A Reckless Putin Tells Troops that They’re Protecting Russia from a Western Attack

It would be shocking if Putin didn’t utilize the most sophisticated and oldest propaganda machine in the world not to distract and mislead his own citizens. But it is deeply concerning when a proven to be reckless, unstable, and possibly very ill, Putin, blames the entirety of the West as justification for his invasion of Ukraine. As the dictator increasingly finds himself backed into a corner, more and more strategists and diplomats around the globe fear that Putin is capable of utter chaos and much greater destruction in the near future.

According to NBC News:

Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to justify his war in Ukraine on Monday, blaming the West and linking the conflict to World War II but not announcing any escalation despite fears from Kyiv and its allies.

In a speech at Moscow’s Victory Day parade to celebrate the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany, Putin framed the struggling military campaign as a continuation of that historic fight.

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Addressing Russian troops, thousands of whom had gathered in Red Square for the annual display of military might, Putin told them they were “fighting for the motherland, for its future, so that no one forgets the lessons of WWII.”

CNBC goes further:

Speaking ahead of a massive parade of troops, tanks and military hardware in Moscow, Putin claimed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had been necessary because the West was “preparing for the invasion of our land, including Crimea,” according to comments translated by Reuters.

It’s unclear whether Putin was referring to Russia, or territory that Moscow considers to be Russian. This includes Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and the eastern Donbas region, where Donetsk and Luhansk — two pro-Russian self-proclaimed “republics” — are located.

Military strategists have long-known Russia to be the single most paranoid country on Earth. Many ascribe the characteristic to the lack of a blue water naval port, one that they would possess if they were able to overpower Ukraine and keep the access to the Black Sea.

But as Putin has less and less to win and more to lose, including his health and possibly his life, he can only be seen as increasingly dangerous. Telling his troops that they are essentially under attack from the West is worrisome. Very worrisome.

Jason Miciak

@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact with any concerns.