Putin interview:
Chris Wallace conducted an excellent interview. Mr. Wallace was very forthright and unafraid to ask the sensitive questions.
I think Mr. Putin thanked the lower level staff leading up to this meeting/summit to lecture Trump about how negotiations and meetings between countries take place.
Mr. Wallace mentioned the concept of “The Big Picture” that would cause such a meeting with Russia. After thanking his staff, Vladimir Putin turned to terrorism and Syria. I am not surprised President Putin believes terrorism is a huge issue even though The West is not overwhelmed by it. Places or better said countries that Russia deals with are more chaotic, more impoverished, lack significant organization of their government. That is also true of China. As a rule the USA allies are more sophisticated because the USA and its private sector invests in them and educates them and then helps them build an arsenal to protect their people and assists in intelligence for their national security and ultimately USA national security as well.
In the case of Russia, it finds itself among countries facing danger to their people and government that they are uncertain how to handle. The issue with terrorism still looms large with Putin because of Daesh. When the attacks from Daesh first occurred it was profound shock and astonishment this was occurring at all. The Iraq War had mostly wound down and while there were still issues such as death squads, but, the bigger picture of war was believed to be over. It was thought al Qarda was mostly defeated in the region except for some remnants in places like Libya. When Daesh manifested out of nowhere with a leader that came out of a USA war prison the region was fatigued by the Iraq invasion and war.
Daesh presented itself as a global threat to Muslim countries because its leader promised a Calaphate and the Charismatic Movement was born. In many of the countries targeted by the charasmatic Daesh the ability to handle such a threat was absent and Russia itself was at risk. Russia stepped up to help lead intelligence for the defeat of Daesh. One country in particular Russia was allied to was Syria. Southern Iraq had Iran to provide soldiers and munitions and military leadership. Other Arab nations in the region stepped up their counter-terrorism efforts and Holy Men throughout the Muslim world began to educate their flocks about a false profit. In some ways I think The West lacks the appreciation of the. pain and trauma of those years. It was no longer an invasion of the USA but of a stranger that used the Muslim religion as the basis of his power.
So in a war mostly forgot by The West, that is not the case with most countries in the Middle East including Turkey and to it’s northeast and across the Black Sea, Russia.
So, to a greater extent Russian is still mired in a bigger picture that still includes terrorism. Now some of this is real and most of it in relation to Syria is an excuse for continued killing. But, when Russia may approach Assad as a member of the UN Security Council about the deaths in Syria, Assad points to rebels but also the remnants of Daesh and what is Russia suppose to say? In fact, there are still remnants of Daesh in southern Syria and Assad is terrified of ending his civil war for legitimate fears of a return of the regime. There are other countries in the region that handles the continued threats of Daesh differently, namely Jordan and Iraq, but, they have the USA as an ally or had been strengthened by the USA in the rule of law, courts and sentencing such elements and in particular Iraq. Saudi Arabia has no problem dealing with these criminal elements either. But, when it comes to Syria, it is Russia and a depleted Russia due to sanctions that it turns to. And why is that the case? Because if Assad turned to The West he would be at The Hague in no time at all.
So, to Putin the big picture is still terrorism when it comes to national security.
He also mentioned the START Treaty coming up in six years in 2024. Evidently, Russia’s Putin does not want a return to the years of “W” and a memo stating “The USA sees no reason to keep the START Treaty” as “W” did with the ABM Treaty. It is safe to say Putin is tired of the unexpected threat that manifests from Republicans that trash such agreements that have been in place for 30 years. So, if Putin can put a billionaire with lots of needs for loans and the expansionism of capitalism into Russia into the Oval Office then the existential threat of losing all his nuclear treaties will come to an end.
I am going to take a break because I want to watch MSNBC for awhile. I will write more later. I thank Mr. Wallace for an excellent interview.
The president of Russia didn’t think the USA should have left the Iran agreement because it was a good agreement. Putin stated Trump was important in the North Koran talks. Putin is interested in ending sanctions and returning to sales to the USA. He stated Russia and the USA should not be interested in fighting each other as there are better ways to settle differences.
At first Putin denied the involvement of Russian GRU agents attempted hacking any server to effect USA elections. Eventually he admitted the government of Russia was involved but simply handed over hacked emails and documents of any kind to be published on Wikileaks BUT justified such action by stating no documents or emails were changed. Everything was published to the world for scrutiny without any changes. Chris Wallace pressed Putin for answers and Putin continued to state he should have more patience as his answer was coming. It was Wallace that finally got him to admit there was hacking bhut no false information was planted to effect the election. It appeared as though Putin actually believed so long as the emails were only as they were written there was no crime committed.
Yes, Mr. Wallace the Russian President believes he did the USA electorate a favor with Wikileaks. Amazingly he appears to be considering all Russian action inside or outside the government innocent. Putin has no sense of privacy or equity. Amazing. That is why it is called Russian interference because they don’t care to understand the laws of the USA. Putin and his military intelligence officers never bothered to realize Snowden can’t come back to the USA.or that Assamge is stuck in the Equadorian Embassy in London. I think Putin knew perfectly well what he was doing and faintly the hacked emails in any way would be detected and then considered ineffective.
Russia seems to say it is innocent of favoritism because it only knew Trump as a rich guy before he ran for president.
Look, Trump is committing unspeakable crimes against the USA when he stated the treaty with NATO is destabilizing. But, the subject was not brought up with Putin. That is a lie. That is exactly Putin’s point of view and why he is engaged in war in Ukraine. The complaint by Trump is about money not the additional security NATO brings.
The issue of Raqqa came because of the merciless bombing of the Daesh capital. The problem with the bombing of Raqqa is that the USA did its damage with bombs as well. So, to determine responsibility for the deaths UN inspectors have to find evidence. There is question as to the possibility of finding that evidence.
Russia puts the blame on the Daesh that used innocent people as human shields.
Russia has been claiming Crimea was not an annexation, but, the people decided in free and open elections. It is known for a fact there was widespread fraud. It is highly questionable whether it is possible to have elections after such a hostile election. Those were not UN Peacekeepers that entered Crimea.
Mr. Wallace brought up a video of a new class of Russian missles of which flew over Florida and land on Mara-a-lack, a favotite retreat for the President. Putin contested the video as landing on Mar-a-lago so much as flying over Florida. He never denied it as an official act of the Russian government.
Putin brought up the unilateral withdrawal of USA from the ABM treaty. 2003 and 2004. He had no response from our American counter parts regarding the ABM Treaty. Evidently, Putin wants Trump around when START comes due in 2021. That is interesting because Trump has stated he will be re-elected in 2021.
Putin did not rule out becoming a member of NATO, but, as a real man would not change as others have once they became members of NATO. No doubt he is referring to the Post-Soviet countries.
Putin states murders of political figures is a matter of history referring to Kennedy and the conflict of police and the killing of unarmed black men. Unfortunately that is an issue for the USA. The mass killings in Orlando had that tone as well. A black man was singled out for mercy by the gunman because he was black. Now communist countries are using the issue to justify their own killings of innocent people within their borders.
Novichok- Putin made really silly statements like he doesn’t know the last name of the victims. States they are unknown to him and the methods were ridiculous as if a major power would use perfume bottles and the like - that is not the Russian way.
Putin stated when sanctions were levied the USA companies left Russia but were immediately replaced with competing countries. So Russia feels no pain. I doubt that, but, if Putin can go to Panama to find wealth his countrymen cannot, what does he care.
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