SAYING THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE WOULD
QUICKLY BE ABLE TO TELL THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RUSSIANS AND
PATRIOTS.
JUST AS RUSSIA IS BECOMING MORE
ISOLATED.
THE EDITOR AND CHIEF OF TV RAIN,
WHICH STOPPED BROADCASTING
INDEFINITELY AFTER COMING UNDER
PRESSURE FOR ITS COVERAGE ON THE
WAR OF UKRAINE.
AUTHOR OF "ALL THE KREMLIN'S
MEN, INSIDE THE COURT OF
VLADIMIR PUTIN."
WE HEARD SUCH STRONG WORDS OF
PUTIN YESTERDAY.
HE'S DESCRIBED BY U.S. OFFICIALS
AS REALLY ISOLATED FROM MANY TOP
ADVISORS.
NOT TALKING FOR LAVROV FOR
MONTHS AT A TIME.
YOU WROTE, QUOTE, ACCORDING TO
PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE,
MR. PUTIN'S CONVERSATIONS WITH
HIS AIDS OVER THE PAST TWO
YEARS, THE PRESIDENT'S
COMPLETELY LOST INTEREST IN THE
PRESENT, ECONOMY, SOCIAL ISSUES,
CORONAVIRUS, PANDEMIC.
THEY ALL SEEM TO ANNOY HIM.
HIS WHOLE FOCUS IS REGAINING
CONTROL OF UKRAINE?
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.
THAT'S TRUE.
ACTUALLY, SINCE PANDEMIC, AFTER
THAT LONG QUARANTINE OF 2020, HE
HAS BECOME MUCH MORE ISOLATED
THAN HE HAS EVER BEEN.
AND HE SEEMS TO STOP CARING
ABOUT THE CURRENT POLITICAL
SITUATION, ESPECIALLY ABOUT
CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION.
HE'S ABSORBED BY THE HISTORY AND
THAT IS WHAT HE'S DISCUSSING
WITH PROBABLY THE ONLY FRIEND
AND ADVISOR, WHO DOESN'T HAVE
ANY OFFICIAL POSITION, BUT WHO
IS HIS LONG-TIME ALLY AND
FRIEND.
THEY'VE BEEN SPENDING THE
CURRENTLY TOGETHER AT PUTIN'S
RESIDENCE BETWEEN MOSCOW AND ST.
PETERSBURG.
AND PUTIN'S IDEA THAT RUSSIA'S
GREATNESS SHOULD BE RESTORED.
THAT'S THE RIGHT MOMENT TO HAVE
SOME KIND OF FOR THAT
HUMILIATION, CAUSED BY THE WEST
IN THE 90s.
BECAUSE THAT TIME RUSSIA WAS
REALLY WEAK AND NOW, ACCORDING
TO PUTIN, THAT'S THE MOMENT THE
WEST IS IN ITS WEAKEST POSITION.
AND HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF TO BE
AS STRONG AS EVER.
>> AND FROM YOUR ANALYSIS, YOUR
KNOWLEDGE, IS THERE ANY REAL
HOPE FOR NEGOTIATIONS?
BECAUSE HOW COULD THERE BE AN
OFF RAMP IF THIS IS HIS MAIN
GOAL?
WHY WOULD ANYONE TRUST HIM TO
OBSERVE PROMISES OF NEUTRALITY BY UKRAINE IN EXCHANGE FOR A
BY UKRAINE IN EXCHANGE FOR A
WITHDRAWAL OR CEASEFIRE? I THINK WE WE'VE LOST OUR
I THINK WE WE'VE LOST OUR
CONNECTIVITY UNFORTUNATELY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD MY
QUESTION.
IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR
NEGOTIATIONS WHEN HE HAS THIS
GOAL OF TAKING OVER UKRAINE?
>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY
BELIEVE WHAT HE WANTS ANY KIND
OF NEGAUCHE YAGSZS.
PROBABLY HE UNDERSTANDS THAT
HE'S IN A DEAD LOCK AND HE NEEDS
SOME KIND OF COMPROMISING AND
WAY OUT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HE KNOWS
THAT RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA IS ABLE
TO PORTRAY THE SITUATION AS A
HIS VICTORY AND HE CAN EXPLAIN
TO THE AUDIENCE OF RUSSIAN STATE
OR TV CHALLENGE THAT RUSSIAN
SOLDIERS HAVE LIBERATED UKRAINE
AND ITS VICTORY.
SO, THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM FOR
HIM.
AT THE SAME TIME, HE'S NOT READY
FOR ANY REAL CONCESSIONS,
PROBABLY.
ACCORDING TO HIS MINDSET, HE'S
COMPROMISE IS THAT FIRST, GET
THREATENED WITH PUSHING BUTTON.
WITH THE NUCLEAR APOCALYPSE AND
THEN, WHEN HE DECIDED NOT TO DO
THAT, THAT'S A CONCESSION FROM
HIS SIDE.
>> IT'S ALL FASCINATING.