the American economy as it could during the USSR.
>”He believes that the Soviet government mismanaged the country after Brezhnev, at least. Then came Andropov, whom he greatly admires, who tried to save the situation, but after that, all those ‘liberal weaklings’ ruined the country. As a result, Russia began to lose even faster. People like Sergey Glazyev – a pseudo-economist – and others of his type love to talk about how a new technological revolution is underway, a new technological order is being created. If Russia doesn’t keep up, it risks becoming a Third World country, and then it will inevitably be torn apart.”
>”And this will be a greater tragedy than the collapse of the Soviet Union because it will come with bloodshed and cause instability across Eurasia. China will rise and start pressuring the Western world. In general, Western civilization will perish, so to speak. Thus, Putin sees himself as the savior of Western civilization. A messiah. Essentially, the Jesus Christ of our time. And for such great goals, of course, it’s permissible to kill a million people,” says Preobrazhensky.
HuntDeerer on
Putin should have understood that if he started the war in 2022, he’s not going to survive.
Goose1235678 on
No clue about him personally, but russia would definitely not survive
OnlySmeIIz on
The guy is 70yo or so? He’d be dead soon anyways. The most dangerous man is a dying man.
Delicious_Village112 on
Nuclear war is just absolutely fucking insane. Starting a nuclear war is saying “the world is better off dead than existing without me”. Only the most fucking insane narcissistic piece of shit would ever consider nuclear war.
Beng-Beng on
Pretty sure it takes functioning nuclear weapons to start a nuclear war.
6 Comments
Very interesting interview. I believe that he is spot-on about Biden’s overarching timidity in this regard:
>”Actually, when I talk to my Western colleagues, I ask – why didn’t Russia use nuclear weapons in 2022 when there was a chance they would lose? They say Russia didn’t use nuclear weapons because they were confident they wouldn’t lose. No, that’s clearly not true. They didn’t use nuclear weapons because they’re afraid to. Everything Putin does is aimed at keeping himself in power in Russia and, if possible, fulfilling what he sees as his historical mission: creating a new gigantic space where Russia would have influence.”
>”But he values his own life far more than the lives of not just Russians and Ukrainians, but also Russia and Ukraine themselves. He’s rational enough to understand that if he starts a nuclear war, he’s likely not going to survive. And all those bunkers in Altai, for example, clearly aren’t enough. It’s not enough to be 100% sure that he will stay alive,” says Preobrazhensky.
>Therefore, Western politicians either make one mistake or another – they either consider Putin too rational, like them or see him as a madman with his finger on the nuclear button. By the way, Putin actively tries to fit the second image. And some politicians lean toward negotiating with terrorists until a gun is pointed at their head.
>”As a result, a mistaken, unequivocal situation arises – the number of people who have dealt with people like Putin is minimal, and they cannot influence decision-making strategically. To put it simply, if, for example, NATO were run by someone who had experience fighting crime in a big city and had dealt with thugs like Putin many times, they would know how to act. The only thing this type understands is power, extremely hard power, clearly indicating a readiness to use it under any circumstances, and applying that power when necessary without hesitation,” says the political scientist.
>*Also, Putin plays on the emotions of politicians who grew up during the Cold War and feel a real fear of a nuclear strike. According to Preobrazhensky, had it been made clear to the Kremlin in 2014 that any interventions in foreign countries would not be tolerated, the full-scale war would not have happened.*
>In his worldview, Putin likely sees himself as the savior of Russia and the entire civilized world. This narrative can be traced back to 2005. At the time, Russia was not as strong as the Soviet Union, and its economy cannot compete with the American economy as it could during the USSR.
>”He believes that the Soviet government mismanaged the country after Brezhnev, at least. Then came Andropov, whom he greatly admires, who tried to save the situation, but after that, all those ‘liberal weaklings’ ruined the country. As a result, Russia began to lose even faster. People like Sergey Glazyev – a pseudo-economist – and others of his type love to talk about how a new technological revolution is underway, a new technological order is being created. If Russia doesn’t keep up, it risks becoming a Third World country, and then it will inevitably be torn apart.”
>”And this will be a greater tragedy than the collapse of the Soviet Union because it will come with bloodshed and cause instability across Eurasia. China will rise and start pressuring the Western world. In general, Western civilization will perish, so to speak. Thus, Putin sees himself as the savior of Western civilization. A messiah. Essentially, the Jesus Christ of our time. And for such great goals, of course, it’s permissible to kill a million people,” says Preobrazhensky.
Putin should have understood that if he started the war in 2022, he’s not going to survive.
No clue about him personally, but russia would definitely not survive
The guy is 70yo or so? He’d be dead soon anyways. The most dangerous man is a dying man.
Nuclear war is just absolutely fucking insane. Starting a nuclear war is saying “the world is better off dead than existing without me”. Only the most fucking insane narcissistic piece of shit would ever consider nuclear war.
Pretty sure it takes functioning nuclear weapons to start a nuclear war.