Putin is said to be furious about Western sanctions and intel officials fear he may target Ukrainian civilians as revenge (1 Viewer)

[Rogue Valley]

Putin is said to be furious about Western sanctions and intel officials fear he may target Ukrainian civilians as revenge, report says

Western intelligence officials are reportedly urgently debating how Vladimir Putin might respond to a wave of punishing sanctions enacted by the West.

www.businessinsider.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to be furious about the sanctions the West has imposed on his country over the Ukraine invasion, and Western officials fear he may target civilians in response, The Washington Post reported. European intelligence officials told The Post that the harder Russia is punished by sanctions, the more severe Putin's response may be, and that he may be compelled to "set an example" by striking at more civilian targets in Ukraine. The US, UK, EU, and other countries including Switzerland have levied harsh economic sanctions on Russian companies and entities, including Putin himself, in response to the Ukraine invasion. According to multiple reports, much of the intelligence on Putin's mental state is circumstantial, and intelligence agencies lack direct access to Putin's inner circle. One FBI report cited by The Post said that a source heard from another source that Putin was furious about the sanctions and believes they were a disproportionate response to his decision to invade Ukraine. The accounts tally with other intelligence assessments from US officials, indicating that Putin may have been caught off balance by the concerted Western response to the Ukraine invasion.

The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials believe that Putin became isolated as he closed himself off from all but a small group of advisors during the COVID-19 pandemic and that has impacted his mental state.
Russia had expected a swift victory over Ukraine, experts said, but the invasion has stalled in the face of staunch resistance by Ukraine's forces and residents. Western officials warned earlier this week that Putin was growing furious over the Ukrainian resistance to his invasion, and could launch a more aggressive attack in response. In recent days, Russia has launched a series of attacks on civilian targets in towns and cities including Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. The UN said Wednesday that more than 400 civilians have been killed in the fighting so far, and half a million refugees have flooded from Ukraine into neighboring countries.

It seems Putin expected his military to occupy Ukraine in a few days (a reprise of Crimea) and any Westen sanctions to be timid and very manageable. Neither expectation has occurred. Putin has greatly miscalculated.

But he is furious at Ukraine and the West, and this psychopath will take his revenge out on Ukrainian cities and civilians. Russian forces are already destroying Ukrainian cultural sites and structures.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Yes because being more brutal is going to convince the world to stop sanctioning him

 

[Greenbeard]

What a difference a few weeks makes.

Russia ridicules Biden's remarks about sanctioning Putin if Russia launches an invasion as U.S. pours weapons into Ukraine

Kremlin suggests any U.S. sanctions targeting leaders would be "absolutely not painful," as Moscow and Washington refuse to back down.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[SenorXm/Sirius]

More and more we can see why the far right of all countries admire this guy...

 

[Integrityrespec]

The real fear is that the west, not led by the US, is we will make a bunch of bold statements and sit on our hands and watch. I shutter to think what happens if we are eventually drug into a war with Russia with Biden and his team in the White House.

 

[Mr Person]

The real fear is that the west, not led by the US, is we will make a bunch of bold statements and sit on our hands and watch. I shutter to think what happens if we are eventually drug into a war with Russia with Biden and his team in the White House.

Actually, that's one of those dumbassed fake fears that observable reality disproves in the blink of an eye. It's painful to watch. You're in a thread talking about how Putin is furious about the sanctions that Biden and Europe imposed, after Europe lined up behind him....and you're struggling to post a "Biden sucks" bumper sticker anyway.

Pathetic, "Integrityrespec", just pathetic.

 

[Grand Mal]

The real fear is that the west, not led by the US, is we will make a bunch of bold statements and sit on our hands and watch. I shutter to think what happens if we are eventually drug into a war with Russia with Biden and his team in the White House.

You shutter to think that, huh?
What do you say Biden should be doing different? Phoning Putin to wish him well?

 

[maxparrish]

Putin is said to be furious about Western sanctions and intel officials fear he may target Ukrainian civilians as revenge, report says

Western intelligence officials are reportedly urgently debating how Vladimir Putin might respond to a wave of punishing sanctions enacted by the West.

www.businessinsider.com

It seems Putin expected his military to occupy Ukraine in a few days (a reprise of Crimea) and any Westen sanctions to be timid and very manageable. Neither expectation has occurred. Putin has greatly miscalculated.

But he is furious at Ukraine and the West, and this psychopath will take his revenge out on Ukrainian cities and civilians. Russian forces are already destroying Ukrainian cultural sites and structures.

Recall that earlier Putin had declared sanctions an act of war and threatened to act accordingly. I suppose when a leader's hubris is all consuming this is what you get - someone who can't accept that he fricked up.

The next five years will, I hope, be one of common sense returning to the west. A revitalization of conventional and nuclear forces, an acceptance that fossil fuel security is desperately needed, and even that nuclear power is preferable to being dependent on one's existential enemy.

 

[SenorXm/Sirius]

You shutter to think that, huh?
What do you say Biden should be doing different? Phoning Putin to wish him well?

Trumpsters want Biden to do what Trump would do... Call Putin a genius kiss his ass, and turn the US into a Russia..

 

[Integrityrespec]

Actually, that's one of those dumbassed fake fears that observable reality disproves in the blink of an eye. It's painful to watch. You're in a thread talking about how Putin is furious about the sanctions that Biden and Europe imposed, after Europe lined up behind him....and you're struggling to post a "Biden sucks" bumper sticker anyway.

Pathetic, "Integrityrespec", just pathetic.

Because I think Biden hasn't led, he's been at the back of the line waiting on Europe to take action. He has pretty much said that several times, "we will not take any action unless the entire G7 is in agreement". Sometimes you need to say, "here's what we are going to do, so jump on board or get left behind". Biden doesn't have much imagination and he has no spine and neither do his state dept personnel. It' growing more and more obvious that we are going sit and watch the destruction of Ukraine, mass murders and I think we will see executions in the streets before long, and we are going to say we are waiting on sanctions to make Putin stop. It's weak, it's cruel, and it isn't America leading.

 

[Chomsky]

The real fear is that the west, not led by the US, is we will make a bunch of bold statements and sit on our hands and watch. I shutter to think what happens if we are eventually drug into a war with Russia with Biden and his team in the White House.

You shutter to think that, huh?
What do you say Biden should be doing different? Phoning Putin to wish him well?

It's "shudder". SHUDDER!

 

[Grand Mal]

It's "shudder". SHUDDER!

Sshhh. Don't spoil it for me!

 

[gbg3]

The real fear is that the west, not led by the US, is we will make a bunch of bold statements and sit on our hands and watch. I shutter to think what happens if we are eventually drug into a war with Russia with Biden and his team in the White House.

That's certainly my concern. NATO seems to be conducting too many meetings and then responding with delayed sanctions and delayed help - often too late (or MUCH too late) to have an impact. Meanwhile, NATO's strongest military member's leader (Biden) sits in Delaware and waits to be told what to think and do and he follows the other 29 NATO countries, reluctantly at times. Oftentimes, some of them are far ahead of him and taking their own actions. Without the U.S. and its military, defense, and innovation/production/sales in both offensive and defensive capabilities, NATO is incredibly diminished. So, with Biden as POTUS, NATO does certainly take on a bold talk and sit on hands look.

 

[Chomsky]

Sshhh. Don't spoil it for me!

I was initially going to joke about it being appropriate, as our fellow poster appears to not be 'seeing' the situation clearly!

 

[Lutherf]

Yes because being more brutal is going to convince the world to stop sanctioning him

Based on half the stuff I read around here and see coming out of the global political cabal, it might. All appearances are that since Putin has gone nuts then the LAST thing we need to do is provoke him to go more nuts...or to provide any substantive support to Ukraine because THAT might provoke Putin. We can send in all the Stingers and Javelins we want but a "no fly" zone is out of the question and providing any troops to secure airfields...FAGEDDABOUTIT!!

At this point the US/EU plan seems to be to allow Ukraine to die as slow and painful a death as possible while doing nothing to help other than wagging an occasional finger or two. Hell, Biden is still buying Russian oil and he's sending Harris to sort the Ukraine issue out because she knows that Russia is bigger than Ukraine and that invading another nation is bad.

 

[lwf]

That's certainly my concern. NATO seems to be conducting too many meetings and then responding with delayed sanctions and delayed help - often too late (or MUCH too late) to have an impact. Meanwhile, NATO's strongest military member's leader (Biden) sits in Delaware and waits to be told what to think and do and he follows the other 29 NATO countries, reluctantly at times. Oftentimes, some of them are far ahead of him and taking their own actions. Without the U.S. and its military, defense, and innovation/production/sales in both offensive and defensive capabilities, NATO is incredibly diminished. So, with Biden as POTUS, NATO does certainly take on a bold talk and sit on hands look.

Sanctions are more useful when they are progressive, rather than putting all your cards on the table in the first hand. Putin is less likely to escalate if he fears the next sanction than if we hit him with everything we have in the first round.

 

[Chomsky]

That's certainly my concern. NATO seems to be conducting too many meetings and then responding with delayed sanctions and delayed help - often too late (or MUCH too late) to have an impact. Meanwhile, NATO's strongest military member's leader (Biden) sits in Delaware and waits to be told what to think and do

This is not just disingenuous, but feeds a partisan lacking-in-evidence narrative.

and he follows the other 29 NATO countries, reluctantly at times. Oftentimes, some of them are far ahead of him and taking their own actions. Without the U.S. and its military, defense, and innovation/production/sales in both offensive and defensive capabilities, NATO is incredibly diminished. So, with Biden as POTUS, NATO does certainly take on a bold talk and sit on hands look.

Do you not realize the NATO nations are all talking to each other? Constantly? You have no idea of the input or leadership taking place, besides what is announced to the public, and that's likely not a lot of it.

Perhaps, it's possible the leadership is making more informed decisions than you are? However, you are entitled to your opinion, so I'll respect that.

 

[Callen]

That's certainly my concern. NATO seems to be conducting too many meetings and then responding with delayed sanctions and delayed help - often too late (or MUCH too late) to have an impact. Meanwhile, NATO's strongest military member's leader (Biden) sits in Delaware and waits to be told what to think and do and he follows the other 29 NATO countries, reluctantly at times. Oftentimes, some of them are far ahead of him and taking their own actions. Without the U.S. and its military, defense, and innovation/production/sales in both offensive and defensive capabilities, NATO is incredibly diminished. So, with Biden as POTUS, NATO does certainly take on a bold talk and sit on hands look.

Only to some. Can you support anything you just posted, especially the bolded, or can we agree it is just your opinion?

 

[gbg3]

Because I think Biden hasn't led, he's been at the back of the line waiting on Europe to take action.

Yes, and this is painfully obvious to see - to the whole world.

Sometimes you need to say, "here's what we are going to do, so jump on board or get left behind". Biden doesn't have much imagination and he has no spine and neither do his state dept personnel. It' growing more and more obvious that we are going sit and watch the destruction of Ukraine, mass murders and I think we will see executions in the streets before long, and we are going to say we are waiting on sanctions to make Putin stop. It's weak, it's cruel, and it isn't America leading.

Yes, that's what leaders (with a spine) have to do. And Biden spends yet another weekend in Delaware watching the destruction of Ukraine. Not a second of it has been "America leading". And as Keane has been pointing out for weeks/months - America needed to begin leading on this in spring of 21, when intelligence accurately warned us. Just imagine the path this current scenario could take us down in the future! The whole world, along with all their various desires and goals - is watching.

 

[Roadvirus]

"I can't believe they placed sanctions on us! Just because we illegally invaded another country and are killing civilians indiscriminately!"

 

[Callen]

Yes, and this is painfully obvious to see - to the whole world.



Yes, that's what leaders (with a spine) have to do. And Biden spends yet another weekend in Delaware watching the destruction of Ukraine. Not a second of it has been "America leading". And as Keane has been pointing out for weeks/months - America needed to begin leading on this in spring of 21, when intelligence accurately warned us. Just imagine the path this current scenario could take us down in the future! The whole world, along with all their various desires and goals - is watching.

...and Biden has managed to galvanize NATO in a way that hasn't been seen in year's. Pretty much every military leader, except apparently Keane a regular Fox contributor, and many, many savvy observers are comending Biden on his leadership. Of course none of that plays on Fox.

 

[gbg3]

At this point the US/EU plan seems to be to allow Ukraine to die as slow and painful a death as possible while doing nothing to help other than wagging an occasional finger or two. Hell, Biden is still buying Russian oil and he's sending Harris to sort the Ukraine issue out because she knows that Russia is bigger than Ukraine and that invading another nation is bad

It sure does seem that way, doesn't it? I bolded the part which is so much like I'm feeling.

 

[gbg3]

Sanctions are more useful when they are progressive, rather than putting all your cards on the table in the first hand. Putin is less likely to escalate if he fears the next sanction than if we hit him with everything we have in the first round.

How is that "progressive" sanction plan working out for Ukraine right now?

 

[Callen]

It sure does seem that way, doesn't it? I bolded the part which is so much like I'm feeling.

What do you suggest the US does? Send in troops, provide a no fly zone? Maybe ban Russian oil...

 

[lwf]

How is that "progressive" sanction plan working out for Ukraine right now?

It isn't meant to benefit Ukraine. It's meant to benefit the United States.