Point of Change. Putin no longer controls the conversation of war on Ukraine or within his Russia.
Pressure of Putin's war on Ukraine is relieved as Prigozhin is making his own decisions.
In stunning changes yesterday in the tide of the war on Ukraine by Putin as Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group left Ukraine, militarily took Rostov a city in Russia and this morning (in the US), began to move his fighting troops towards Moscow. Tap, tap, Donald, this is how a coup is done. Why the changes and why now? Simply, the loss of credibility of Putin.
Photos of tanks in the streets of Moscow yesterday evening in the US, were all over twitter as mainstream and cable news lagged by hours in delivering true breaking news.
Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, Russian oligarch and known as “Putin’s chief” in days now gone away, is the head of the Wagner group, a mercenary group most recently in Ukraine to assist the Russian army. The turn came as Prigozhin became vocal about understanding the war in Ukraine is a false war and Putin was less than truthful about the motives for the war. In a stark reversal of trust, once the missiles of Putin were aimed at Wagner, Prigozhin left Ukraine. Again, going to and taking the city of Rostov and then headed purposefully to Moscow. Once this tact was firmly taken, it was only hours till reports of Belarus’s president, Lukashenko, talked Prigozhin off his ledge, now standing down from that serious decision halting the advance. Volatility and fragility describe the situation well for now as we wait for the next significant news to come.
Reporting is consistent but fast moving. Michael McFaul, (Professor of Political Science, Director of Freeman Spogli Institute & Hoover Senior Fellow all at Stanford University. U.S. Ambassador to Russia, 2012-2014.) said today acknowledging the weirdness of it all:
Can anyone remember a mutiny or coup attempt that lasted 24 hours and no one really fought or was killed? We all watched how easy it was for Wagner to seize Rostov. Something strange going on here.
Russian troops seemed reluctant to do anything to push back on the Wagner group for now. Perhaps the radical movements are an arranged exodus from Ukraine. Another psyops or conspiracy to shield what’s reeeeely going on. Conspiracy theories and psyops are everywhere as we are steeped in them since the Trump campaign of 2015, accepting the crazy with the true as we wait for clearer eyes to reveal we will all be back on track soon enough, just not yet.
So, Ukraine is watching this unfold too.
Volodymir Zelensky weighs in thusly:
The trolling has begun. Power has clearly shifted.
The beginning of the end of the war in Ukraine has also credibly begun. There will be no turning back from the events of the last 24 hours.
In the United States as we watch with attention to every detail some get it and some get it all wrong. From the mouths of Fox “even if you think this isn’t a coup, you gotta be thinking somethings up.” Just never you mind sweetheart. Catch up to you later.
Some nonsense by the right credit Biden for the coup in Russia which is only a psyop. Ya know, this time… I’d take it. Tump at this time is unusually quiet. That wont last, enjoy for now.
There are some really good people to listen to for up to the minute information. On YouTube: PhilipIttner, and Phil with Hal Sparks on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at Hal Sparks. On twitter: @PhilipIttner who is in Ukraine @TimothyDSnyder, @AVindman, and to see Malcom Nance on substack try him at Special Intelligence. And subscribe below to One Small Voice.
Slava Ukraini. Glory to Ukraine.
Thanks for being here. I mean it. Subscribe. It’s free.