'..it feels as if we are at a Putin-of-1936 moment. Will he turn into a Putin of 1939 and invade other countries? .. Putin's willingness to defy international law and seize the advantage on the ground, betting – correctly so far – that the West won't call his bluff.''I'll leave you with this thought: On March 7, 1936, the German army violated the Treaty of Versailles and entered into the Rhineland. Here is what Hitler later said:
"The forty-eight hours after the march into the Rhineland were the most nerve-racking in my life. If the French had then marched into the Rhineland, we would have had to withdraw with our tails between our legs, for the military resources at our disposal would have been wholly inadequate for even a moderate resistance."
Those two days determined what Germany would do next – build out its army and start World War II.
Comparing Putin with Hitler, as one of my Russian friends put it, is "absolutely abominable" because it diminishes Hitler's atrocities and overstates by a mile what Putin has accomplished to date. Yet it feels as if we are at a Putin-of-1936 moment. Will he turn into a Putin of 1939 and invade other countries? I don't know. But the events of the past nine months have shown Putin's willingness to defy international law and seize the advantage on the ground, betting – correctly so far – that the West won't call his bluff.
As Garry Kasparov put it, while the West is playing chess, responding tactically to each turn of events, Putin is playing high-stakes poker. We ignore Putin at our own peril.'
- Vitaliy Katsenelson,
Putin’s World: Why Russia’s Showdown with the West Will Worsen, November 17,2014
'..Russia is basically a successor state to Genghis Khan’s empire.''She places the Kremlin in the heart of Russia’s history, describing the intrigues that revolved around what was at first just an obscure palisade at the junction of the rivers Yauza and Moskva, whose lords glared enviously at their more prosperous kin in Kiev and Vladimir. Their moment came thanks to the Mongols, who conquered Russia and needed tax collectors. The Muscovites were happy to oblige, and learned their overlords’ lessons well. In fact, Merridale argues, in one of many asides that will displease Russian nationalists but delighted me, Russia is basically a successor state to Genghis Khan’s empire.'
- Oliver Bullough,
Red Fortress, By Catherine Merridale: Book review, December 6, 2013
'..Russian politics is spinning away into hallucination cubed, a nightmare dimension where there is no reference point back to reality, where puppets talk to holograms and both are convinced they are real.''The brilliance of the system of managed democracy/postmodern dictatorship was that instead of simply oppressing the opposition, as had been the case in the twentieth century, it entered into all ideologies and movements, exploiting and rendering them absurd from the inside. It was no accident that one of the most popular films in Russia in the noughties was The Matrix series, the science fiction film starring Keanu Reaves that portrays the contemporary world as a virtual illusion created by machines who feed off the unknowing humans, who are distracted by a simulated reality. In Moscow crowds queued around the block to see the movies, writers and politicians quoted them as a great metaphor for contemporary Russia. But as the decade wore on, and as I continued to make TV shows for Russian channels, I found there were severe cracks in the Kremlin's matrix.
..
..The definitive law of the new age is the ban on American families adopting Russian orphans: a response to Washington's decision to publicly name corrupt Russian bureaucrats banned from entering or investing in the United States. The orphans law wasn't cooked up by sophisticated political technologists, it was pushed through by Putin himself, consciously opting to use children as a political weapon. "You think we're mad," the monstrous, armed, rich puppets seem to be saying, "we'll show you mad. You think we're bad? We'll show you bad..."
..Russian politics is spinning away into hallucination cubed, a nightmare dimension where there is no reference point back to reality, where puppets talk to holograms and both are convinced they are real.
..Russia's first TV psychologist: Dr Kurpatov. All round the room were books with his advice on how to help with everything from marriage problems through to fear of death. Now he had become deputy head of Channel 1 on the premise that he could keep the whole nation calm and pacified: "The crisis has the Kremlin worried," one of Kurpatov's assistants told me, "we need to keep the nation distracted. Any ideas?" Dr Kurpatov was a hypnotherapist and nodded kindly as we talked, agreeing with everything I said and laughing at all my jokes. It felt good talking to him. He seemed to understand my worries. Only once did his facade drop: when in a moment of absent-mindedness I forgot his name and his eyes flashed with a fierce anger. It was a relief to know who I was really dealing with. In the end I said no to Ostankino – but then again I always had a life in London to fall back on. For my colleagues in Moscow the choice is far more tortuous.'
- Peter Pomerantsev,
Cracks in the Kremlin matrix, July 14, 2013
'..to build a legal state in Russia, any future leader will have to employ all means necessary to executing Russia’s international legal obligations, starting from December 1991. The only way to rectify the violation of these obligations consist of the indisputable return of Crimea under Ukraine’s jurisdiction. Another dozen referendums can be held in Crimea, which does not make Russia’s annexation any more legitimate, as only the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada has the right to appoint referendums on the territory of Ukraine, which Crimea is a part of..'' “It is characteristic that both Navalny and Khodorkovsky thoroughly emphasize their loyalty to European values, however, their position on Crimea obviously puts an end to Russia’s European way. In order to become part of the club, it is necessary to stick to the rules of this club. In this case, the most important rule is respect for the borders and territorial integrity of neighboring states. Without adherence to this rule, it is impossible not only to speak of Russia’s integration into Europe, but the elementary normalization of relations with the West,” Kasparov thinks.
“It is necessary to understand that from the perspective of international legislation, any change of government does not annul the obligations of the State. Consequentially, if we really strive to build a legal state in Russia, any future leader will have to employ all means necessary to executing Russia’s international legal obligations, starting from December 1991. The only way to rectify the violation of these obligations consist of the indisputable return of Crimea under Ukraine’s jurisdiction. Another dozen referendums can be held in Crimea, which does not make Russia’s annexation any more legitimate, as only the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada has the right to appoint referendums on the territory of Ukraine, which Crimea is a part of,” noted the Russian opposition politician.
“Besides, Navalny and Khodorkovsky’s statements give grounds to think that they are ready to submit their political position to the opinion of the masses, which are caught up in pseudo-patriotic hysteria under the careful care of Putin’s propaganda. Appealing to the opinions of the majority, grounding themselves in sociological studies and talking about the preparation for the future 2018 elections clearly indicate that the two most authoritative opposition politicians are inside the electoral paradigm,” he explained.'
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Kasparov responds to Navalny and Khodorkovsky: Russia has to return Crimea to Ukraine, October 20, 2014
Context '..Ukraine and the West must understand what Putin is doing and call it by its rightful names: invasion, Anschluss, provocation, intimidation, and panic-sowing..'Gorbachev says Putin repeats his mistakes.., Novemer 20, 2014
'..The telling description of Stalin .. “Genghis Khan with a telephone." ' - Yegor Gaidar'..the acceptance of Ukraine as a genuinely independent state..' - Andrew WoodTo Nikolai Patrushev: '[Gaidar] warns Russia..''..[Andrei Piontkovsky] says Putin will not stop at Ukraine..'14th century lessons for today - By Elizabeth MacDonald'..after speaking with Mr. Putin [Merkel] was not sure he was in touch with reality..'