What I’ve been curious about regarding the Wagner Group is ‘motive’. Did someone higher up in the Russian military offer them ‘incentives’ to stage this revolt - such as promotions or bonuses within the military if they can depose certain individuals? There are Russian oligarchs who have lost a lot of money because of Putin’s war (remember the seizure of their yachts a year ago?) - so, Mr Kust, in your digging into this topic, have you seen any evidence, or even hints, that some powerful ‘others’ are financing this rebellion?
Prigozhin has been feuding with Shoigu for months, and lately Prigozhin has been accusing Shoigu of major corruption--much of which is very likely true. Assuming there was an actual attack on Wagner's camps in Ukraine, I don't think we need to look farther for motive.
I have seen reports of Putin's St. Petersburg vs someone else's Moscow political fight.
After 20+ years in Moscow, you'd think Putin would know his way around.
Russian forces aren't defending Moscow, they are actually enjoying Siberia, where they are deployed pending something big in the Pacific (China), according to one source I have.
Putin may be on his way out, age & sickness may be key here, well, sickness at least.
People forget that Russia's longest border is with China. And historically they have never been allies.
Which is another dimension that complicates this Prigozhin situation.
If Putin is on the way out, that is a huge can of worms because there's no obvious successor and no institutional permanence as was the case during the Soviet era.
The idea that "conservatives" oppose the administrative state is one of the enduring idiocies of our time.
They have no qualms with an expansive view of government, they just have different areas where they want government expanded. They love the Military Industrial Complex and lots of defense spending, so they naturally take taxpayer dollars from the equally malignant sacred cows of the Democrats and progressives.
What I’ve been curious about regarding the Wagner Group is ‘motive’. Did someone higher up in the Russian military offer them ‘incentives’ to stage this revolt - such as promotions or bonuses within the military if they can depose certain individuals? There are Russian oligarchs who have lost a lot of money because of Putin’s war (remember the seizure of their yachts a year ago?) - so, Mr Kust, in your digging into this topic, have you seen any evidence, or even hints, that some powerful ‘others’ are financing this rebellion?
Prigozhin has been feuding with Shoigu for months, and lately Prigozhin has been accusing Shoigu of major corruption--much of which is very likely true. Assuming there was an actual attack on Wagner's camps in Ukraine, I don't think we need to look farther for motive.
Excellent discussion.
I have seen reports of Putin's St. Petersburg vs someone else's Moscow political fight.
After 20+ years in Moscow, you'd think Putin would know his way around.
Russian forces aren't defending Moscow, they are actually enjoying Siberia, where they are deployed pending something big in the Pacific (China), according to one source I have.
Putin may be on his way out, age & sickness may be key here, well, sickness at least.
No, we don't know anything, and neither do they.
People forget that Russia's longest border is with China. And historically they have never been allies.
Which is another dimension that complicates this Prigozhin situation.
If Putin is on the way out, that is a huge can of worms because there's no obvious successor and no institutional permanence as was the case during the Soviet era.
On another front, did you read this.
https://amgreatness.com/2023/06/24/a-century-of-impotency-conservative-failure-and-the-administrative-state/
The idea that "conservatives" oppose the administrative state is one of the enduring idiocies of our time.
They have no qualms with an expansive view of government, they just have different areas where they want government expanded. They love the Military Industrial Complex and lots of defense spending, so they naturally take taxpayer dollars from the equally malignant sacred cows of the Democrats and progressives.
Yes!