NEWS-SHY
Putin
points
finger
at
U.S.
after
President
Biden
called
him
a
killer
milli
.az|
Kamran
Seyidov|
21
Sep
2021:
"The
Russian
general
was
stunned
-
he
became
more
Armenian
than
Armenian
17 March
2021:
President
Joe
Biden:
"Putin
is
a
killer.
Russia
will
pay
for
election
meddling
publika
.az|
11
Sep
2021:
Coronavirus
has
been
found
in
gorillas
in
the
United
States
05 March
2021:
Inhaled
CRISPR
Treatment
Targets
Influenza
and
SARS-
COV2
Infections
Syria:
Russia
fires
balistic
missiles
COVID-19
variants
Surge
across
Europe
March 12,
2021:
Yerevan's
"response"
to
the
10,000-
strong
training
of
the
Azerbaijani
Army
...
Putin's
Geopolitical
Chess
Historical Background:
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin entered Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin's Kremlin in August 1997.
Very quickly was appointed as the head of FSB and very quickly as the prime minister and only after days as the Russian president!! How so?
No qualification? No people? No parliament? Only by the commands of an alcohilic president like Boris Yeltsin?
Boris Yeltsin commanded to employ Mr. Putin in the Kremlin.
The president Yeltsin was an alcoholic man.
Yeltsin bombarded the Russian parliament years earlier!!
Mr. Putin's arrival into the Yeltsin Kremlin happened in August 1997 .
The key person who employed him for a job was Mr. Valentine Yumashaev.
In 1996, Yeltsin appointed Mr. Valentine Borisovich Yumashev (15 Dec 1957), a journalist to be his advisor on the public relations issues.
Yeltsin's daughter Tatiana Borisovna Yeltsina (January 17, 1960) was very active in the Kremlin. She played the same roles (more or less) like Ivanka Trump played for her Donald J. Trump.
In March 1997 (4 months earlier before Vladimir Putin enters the Yetsin's Kremlin) Anatoly Chubais who had the position of the Presidential Executive Office resigned (!?) and Mr. Valentine Yumashev succeeded him.
Vladimir Putin's job intetview happened by Mr. Valentine B. Yumashev (Dec 1957) who was 4 years junior in August 1997.
There are some mysterious individuals who facilitated and hence invited Mr. Putin to go to the Kremlin. Who are those individuals?
It is impossible to bring a young man like Mr. Putin and quickly making him the head of FSB, then as the prime minister and then very quickly as the president!
Where is the role of the Russian people? Where is the role of Russian parliament?
In 2001 Mr. Valentine Yumashev became the son-in-law of Boris Yeltsin.
Mr. Yumashev's first wife was Irina Vedeneyeva. They got a daughter "Pauline".
Mr. Yumashev's daughter [from Irina] later married the Russian steel oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
The 2nd marriage for Valentine and Tatiana happened when Tatiana Yeltsinovna was divorced by Mr. Alexei Dyachenko, a businessman who later became CEO of Ural Energy.
Mr. Yumashev used his influence and passionately advised President Boris Yeltsin to give a good job to Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin knew that Putin had worked for many years as the KGB officer and he was the deputy to the St. Petersburg's mayor.
The alcoholic tzar Boris Yeltsin ordered immediately to appoint Vladimir Putin.
Mr. Putin became the head of the Russian internal security forces (FSB).
And then very quickly as the Russian prime minister and then very very quickly as the acting president!
Why? Just because!
If someone is good in his or her job, a president will not change a good person
in a short time!
If someone is bad in his or her job, then a president will not give him or her a higher position.
Why many strategic positions of a country were given to Mr. Putin in days after days without any evaluations? Who evaluated Mr. Putin's qualification to become as a prime minister or an acting president in Russia?
We see only one alcoholic president and his inner circles were involved in Mr. Putin's appointments.
Boris Yeltsin was the Russian president whose reluctance, whose biase and whose ignorance as well as his sympathy to Armenians (they committed the massacre) allowed the Khojali Genocide to be happened on Feb 26, 1992 [against the Azetbaijani people.]
It was the new year's eve 1999, Boris Alcoholovich Yeltsin decided to quit his job as the Russian president.
The alpointment of Vladimir Putin as the acting Russian president was arranged months earlier.
Mr. Putin's appointment as the Prime Minister was a game to prepare him as the successor for Boris Yeltsin after his quit.
How and by whom Mr. Putin was brought [as a young man] into the Kremlin Palace and why his employment in the Kremlin passionately was facilitated by Mr.Valentine Borisivich Yumashev, are unknowns unknowns.
Putin is like
A chess grand master
The Nov 16, 2020 issue of The Financial Post published an article entitled "Putin is playing chess against the West—and he's winning" written by Diane Francis.
Source:
Diane
Francis:
Putin
is
playing
chess
against
the
West
—
and
he's winning
Diane Francis writes:
"Putin is like a chess grand master, slowly removing pieces one by one."
The author cites Anders Aslund, a Eurasia expert, as saying:
“Putin appears to have achieved a significant victory in Nagorno-Karabakh that threatens to alter the geopolitical balance throughout the former Soviet space in his favour.”
“He has succeeded," Anders Aslund addresses, 'in expanding Russia’s military presence in the strategically important region … without encountering any Western pushback.”
Source:
Diane
Francis:
Putin
is
playing
chess
against
the
West
—
and
he's winning
Diane Francis writes:
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has been very, very busy lately playing geopolitical chess, as America plays checkers."
The author addresses:
"In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up its military and propaganda campaigns around the world."
"Russian disinformation campaigns have actively sought to influence elections in the U.S. and elsewhere."
The July 1, 2014 issue of The Forbes magazine "forbes.com" published an article entitled "Putin Plays Chess. Obama Does Not... And That's Why He's Winning" written by Greg Satell.
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
Greg Satell writes:
"House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers didn’t even give Obama that much credit, saying, “Putin is playing chess and I think we are playing marbles”".
The author addressea:
"These type of chess analogies have a long and cherished tradition in geopolitical circles."
The writer explains:
"From Thomas Schelling’s classic, The Strategy of Conflict,” to Zbigniew Brzezinski’s expansive The Grand Chessboard, effective foreign policy has been portrayed as a punctuated series of moves and countermoves in which success depends on effective manipulation of pieces on the board."
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
Greg Satell writes:
"This is how Putin most likely sees the world, a patchwork of ethnicities and religions that are inherently in conflict with one another."
Mr. Satell points out:
"Through a process of realpolitik and subjugation, he hopes to be able to dominate the Eurasian landmass and surpass the US as the dominant power on the planet."
The author states:
"So Putin may very well be playing chess, but if so he clearly isn’t very good at it."
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
The writer addresses:
"Since his unlikely rise to power, he has lost major pieces on the board and faced a steadily weakened set of positions."
Greg Satell writes:
"As NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently put it with respect to the Ukrainian crisis:
Let’s add it up:
"Putin’s seizure of Crimea has weakened the Russian economy, led to China getting a bargain gas deal, revived NATO, spurred Europe to start ending its addiction to Russian gas and begun a debate across Europe about increasing defense spending. Nice work, Vladimir."
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
Mr. Stall adds:
"That’s why I say the country Putin threatens most today is Russia."
The author writes:
"As I recently wrote in Harvard Business Review, strategy is no longer a game of chess, but a process of widening and deepening connections and, in a state of conflict, severing those of your opponent as well."
"That appear to be exactly what Obama has been doing."
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
The Nov 16, 2020 issue of The Financial Post published an article entitled "Putin is playing chess against the West—and he's winning" written by Diane Francis.
Diane Francis [in Finacial Post] states:
"In August, a rigged election in Belarus brought citizens to the streets in protest, and Russia moved in immediately to prop up its embattled dictator."
Source:
Diane
Francis:
Putin
is
playing
chess
against
the
West
—
and
he's winning
The writer explains:
"Now Moscow controls its economy, media and police forces. America and the European Union objected but did very little."
Ms. Francis writes:
"Then, this month, Russia became involved as a “peacekeeper” in a dispute between two former Soviet republics — Armenia and Azerbaijan — and was given the green light to send troops into the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh."
The author addresses:
"This has made the entire region nervous because the Russian troops are nothing more than an occupying force executing a de facto takeover of territory."
The writer explains:
"This is similar to what the Kremlin did in Ukraine in 2014, when Russia invaded Crimea and killed tens of thousands of people."
Source:
Diane
Francis:
Putin
is
playing
chess
against
the
West
—
and
he's winning
Jam
News|
21.04.
2021:
Russian
peace
keepers
prepare
for
Victory
Day
parade
in
Karabakh,
official
Baku
is
silent
Eurasia
Daily
Monitor
Volume:
18
Issue:
68|
by
Fuad
Shahbazov
(April
28,
2021):
Azerbaijan
Feels
Pressure
to
Join
Moscow-
Dominated
Eurasian
Economic
Union
Vladimir
Putin
Is
Skilled
Player
of
Geopolitical
Chess
.
The 5 June 2017 issue of The Japan Times "japantimes.co.jp" published an article entitled "Vladimir Putin's geopolitical chessboard" written by Brahma Chellaney.
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Brahma Chellaney writes:
Putin has shown himself to be a very skilled player of geopolitical chess.
Mr. Chellaney addresses:
"As part of his multidimensional chess game, Putin is also building Russian leverage in other countries that are the key focus of U.S. attention — from North Korea to Libya."
But it is Russia’s warming relationship with the medieval Taliban militia — the U.S. military’s main battlefield foe in Afghanistan — that has stood out."
The author states:
"Despite Russia’s gross domestic product shrinking to below that of Italy, Putin has managed to build significant Russian clout in several regions."
The writer points out:
"The blunders of Western powers in Iraq, Libya and Yemen, of course, have aided Russian designs in the Middle East."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Brahma Chellaney writes:
"Historically, strongman governments facing domestic challenges have whipped up nationalism by rallying popular support against foreign adversaries."
The author addresses:
"Who better to blame for Russia’s economic travails than the sanctions-imposing U.S. and its allies?
Mr. Chellaney explains:
"Putin’s jaw-droppingly high approval ratings contrast starkly with the deepening unpopularity at home of his U.S. counterpart."
According to the author:
"Putin has made Russia the central player in the bloody Syrian conflict, fueled by outside powers."
The author explains:
"Until Russia launched its own air war in Syria in September 2015, the U.S.-British-French alliance had the upper hand there, aiding supposedly “moderate” jihadist rebels against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government and staging separate bombing campaigns against the Islamic State terrorist organization."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Mr. Chellaney points out:
"Russia’s direct intervention, without bogging down its military in the Syrian quagmire, has helped turn around Assad’s fortunes and reshaped Moscow’s relationships with Turkey, Israel and Iran."
According to the writer:
"The revival of the “Great Game” in Afghanistan is just one manifestation of the U.S.-Russian relationship turning more poisonous. Another sign is Moscow’s stepped-up courting of China."
Mr. Challeney states:
"U.S.-led sanctions against Moscow are helping to create a more assertive Russia determined to countervail American power."
"The U.S.-led sanctions have compelled Russia to pivot to China."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
The author writes:
"Despite the Russian economy suffering under the combined weight of sanctions and a fall in oil prices, Moscow is spreading its geopolitical influence to new regions and pursuing a major rearmament program involving both its nuclear and conventional forces."
Mr. Challeney addresses:
"Today, Russia is the only power willing to directly challenge U.S. interests in the Middle East, Europe, the Caspian Sea basin, Central Asia and now Afghanistan, where America is stuck in the longest war in its history."
The writer explains:
"Put simply, the U.S.-led Western sanctions since 2014 are acting as a spur to Russia’s geopolitical resurgence."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Then author adds:
"Putin attended the recent “One Belt, One Road” summit in Beijing despite his concern that China is using that project to displace Russia as the dominant influence in Central Asia."
Brahma Chellaney writes:
"To be clear, Russia’s growing ties with India’s regional adversaries, China and Pakistan, have introduced strains in the traditionally close relations between Moscow and New Delhi."
The author explains:
"The paradox is that as India has moved strategically closer to the U.S., American policy has propelled Russia to forge closer ties with Beijing and to build new relationships with the Taliban and Pakistan."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Mr. Chelleney explains:
"The sanctions effectively undercut a central U.S. policy objective since the 1972 “opening” to Beijing by President Richard Nixon — to drive a wedge between China and Russia."
The author addresses:
"For Putin, the sanctions represent war by other means and a justification for him to make his next moves on the grand chessboard. With U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker determined to slap Moscow with additional sanctions, U.S.-Russian tensions and rivalries will continue to serve as a strategic boon for China even as they roil regional and international security."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
KGB
Trained
Vladimir
Putin
2 March 2021
On 17 December 2019 The BBC NEWS "bbc.com" published an article entitled "The man who helped make ex-KGB officer Vladimir Putin a president" written by Steve Rosenberg.
Source:
The
man
who
helped
make
ex-
KGB
officer
Vladimir
Putin
a
president
Steve Rosenberg writes:
"... 20 years ago, Vladimir Putin was handed power on a Kremlin Plate."
The author addresses:
"The former officer of the KGB- the Soviet Security Service- was handpicked by President Yeltsin and his inner circle to lead Russia into the 21st."
Mr. Rosenberg quotes political scientist Mr. Valery Solovei as saying:
"Putin's entourage doesn't exert influence like this."
"There are two categories of people Putin leans towards:
childhood friends, like the Rotenberg brothers and those who served in the Soviet KGB."
Solvei adds:
"But he doesn't overestimate their loyalty. Yeltsin trusted members of his family. Putin trusts no-one."
Source:
The
man
who
helped
make
ex-
KGB
officer
Vladimir
Putin
a
president
Mr. Rosenberg again quotes Valery Salavei as addressing:
"Putin's mission is to return to the past."
"He wants to avenge what he calls 'the greatest geopolitical catastroph of the 20th century', the fall of the USSR. He and his entourage, former KGB officers, believe the destruction of the Soviet Union was the work of Western intelligence services."
Source:
The
man
who
helped
make
ex-
KGB
officer
Vladimir
Putin
a
president
On 2 July 2020 The BBC NEWS "bbc.com" published an article entitled "Vladimir Putin: Russia's action man president".
Source:
Vladimir
Putin:
Russia's
action
man
president
It reads:
"Mr. Putin's rule has been marked by conservative Russian nationalism."
The information addresses:
"It has strong echoes of tsarist absolutism, encouraged by the Orthodox Church."
According to this information:
"Mr. Putin is regularly filmed attending Orthodox Church ceremonies."
The 2 July 2020 published article in BBC addresses:
"The Night Wolves bikers' gang played a prominent role in whipping up patriotic fervour during Russia's takeover of Crimea in 2014."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin:
Russia's
action
man
president
The 22 March 2017 issue of The Guardian published an article entitled "How annexing Crimea allowed Putin to claim he had made Russia great again" written by Sophie Pinkham.
Source:
How
annexing
Crimea
allowed
Putin
to
claim
he
had
made
Russia
great
again
Sophie Pinkham writes:
"For the moment, Putin is taking a leaf out of Stalin's book, blaming every problem of external enemies, internal wreckers or incompotents."
The author points out:
"State propaganda remarkably successful in whipping up hysteria."
The writer states:
"As part of his quest to restore lost Russian glory, Putin picked up where Catherine the Grrat and Prince Vladimir left off."
Source:
How
annexing
Crimea
allowed
Putin
to
claim
he
had
made
Russia
great
again
Ms. Pinkham addresses:
*****
"After annexing the Peninsula in March 2014, Putin announced that Crimea was the "spiritual source"of the Russian state."
******
"This gave Crimea "invaluable civilizational and even sacral importance for Russia.
The author points out:
"Putin underlined his point last November [2016], when hw unveiled 16- meter statue of Prince Vladimir outside the Kremlin."
Source:
How
annexing
Crimea
allowed
Putin
to
claim
he
had
made
Russia
great
again
After 10 Nov 2020, Russian troops occupied over 4,000 sqare km of the Azerbaijani territories in the Nagorno Karabakh region.
On 11 Feb 2021 The Carnegie Europe "carnegieeurope.eu" published an article entitled "Unfinished business in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict" written by Thomas De Waal.
Thomas De Waal writes:
"The November trilateral agreement radically changes the geopolitical configuration of the region, giving Moscow a central role it last held in the Soviet era three decades ago."
The author points out:
"As a result of the agreement, a Russian peacekeeping mission of 1,960 men was deployed to both Karabakh and the Lachin corridor between Karabakh and Armenia for an initial five years, with the possibility of renewal."
Source:
Thomas
De
Waal:
Unfinished
business
in
Armenia-
Azerbaijan
conflict
Vladimir Putin envisages for more ambitions.
"And he believes it is his duty to follow the pathways of Peter the great as well as Katherine the great and Josef Stalin for the gteatness of Russia.
In Putin's mind, Russia’s Great Power role is of paramount importance.
On Feb 10, 2021, The Foreign Policy "foreignpolicy.com" published an article entitled "Time to Think About a World Without Putin" written by Jeff Hawn and Sim Tack.
Source:
10 Feb
2021:
Time
to
think
about
a
world
without
Putin
Jeff Hawn and Sim Tack write:
"In the West, Putin is perceived as a ruthless autocrat whose sole goal is to secure personal power while enriching himself and his allies."
The authors address:
"The more assertive stance that Russia has taken under his rule both in its immediate periphery and internationally has been viewed as naked aggression, with the end goal of reabsorbing territories lost during the fall of the Soviet Union. There’s some truth in these perceptions—but also some distortion."
The June 20, 2020 issue of The Global And Mail "globalandmail.com" published an article entitled "The Chaos Agent" written by Mark McKinnon.
Source:
The
Chaos
Agent
The author explains:
Confusion – the fog of war – has always been a central part of human conflict."
The writer points out:
"But no one in recent history has mastered its use as well as Mr. Putin, who has ruled Russia for 20 years while waging an almost-continuous series of wars against enemies foreign and domestic."
Mark McKinnon quotes Alexanxer Mikhailov, a retired major-general in KGB and FSB as saying:
"If history shaped his worldview, the KGB is responsible for Mr. Putin’s inscrutability."
Source:
The
Chaos
Agent
The author addresses:
"This former KGB agent (Mr. Mikhsilov), in an interview at the Moscow office of the secret service veterans’ association he heads says:
“No one can ever guess Putin’s thoughts or plans.”
“You cannot play cards with Putin because he has six jokers in his back pocket,” adds Mr. Mikailov.
The author addresses:
"The West’s inability to read the President’s intentions allowed Russia to surprise the world with military moves into Georgia, Ukraine and Syria."
The writer quotes Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of the foreign-policy journal Russia In Global Affairs, as saying:
"Mr. Putin is a tactician, rather than a strategist. He likes to keep his options open as long as possible before making a move."
Source:
The
Chaos
Agent
The Feb 2, 2021 issue of The Independent published an article entitled "Is Putin ready to learn from Gorbachov?" written by Sean O'Grady.
Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
Sean O'Grady writes:
"Putin seems to stand against everything Gorbachev stood for."
Mr. O'Grady explains:
"In Russia, many see Gorbachev as a disaster, a vandal who needlessly dismantled the USSR, an undoubted superpower."
The author adds:
"This, so the argument goes, led to a long, painful era of Russian decline, reversed only when Vladimir Putin came to power and began to reassert Russian power and ambition."
The writer addresses:
"But this, in fact, meant starting small wars with Georgia, Ukraine, annexing Crimea, propping up the dictatorship in Byelorussia, puppeteering the wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan, backing client regimes in Syria and Iran, assassinating ex-spies, using chemical weapons, boosting arms spending and re-equipping the Russian military."
Mr. O'Grady points out:
"Putin now wants to strengthen Russia’s nuclear armoury. It is all as if Gorby had never existed."
Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
Sean O'Grady writes:
"As Gorbachev had in the 1980s, Putin today has a choice. He can either persist with his new Cold War and carry on interfering in other countries’ affairs and fighting futile cruel wars, to the detriment of the living standards of his own people."
The author adds:
" Or he can try and get onto better terms with the West, co-operate and understand that power and influence in this century is no longer about occupying territory and subjugating peoples, acts of naked old-fashioned imperialism even the Americans no longer indulge in."
The writer addresses:
Gorbachev would give up the endless war in Afghanistan, in part a proxy war with America, and Putin should do the same with his own adventurism in the Middle East."
Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
Source:
Foreign
Affairs:
"Pinning
Down
Putin"
Democracy
Digest:
"Pinning
Down
Putin"
“He has succeeded," Anders Aslund addresses, 'in expanding Russia’s military presence in the strategically important region … without encountering any Western pushback.”
Source:
Diane
Francis:
Putin
is
playing
chess
against
the
West
—
and
he's winning
Diane Francis writes:
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has been very, very busy lately playing geopolitical chess, as America plays checkers."
The author addresses:
"In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up its military and propaganda campaigns around the world."
"Russian disinformation campaigns have actively sought to influence elections in the U.S. and elsewhere."
The July 1, 2014 issue of The Forbes magazine "forbes.com" published an article entitled "Putin Plays Chess. Obama Does Not... And That's Why He's Winning" written by Greg Satell.
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
Greg Satell writes:
"House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers didn’t even give Obama that much credit, saying, “Putin is playing chess and I think we are playing marbles”".
The author addressea:
"These type of chess analogies have a long and cherished tradition in geopolitical circles."
The writer explains:
"From Thomas Schelling’s classic, The Strategy of Conflict,” to Zbigniew Brzezinski’s expansive The Grand Chessboard, effective foreign policy has been portrayed as a punctuated series of moves and countermoves in which success depends on effective manipulation of pieces on the board."
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
Greg Satell writes:
"This is how Putin most likely sees the world, a patchwork of ethnicities and religions that are inherently in conflict with one another."
Mr. Satell points out:
"Through a process of realpolitik and subjugation, he hopes to be able to dominate the Eurasian landmass and surpass the US as the dominant power on the planet."
The author states:
"So Putin may very well be playing chess, but if so he clearly isn’t very good at it."
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
The writer addresses:
"Since his unlikely rise to power, he has lost major pieces on the board and faced a steadily weakened set of positions."
Greg Satell writes:
"As NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently put it with respect to the Ukrainian crisis:
Let’s add it up:
"Putin’s seizure of Crimea has weakened the Russian economy, led to China getting a bargain gas deal, revived NATO, spurred Europe to start ending its addiction to Russian gas and begun a debate across Europe about increasing defense spending. Nice work, Vladimir."
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
Mr. Stall adds:
"That’s why I say the country Putin threatens most today is Russia."
The author writes:
"As I recently wrote in Harvard Business Review, strategy is no longer a game of chess, but a process of widening and deepening connections and, in a state of conflict, severing those of your opponent as well."
"That appear to be exactly what Obama has been doing."
Source:
Jul 1,
2014
Putin
Plays
Chess.
Obama
Not
...
And
That's
Why
He's
Winning.
The Nov 16, 2020 issue of The Financial Post published an article entitled "Putin is playing chess against the West—and he's winning" written by Diane Francis.
Diane Francis [in Finacial Post] states:
"In August, a rigged election in Belarus brought citizens to the streets in protest, and Russia moved in immediately to prop up its embattled dictator."
Source:
Diane
Francis:
Putin
is
playing
chess
against
the
West
—
and
he's winning
The writer explains:
"Now Moscow controls its economy, media and police forces. America and the European Union objected but did very little."
Ms. Francis writes:
"Then, this month, Russia became involved as a “peacekeeper” in a dispute between two former Soviet republics — Armenia and Azerbaijan — and was given the green light to send troops into the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh."
The author addresses:
"This has made the entire region nervous because the Russian troops are nothing more than an occupying force executing a de facto takeover of territory."
The writer explains:
"This is similar to what the Kremlin did in Ukraine in 2014, when Russia invaded Crimea and killed tens of thousands of people."
Source:
Diane
Francis:
Putin
is
playing
chess
against
the
West
—
and
he's winning
Jam
News|
21.04.
2021:
Russian
peace
keepers
prepare
for
Victory
Day
parade
in
Karabakh,
official
Baku
is
silent
Eurasia
Daily
Monitor
Volume:
18
Issue:
68|
by
Fuad
Shahbazov
(April
28,
2021):
Azerbaijan
Feels
Pressure
to
Join
Moscow-
Dominated
Eurasian
Economic
Union
Vladimir
Putin
Is
Skilled
Player
of
Geopolitical
Chess
.
The 5 June 2017 issue of The Japan Times "japantimes.co.jp" published an article entitled "Vladimir Putin's geopolitical chessboard" written by Brahma Chellaney.
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Brahma Chellaney writes:
Putin has shown himself to be a very skilled player of geopolitical chess.
Mr. Chellaney addresses:
"As part of his multidimensional chess game, Putin is also building Russian leverage in other countries that are the key focus of U.S. attention — from North Korea to Libya."
But it is Russia’s warming relationship with the medieval Taliban militia — the U.S. military’s main battlefield foe in Afghanistan — that has stood out."
The author states:
"Despite Russia’s gross domestic product shrinking to below that of Italy, Putin has managed to build significant Russian clout in several regions."
The writer points out:
"The blunders of Western powers in Iraq, Libya and Yemen, of course, have aided Russian designs in the Middle East."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Brahma Chellaney writes:
"Historically, strongman governments facing domestic challenges have whipped up nationalism by rallying popular support against foreign adversaries."
The author addresses:
"Who better to blame for Russia’s economic travails than the sanctions-imposing U.S. and its allies?
Mr. Chellaney explains:
"Putin’s jaw-droppingly high approval ratings contrast starkly with the deepening unpopularity at home of his U.S. counterpart."
According to the author:
"Putin has made Russia the central player in the bloody Syrian conflict, fueled by outside powers."
The author explains:
"Until Russia launched its own air war in Syria in September 2015, the U.S.-British-French alliance had the upper hand there, aiding supposedly “moderate” jihadist rebels against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government and staging separate bombing campaigns against the Islamic State terrorist organization."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Mr. Chellaney points out:
"Russia’s direct intervention, without bogging down its military in the Syrian quagmire, has helped turn around Assad’s fortunes and reshaped Moscow’s relationships with Turkey, Israel and Iran."
According to the writer:
"The revival of the “Great Game” in Afghanistan is just one manifestation of the U.S.-Russian relationship turning more poisonous. Another sign is Moscow’s stepped-up courting of China."
Mr. Challeney states:
"U.S.-led sanctions against Moscow are helping to create a more assertive Russia determined to countervail American power."
"The U.S.-led sanctions have compelled Russia to pivot to China."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
The author writes:
"Despite the Russian economy suffering under the combined weight of sanctions and a fall in oil prices, Moscow is spreading its geopolitical influence to new regions and pursuing a major rearmament program involving both its nuclear and conventional forces."
Mr. Challeney addresses:
"Today, Russia is the only power willing to directly challenge U.S. interests in the Middle East, Europe, the Caspian Sea basin, Central Asia and now Afghanistan, where America is stuck in the longest war in its history."
The writer explains:
"Put simply, the U.S.-led Western sanctions since 2014 are acting as a spur to Russia’s geopolitical resurgence."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Then author adds:
"Putin attended the recent “One Belt, One Road” summit in Beijing despite his concern that China is using that project to displace Russia as the dominant influence in Central Asia."
Brahma Chellaney writes:
"To be clear, Russia’s growing ties with India’s regional adversaries, China and Pakistan, have introduced strains in the traditionally close relations between Moscow and New Delhi."
The author explains:
"The paradox is that as India has moved strategically closer to the U.S., American policy has propelled Russia to forge closer ties with Beijing and to build new relationships with the Taliban and Pakistan."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
Mr. Chelleney explains:
"The sanctions effectively undercut a central U.S. policy objective since the 1972 “opening” to Beijing by President Richard Nixon — to drive a wedge between China and Russia."
The author addresses:
"For Putin, the sanctions represent war by other means and a justification for him to make his next moves on the grand chessboard. With U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker determined to slap Moscow with additional sanctions, U.S.-Russian tensions and rivalries will continue to serve as a strategic boon for China even as they roil regional and international security."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin's
geopolitical
chessboard
KGB
Trained
Vladimir
Putin
2 March 2021
On 17 December 2019 The BBC NEWS "bbc.com" published an article entitled "The man who helped make ex-KGB officer Vladimir Putin a president" written by Steve Rosenberg.
Source:
The
man
who
helped
make
ex-
KGB
officer
Vladimir
Putin
a
president
Steve Rosenberg writes:
"... 20 years ago, Vladimir Putin was handed power on a Kremlin Plate."
The author addresses:
"The former officer of the KGB- the Soviet Security Service- was handpicked by President Yeltsin and his inner circle to lead Russia into the 21st."
Mr. Rosenberg quotes political scientist Mr. Valery Solovei as saying:
"Putin's entourage doesn't exert influence like this."
"There are two categories of people Putin leans towards:
childhood friends, like the Rotenberg brothers and those who served in the Soviet KGB."
Solvei adds:
"But he doesn't overestimate their loyalty. Yeltsin trusted members of his family. Putin trusts no-one."
Source:
The
man
who
helped
make
ex-
KGB
officer
Vladimir
Putin
a
president
Mr. Rosenberg again quotes Valery Salavei as addressing:
"Putin's mission is to return to the past."
"He wants to avenge what he calls 'the greatest geopolitical catastroph of the 20th century', the fall of the USSR. He and his entourage, former KGB officers, believe the destruction of the Soviet Union was the work of Western intelligence services."
Source:
The
man
who
helped
make
ex-
KGB
officer
Vladimir
Putin
a
president
On 2 July 2020 The BBC NEWS "bbc.com" published an article entitled "Vladimir Putin: Russia's action man president".
Source:
Vladimir
Putin:
Russia's
action
man
president
It reads:
"Mr. Putin's rule has been marked by conservative Russian nationalism."
The information addresses:
"It has strong echoes of tsarist absolutism, encouraged by the Orthodox Church."
According to this information:
"Mr. Putin is regularly filmed attending Orthodox Church ceremonies."
The 2 July 2020 published article in BBC addresses:
"The Night Wolves bikers' gang played a prominent role in whipping up patriotic fervour during Russia's takeover of Crimea in 2014."
Source:
Vladimir
Putin:
Russia's
action
man
president
The 22 March 2017 issue of The Guardian published an article entitled "How annexing Crimea allowed Putin to claim he had made Russia great again" written by Sophie Pinkham.
Source:
How
annexing
Crimea
allowed
Putin
to
claim
he
had
made
Russia
great
again
Sophie Pinkham writes:
"For the moment, Putin is taking a leaf out of Stalin's book, blaming every problem of external enemies, internal wreckers or incompotents."
The author points out:
"State propaganda remarkably successful in whipping up hysteria."
The writer states:
"As part of his quest to restore lost Russian glory, Putin picked up where Catherine the Grrat and Prince Vladimir left off."
Source:
How
annexing
Crimea
allowed
Putin
to
claim
he
had
made
Russia
great
again
Ms. Pinkham addresses:
*****
"After annexing the Peninsula in March 2014, Putin announced that Crimea was the "spiritual source"of the Russian state."
******
"This gave Crimea "invaluable civilizational and even sacral importance for Russia.
The author points out:
"Putin underlined his point last November [2016], when hw unveiled 16- meter statue of Prince Vladimir outside the Kremlin."
Source:
How
annexing
Crimea
allowed
Putin
to
claim
he
had
made
Russia
great
again
After 10 Nov 2020, Russian troops occupied over 4,000 sqare km of the Azerbaijani territories in the Nagorno Karabakh region.
On 11 Feb 2021 The Carnegie Europe "carnegieeurope.eu" published an article entitled "Unfinished business in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict" written by Thomas De Waal.
Thomas De Waal writes:
"The November trilateral agreement radically changes the geopolitical configuration of the region, giving Moscow a central role it last held in the Soviet era three decades ago."
The author points out:
"As a result of the agreement, a Russian peacekeeping mission of 1,960 men was deployed to both Karabakh and the Lachin corridor between Karabakh and Armenia for an initial five years, with the possibility of renewal."
Source:
Thomas
De
Waal:
Unfinished
business
in
Armenia-
Azerbaijan
conflict
Vladimir Putin envisages for more ambitions.
"And he believes it is his duty to follow the pathways of Peter the great as well as Katherine the great and Josef Stalin for the gteatness of Russia.
In Putin's mind, Russia’s Great Power role is of paramount importance.
On Feb 10, 2021, The Foreign Policy "foreignpolicy.com" published an article entitled "Time to Think About a World Without Putin" written by Jeff Hawn and Sim Tack.
Source:
10 Feb
2021:
Time
to
think
about
a
world
without
Putin
Jeff Hawn and Sim Tack write:
"In the West, Putin is perceived as a ruthless autocrat whose sole goal is to secure personal power while enriching himself and his allies."
The authors address:
"The more assertive stance that Russia has taken under his rule both in its immediate periphery and internationally has been viewed as naked aggression, with the end goal of reabsorbing territories lost during the fall of the Soviet Union. There’s some truth in these perceptions—but also some distortion."
The June 20, 2020 issue of The Global And Mail "globalandmail.com" published an article entitled "The Chaos Agent" written by Mark McKinnon.
Source:
The
Chaos
Agent
The author explains:
Confusion – the fog of war – has always been a central part of human conflict."
The writer points out:
"But no one in recent history has mastered its use as well as Mr. Putin, who has ruled Russia for 20 years while waging an almost-continuous series of wars against enemies foreign and domestic."
Mark McKinnon quotes Alexanxer Mikhailov, a retired major-general in KGB and FSB as saying:
"If history shaped his worldview, the KGB is responsible for Mr. Putin’s inscrutability."
Source:
The
Chaos
Agent
The author addresses:
"This former KGB agent (Mr. Mikhsilov), in an interview at the Moscow office of the secret service veterans’ association he heads says:
“No one can ever guess Putin’s thoughts or plans.”
“You cannot play cards with Putin because he has six jokers in his back pocket,” adds Mr. Mikailov.
The author addresses:
"The West’s inability to read the President’s intentions allowed Russia to surprise the world with military moves into Georgia, Ukraine and Syria."
The writer quotes Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of the foreign-policy journal Russia In Global Affairs, as saying:
"Mr. Putin is a tactician, rather than a strategist. He likes to keep his options open as long as possible before making a move."
Source:
The
Chaos
Agent
The Feb 2, 2021 issue of The Independent published an article entitled "Is Putin ready to learn from Gorbachov?" written by Sean O'Grady.
Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
Sean O'Grady writes:
"Putin seems to stand against everything Gorbachev stood for."
Mr. O'Grady explains:
"In Russia, many see Gorbachev as a disaster, a vandal who needlessly dismantled the USSR, an undoubted superpower."
The author adds:
"This, so the argument goes, led to a long, painful era of Russian decline, reversed only when Vladimir Putin came to power and began to reassert Russian power and ambition."
The writer addresses:
"But this, in fact, meant starting small wars with Georgia, Ukraine, annexing Crimea, propping up the dictatorship in Byelorussia, puppeteering the wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan, backing client regimes in Syria and Iran, assassinating ex-spies, using chemical weapons, boosting arms spending and re-equipping the Russian military."
Mr. O'Grady points out:
"Putin now wants to strengthen Russia’s nuclear armoury. It is all as if Gorby had never existed."
Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
Sean O'Grady writes:
"As Gorbachev had in the 1980s, Putin today has a choice. He can either persist with his new Cold War and carry on interfering in other countries’ affairs and fighting futile cruel wars, to the detriment of the living standards of his own people."
The author adds:
" Or he can try and get onto better terms with the West, co-operate and understand that power and influence in this century is no longer about occupying territory and subjugating peoples, acts of naked old-fashioned imperialism even the Americans no longer indulge in."
The writer addresses:
Gorbachev would give up the endless war in Afghanistan, in part a proxy war with America, and Putin should do the same with his own adventurism in the Middle East."
Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
Source:
Foreign
Affairs:
"Pinning
Down
Putin"
Democracy
Digest:
"Pinning
Down
Putin"
"This, so the argument goes, led to a long, painful era of Russian decline, reversed only when Vladimir Putin came to power and began to reassert Russian power and ambition."
The writer addresses:
Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
"But this, in fact, meant starting small wars with Georgia, Ukraine, annexing Crimea, propping up the dictatorship in Byelorussia, puppeteering the wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan, backing client regimes in Syria and Iran, assassinating ex-spies, using chemical weapons, boosting arms spending and re-equipping the Russian military."
Mr. O'Grady points out:
"Putin now wants to strengthen Russia’s nuclear armoury. It is all as if Gorby had never existed."
Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
Sean O'Grady writes:
"As Gorbachev had in the 1980s, Putin today has a choice. He can either persist with his new Cold War and carry on interfering in other countries’ affairs and fighting futile cruel wars, to the detriment of the living standards of his own people."
The author adds:
" Or he can try and get onto better terms with the West, co-operate and understand that power and influence in this century is no longer about occupying territory and subjugating peoples, acts of naked old-fashioned imperialism even the Americans no longer indulge in."
The writer addresses:
Gorbachev would give up the endless war in Afghanistan, in part a proxy war with America, and Putin should do the same with his own adventurism in the Middle East."Source:
Sean
O'Grady:
Feb 1,
2021:
Is
Putin
ready
to
learn
from
Gorbachov
Source:
Foreign
Affairs:
"Pinning
Down
Putin"
Democracy
Digest:
"Pinning
Down
Putin"
