Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary army the Wagner Group, turned himself into Vladimir Putin’s Ron DeSantis yesterday in an online interview with a Russian military blogger that actually aired on time, unlike DeSantis’ campaign launch last night on Twitter. Prigozhin, sounding like he is at least thinking of challenging Putin’s leadership of Russia, used the interview to celebrate the Wagner Group’s extraordinarily costly victor in taking Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces last week. The portly loud-mouthed Russian billionaire even admitted that Wagner lost 20,000 of its soldiers in the nine-month campaign, although other estimates are five times that number.
Seems to me as if the entire Ru hierarchy are all 3r-rate dramakweens. No wonder Trump, Flynn, Bannon, as well as so many Rs/cons/rightwingers admire them.
They still don't understand true power means never ever having to apply it in any form.
Wagner Group’s “victory” is totally Pyrrhic…wasting all that men and material for the rubble of a ruined town that was of little or no strategic value. Meanwhile, Prigozhin should avoid going up inside any tall buildings with large windows…
He and Putin are insane. Nothing ahead but chaos and meaningless bloodshed for Russians. Only good things - ongoing casualties and loss of military leaders and equipment.
This ends with Russia's economy a decade behind civilized Europe. A decade or more behind. Idiots like Putin and Prigo will keep power. A good thing. They will keep Russia in poverty.
Yes, the whole thing was stupid from the beginning on Putin's part. but it is amazing how Prigozhin is getting away with this, he is getting bolder by the minute. I guess Putin needs him and his army too much right now, but the minute he is considered no longer useful it will be curtains for him. Obviously he is making a lot of enemies. Unless of course he can get enough of the army behind him to storm the Kremlin and arrest or kill Putin.
That's what fascinates me. Prigozhin is not stupid, or careless. (No one gets to where he is, or where Putin is for that matter, by being careless. Russia is not forgiving, and neither was the USSR that preceded it.) If there are any chess masters out there, can you identify what gambit he's playing?
I'm guessing Prig is Putin's mouthpiece for complaints about the MoD ("I won't say it, but if my friend wants to say it . . ."). He's already violated the defamation of MoD and "Special Operation" law, but he's saying stuff for Putin his "friend," so he's safe, as long as he doesn't insult Putin and his blasts keep MoD on their toes and doing stuff better. All that revolution talk is, I think, Putin, who seems to know his history.
But Prig must know that he's made his grave when the convenience of the friendship is over.
There's also a bit of "When you're a star, you can grab them by the [gonads]" going to his head.
I believe he wants us to think that he despises Putin. He doesn’t. They are in cahoots with each other, I betcha. Putin remains in hiding while Prig uses his bullhorn to brag nonsense. Prig is Putin’s alter ego in the militaristic approaches. It’s just something fishy about those two. Brothers from a another mother? I mean, look how Prig gets away with the things he says, that for anyone else, it’s death by poison or being thrown off of a building. Fishy, I tell you.
A mystery alright. People ot arrested g for calling the special operation a war sol something going on. Putin has a well planned escape route and destination and billions stashed away if necessary.
Putin could escape to a Trump resort in a friendly country and live out his remaining years in comfort. I’m sure he has money stashed in various offshore accounts.
Yevgeny better stay away from open windows, balconies and steep stairways for the foreseeable future. Maybe he should also get one of those convicts he owns to taste his food and open doors for him. He might also want to consider the danger he faces when he reaches out to flush a toilet. Putin's foes die younger than they should and in highly imaginative ways.
"Putin’s Ron DeSantis" is a nice updated name for Rasputin. I've long hoped for another Russian Revolution, but the head of the Wagner band of mercenaries needs to decide if he's willing to lead it or would he prefer to be Putin II. I'll wait for the answer, along with everyone else.
Keeping in mind how the last Russian Revolution worked out, I'd say that this isn't an either/or but a both/and. I'm also wondering who might be the Trotsky of the updated version. Trotsky was my favorite Russian revolutionary, but NB: my favorites almost always wind up dead.
This guy either has the largest death wish in history or he has an intense belief in reverse psychology. Praising the Ukrainian military is supposed to motivate the Russians to commit more atrocities and war crimes I am guessing.
Let them gnaw on each other's carcasses, inside their
own fucking borders
If only.
You’ve woven it together concisely. Thank you.
Seems to me as if the entire Ru hierarchy are all 3r-rate dramakweens. No wonder Trump, Flynn, Bannon, as well as so many Rs/cons/rightwingers admire them.
They still don't understand true power means never ever having to apply it in any form.
Which is a paraphrase of a Jefferson quote!
Love learning new things. Am grateful.
“Russia needs to live like North Korea for a few years, so to say, close the borders and work hard.”
What a campaign slogan. That’ll really
be popular.
Although that’s the direction Russia’s dictator is taking that country already.
Wagner Group’s “victory” is totally Pyrrhic…wasting all that men and material for the rubble of a ruined town that was of little or no strategic value. Meanwhile, Prigozhin should avoid going up inside any tall buildings with large windows…
How long before Prigozhin accidentally falls out of a second story window? Perhaps Putin will join him? One can dream.
All of the convicts he recruited from prisons for his private militia would scatter (the ones who didn’t already die).
Wow. Having just copyedited a book about England's Elizabethan-Jacobean period, I'm thinking Putin should read up on Charles I.
Ouch!
He and Putin are insane. Nothing ahead but chaos and meaningless bloodshed for Russians. Only good things - ongoing casualties and loss of military leaders and equipment.
This ends with Russia's economy a decade behind civilized Europe. A decade or more behind. Idiots like Putin and Prigo will keep power. A good thing. They will keep Russia in poverty.
Yes, the whole thing was stupid from the beginning on Putin's part. but it is amazing how Prigozhin is getting away with this, he is getting bolder by the minute. I guess Putin needs him and his army too much right now, but the minute he is considered no longer useful it will be curtains for him. Obviously he is making a lot of enemies. Unless of course he can get enough of the army behind him to storm the Kremlin and arrest or kill Putin.
That's what fascinates me. Prigozhin is not stupid, or careless. (No one gets to where he is, or where Putin is for that matter, by being careless. Russia is not forgiving, and neither was the USSR that preceded it.) If there are any chess masters out there, can you identify what gambit he's playing?
I'm guessing Prig is Putin's mouthpiece for complaints about the MoD ("I won't say it, but if my friend wants to say it . . ."). He's already violated the defamation of MoD and "Special Operation" law, but he's saying stuff for Putin his "friend," so he's safe, as long as he doesn't insult Putin and his blasts keep MoD on their toes and doing stuff better. All that revolution talk is, I think, Putin, who seems to know his history.
But Prig must know that he's made his grave when the convenience of the friendship is over.
There's also a bit of "When you're a star, you can grab them by the [gonads]" going to his head.
I believe he wants us to think that he despises Putin. He doesn’t. They are in cahoots with each other, I betcha. Putin remains in hiding while Prig uses his bullhorn to brag nonsense. Prig is Putin’s alter ego in the militaristic approaches. It’s just something fishy about those two. Brothers from a another mother? I mean, look how Prig gets away with the things he says, that for anyone else, it’s death by poison or being thrown off of a building. Fishy, I tell you.
A mystery alright. People ot arrested g for calling the special operation a war sol something going on. Putin has a well planned escape route and destination and billions stashed away if necessary.
Putin could escape to a Trump resort in a friendly country and live out his remaining years in comfort. I’m sure he has money stashed in various offshore accounts.
Yevgeny better stay away from open windows, balconies and steep stairways for the foreseeable future. Maybe he should also get one of those convicts he owns to taste his food and open doors for him. He might also want to consider the danger he faces when he reaches out to flush a toilet. Putin's foes die younger than they should and in highly imaginative ways.
My likeky Senario.
Putin is assassinated.
Prigozhin is prosecuted for War Crimes.
Notable is Prig seems to be more of a realist than the egotistical bureaucrat trying to resemble Peter and Catherine's the "Greats."
The whole deal is the continuing brutal saga of mans war on himself.
"Putin’s Ron DeSantis" is a nice updated name for Rasputin. I've long hoped for another Russian Revolution, but the head of the Wagner band of mercenaries needs to decide if he's willing to lead it or would he prefer to be Putin II. I'll wait for the answer, along with everyone else.
Keeping in mind how the last Russian Revolution worked out, I'd say that this isn't an either/or but a both/and. I'm also wondering who might be the Trotsky of the updated version. Trotsky was my favorite Russian revolutionary, but NB: my favorites almost always wind up dead.
He may be vicious but he’s not stupid.
This guy either has the largest death wish in history or he has an intense belief in reverse psychology. Praising the Ukrainian military is supposed to motivate the Russians to commit more atrocities and war crimes I am guessing.
Exactly what does he have on Putin anyway?
🫳🍿
Bakhmut: When you set out to recreate Stalingrad and up with Verdun instead.
Prigozhin has many bodyguards and probably wears a bulletproof vest. Has tasters for his food. He knows the drill.