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Tuesday, July 11th, 2023
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| 7:00a | Comments on Prigozhin’s mutiny in English  With Laura Ingraham Ingraham Angle, Fox News Putin is still ‘very much frightened’ by Prigozhin’s actions: Andrei Illarionov June 26, 2023 Andrei Illarionov, a former senior policy adviser to Vladimir Putin, offers insight into Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin halting his march on Moscow on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’ https://www.foxnews.com/video/6330155749 With Capitol Report Wagner Mutiny Was a Private Affair Coup, Not a Political Coup: Russian Affairs Analyst June 30, 2023 By Steve Lance The Wagner mercenary force will no longer be fighting in the war in Ukraine, at least for the time being—following their short-lived coup last week. NTD spoke with Russian affairs analyst Andrei Illarionov, who helps us better understand the current situation. Illarionov is a Russian economist and senior analyst at the Center for Security Policy, who also at one time was an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. https://www.ntd.com/wagner-mutiny-was-a-p With Frank Gaffney Andrei Illarionov: The ‘Coup’: Assessing What Happened and What will Happen Next in Russia https://rumble.com/v2wupyb-andrei-illari June 28, 2023 TRANSCRIPT The so-called mutiny of Mr. Prigozhin with his private company “Wagner” has revealed several very important features of the current political regime in Russia and showed reactions on this mutiny and on the political regime in Russia from outside. What are the most important observations we can make right now? First, it was not a coup aimed at overthrowing Putin or Putin's regime. Mr. Prigozhin never said about such a goal, never proclaimed that his goal was to overthrow Putin or his regime or to change regime or to replace anyone except of two persons, Minister of Defense Shoygu and the Chief of Staff Gerasimov. So that is why this is a very private affair between some fractions of the Putin's regime, not anything that is aimed on changing this regime or replacing this regime or overthrowing this regime. Second, it has been demonstrated very vividly that this private company, “Wagner”, is not private. It is state one and state funded. And today Mr. Putin has explained in details and described how much money has been spent on this company. So that's exactly what people discussed for at length for all these many years – that the so-called private company is not a private company. This is a state company. And today, not anyone, but Putin himself has confirmed it. And he mentioned numbers, billions of US dollars, that the Putin's government has spent on this company. Third, very important, observation that this state company has accumulated probably the best trained forces within Russian troops, it has demonstrated a remarkable ability to achieve its goal. Within 24 hours, they moved at distance approximately 800 km from Lugansk and Rostov to Moscow. And by speed and easiness with which it was moving, it is by far the best, the most impressive special military operations in which Russian forces have been involved over the last three decades. Next point is the fear that has engulfed Putin personally and his entourage during these 24 hours of mutiny. Putin has been frightened very deeply, and he tried to stop these columns unsuccessfully. And he used, as we know, air forces that have been shot down by “Wagner”. In the process of this mutiny, Putin asked for help. And this is remarkable – whom he asked for help. He asked for help in this case leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey. It looks like that Kazakh and Uzbek leaders politely declined their participation in this crisis. Mr. Lukashenko participated in this crisis. It was really remarkable with no precedent in history of Russia for all multi-century history of this state that Mr. Erdogan, president of Turkey, has suggested his mediation services in solving Russian domestic crisis. Next, Putin has not put down this mutiny in the strict sense of this word because nobody among those who launched this uprising has been arrested or shot. Moreover, it has been reached a deal according to which Prigozhin himself and a part of his troops would move to Belarus. Definitely it does not look like it's going to be a prison or something like that. It looks like that this company and these forces would continue their service for Belarus and for Russian forces and for Putin himself, probably in a new capacity. It is too early to say, but it appears that the security and military environment of Putin is tacitly behind not necessarily Prigozhin personally, but the idea not to destroy this company. Initially, Putin wanted to destroy this company and destroy its leadership. But looks like the balance of power has changed so dramatically that Putin was not able to do it. As a result, the deal has been achieved. It shows to the regime itself, to Russian people and to outsiders around the world, that the so-called “personalistic regime” of Putin is not a personalistic one. This is much more like a military or security junta within which the balance of power is distributed unevenly. And the positions of different forces in this junta is not yet clear as of the current situation. What is also necessary to mention is the position that has been taken by some Western participants in this geopolitical battle, especially by G7 country and by the Biden administration. They have contacted Kremlin. And, as the White House has announced, they had very good communications with Kremlin. It has been revealed later by CNN and by the Financial Times, the Biden administration sidelined with Putin against Prigozhin. They publicly put a pressure on Ukrainians not to attack offensive assets on the Russian territory during the crisis and not to attack Russia at all, just not to allow political instability in Russia. This is the language of the White House, meaning “fall of the Putin's political regime”. It means that Biden's administration fully supports Putin's regime in the war between Putin's forces and Ukraine. This is one of the most outstanding, shocking and even scandalous fact that the Biden regime is demonstrating itself as an ally of Putin against Ukraine. So, this very fact shows that in the critical situations, which just happened over the last few days in front of our eyes, and in all those critical situations, Biden administration is supporting Putin and is saving Putin and Putin's regime. The main question that has been discussed over the last year and a half – whether Ukraine is able to defeat Putin's regime. The answer became very clearly now – as long as the Biden's administration is supporting Putin's regime (not only China, or Iran, or North Korea, but Biden), as long as the Biden administration is supporting Putin's regime, it would be very hard for Ukraine alone to defeat aggressor. https://rumble.com/v2wupyb-andrei-illari With Rich Valdez America at Night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7dpslo3 Jun 29, 2023 Former chief economic advisor to the president of Russia, who at the time was Vladimir Putin, Andrei Illarionov joins us to discuss the attempted coup against Putin by the Wagner mercenary group. 00:20:31 Valdes: All right, America. Welcome back, Rich Valdez. And we're having a really interesting conversation with the former economic advisor to the Russian president who happened to be Vladimir Putin at the time, Andrei Illarionov. Illarionov. Did I get it right this time? Illarionov: Yes. Thank you. RV.: All right. Thank you. I don't want to mess up your name. People do that to me all the time and I hate it. So I try to pay it forward. Okay. Now, you're also senior analyst for Russian and European affairs at the Center for Security Policy. And prior to the break, I had asked you for your opinion on what happens moving forward and did anybody encourage the Wagner group or Prigozhin to take this action? What are your thoughts? AI: From what we know now, we don't see any particular participation from outside. There might be involvement of some military and security officials within Russia who usually support much more hawkish actions on the front in the war against Ukraine and within Russia, because Prigozhin’s “Wagner” Company is definitely much more aggressive, much more hawkish and much more brutal part of the Russian military and security forces, no doubt. So that is why it might be that some people within the political regime and military would support them, but definitely nobody from outside. The main issue was the possibility of the disbandment of this company, and probably there were some issues with personal security for Prigozhin, for his commanders, and for his soldiers. So that is why that was the main problem they were trying to solve. One very important observation we need to make using your question, because you asked about the Biden administration approach. And this is something absolutely new, qualitatively new, that we learned during this weekend, that some people had only some expectations, but now there is a public confirmation. Biden administration publicly sided with Putin against Ukraine. During this crisis, Biden administration put pressure on Ukrainian authorities not to exploit this temporal weakness of Putin and not to attack Russian forces on the front. Moreover, they pressed the Ukrainians not to attack offensive assets of the Russian side. It appears that Ukrainians were forced to fulfill this requirement, this demand from the Biden administration. So that is why in the critical moment for Putin's regime, in one of the most serious crises for Putin's regime, the Biden administrations switched sides and allied with Putin against Ukraine. It's obvious that such moment of crisis can be used and must be used to achieve goals of the Ukrainian counter-offensive to liberate Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces, to liberate millions of people who happen to be on these occupied territories. But at this critical moment, the Biden administration switched sides and stabbed Ukrainians in the back. Because they essentially forbade Ukrainians to continue their offensive with the goal to liberate occupied Ukrainian territories. Because Ukraine critically depends on the United States in receiving military aid, Ukrainians were forced to comply. Some publications, including in Washington Post, CNN, Financial Times, Politico, all of them saying that through this crisis, it became clear that the strategy of the Biden administration in this Russian-Ukrainian war is not to allow Ukrainians to win this war in such a way that it would lead to removal of Mr Putin from power, or to decomposition of Putin's regime. The main goal of the Biden's administration is to keep Putin in power, to preserve him in power, to save him from any crisis. And instead of putting him to the Hague, to the special tribunal for military criminals, to bring Putin to the negotiations table. They would like to discuss with Putin several issues, including future of Ukraine and future of security guarantees for Europe. That has been officially proclaimed by a person whom you already invited people to listen to a little bit earlier, Anthony Blinken, Secretary of State, who made such a statement a few weeks ago in Helsinki. After he repeated those statements at his press conference. Now it is not only public proclamation what they would like to achieve, but now they are actual actions during one of the most serious crises for Putin's regime. Now we know that if and when next such or similar crisis for Putin happens again, the Biden administration would once again come up saving Putin, helping Putin, supporting Putin, preserving him from the downfall. And this is the most important new knowledge that we got from this crisis. RV: Folks, we are on with Andre Illarionov. He is a former economic advisor to the Russian president at the time, Vladimir Putin. He's currently senior analyst for Russian and European affairs at the Center for Security Policy. Now, doc, I want to ask you a question. What we just, you just described this siding with the wrong side and stabbing them in the back. Would you say this is cowardice to act on behalf of the Biden administration or complicity? AI: All right, we can say this is a strategy. During all these sixteen months of this new stage of full-scale war that Putin launched against Ukraine, many people, who watch this brutal aggression, keep asking questions – why military assistance the US administration is giving to Ukraine is so small, is so minimal, that is not enough even to keep the line, not even talking about counter-offensive? People ask questions why the so-called sanctions policy of Biden brought Putin 400 billion dollars of additional profits and increased Russian GDP by 21% in dollar terms? This is a unique result for the whole history of countries under sanctions? Due to these profits, due to these presents from Mr. Biden, Putin was able to substantially increase government expenditure, especially military expenditure. He increased massively military expenditure using the resources he received due to Biden's policy, in order to produce more weaponry, to hire more people, to mobilize more soldiers, and to continue this brutal war against Ukraine. People keep asking why some basic armaments like missiles, like tanks, like jets are not provided to Ukraine? Why this military aid is so small? Why is such a sanctions policy that is helping Putin, not Ukraine? And there was no clear answer on all those questions. But now we got the answer. The answer is very clear. This is a strategy, a strategy that is being pursued by the administration for all these sixteen months of this war. RV: Playing both sides. AI: Essentially, the Biden estimation is saying that, okay, we are supporting Ukraine. Supporting, yes, that's true. Some support is being provided, but only up to the point. And now we know this point. The point is, yes, you can do something. You can move few meters or few kilometers, and you can get some of the occupied territories. But what you are not allowed to do, you are not allowed to touch Putin. You are not allowed to destroy his regime. You are not allowed for regime change. But we all know that as long as Putin is in Kremlin, he will continue the war against Ukraine. He will never abandon his goal to destroy sovereignty and nationhood of Ukraine. He iss going to continue his aggressive policy against Georgia, Moldova, Baltic countries. If he succeeds, he will continue his aggression against other European countries. It's not a secret right now. He wrote about this. It is an open fact. He repeated it so many times. There is no secret at all. Biden should know that very well. That is why by preserving Putin in power, the Biden administration consciously oriented on continuing Putin's aggression against neighbors of Russia. RV: All right, Doc, we're going to hang on right here and we're going to come right back. Folks, we're on with Dr. Andrei Illarionov, former economic advisor to the Russian president and current senior analyst for Russian and European affairs at the Center for Security Policy. We're coming right back. All right, that is Secretary Anthony Blinken: “And I tend to think that after the public embarrassment on the global stage that maybe this will be a little bit accelerated. We'll see if they come to the table and what is in store for Russia and Ukraine in in the short future.” Our guest is Dr. Andrei Illarionov. He is the Senior Analyst for Russian and European Affairs at the Center for Security Policy, and he's the former Chief Economic Advisor to the Russian President at the time, Vladimir Putin. Doc, what do you think happens from here on out? AI: I think it's very good that you put this quote from Mr. Blinken, just played a few seconds ago, because it demonstrates how wrong is the Biden administration in their understanding of Putin and Putin's regime. They are publicly saying that they would like to bring Putin to the negotiation table. But Mr. Putin told many times that he's not interested in negotiations. He's interested in destruction of Ukraine, in destruction of its statehood, sovereignty, the Ukrainian nation itself. We know, how Russian troops are destroying the Ukrainian textbooks, history books, everything that is associated with Ukrainian culture. Putin is ready to go to negotiation table only after he finishes his job, on which he talked so many times. So by putting this goal – “bringing Putin to the negotiations table,” – the Biden administration is doing everything possible and impossible to continue this war, to give an opportunity to Putin to kill more Ukrainians, to destroy more civilian objects in Ukraine, and to bring more destruction to this nation. This is a very clear and very persistent strategy that is not only proclaimed but being executed by the White House. RV: So, short of regime change, It seems like there's or some massive sign of force from the office of the president of the United States. And again, maybe it's not Biden, maybe it's some future president to kind of put him in his place and say, hey, look, this is over, because if you don't, this is going to happen. It seems like this will be the status quo, this unending war. AI: At this moment definitely yes, because this is the official position of the current administration. What are they doing? Not only what they think, what do they think, it's clear. But what are they doing is just to prolong this war as long as possible, and to bring as more destruction to Ukraine as possible. Because they set up the wrong, unfulfilled goal. This goal cannot be fulfilled because Putin will not go to the negotiations table until Ukraine is destroyed or until Ukraine wins this war. But Ukraine can win this war only by achieving the goal of replacement of the Putin's political regime in Russia. There is no other way. So that is why blocking this particular direction, the Biden administration is doing everything possible to continue this war. RV: Now, Dr. Illarionov, I want you to let everybody know how they can follow the work that you're doing. If there's a website or a social media handle you would like to plug, please let us know. AI: I'm working at the Center for Security Policy. You are welcome to visit a website of the Center, as well as my personal Livejournal blog, Twitter, Facebook, Telegram channels. All of them are available. There is information there both in English and Russian, for those who are familiar with that language as well. It's done on a regular basis every day. RV: Well, thank you. This was a really enlightening conversation. I really appreciate your, your candor and your clarity on a topic that I know is confusing to a lot of people. We can barely understand American politics half the time, let alone Russian politics and the geopolitical situation in Europe. Folks, Dr. Andrei Illarionov, he is the Senior Analyst for Russian and European Affairs at the Center for Security Policy and the former Chief Economic Advisor to the Russian President. Doc, I want to thank you for joining us. AI: Thank you very much, Rich. All the best. https://steno.ai/rich-valdes-america-at-n |
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