Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
New York Times: U.S. intelligence suggests that Putin’s advisers misinformed him on Ukraine.
WASHINGTON — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has been misinformed by his advisers about the Russian military’s struggles in Ukraine, according to declassified U.S. intelligence.
The intelligence, according to multiple U.S. officials, shows what appears to be growing tension between Mr. Putin and the Ministry of Defense, including with the Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, who was once among the most trusted members of the Kremlin’s inner circle.
Speaking in Algiers, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken acknowledged Mr. Putin had been given less than truthful information from his advisers. “With regard to President Putin, look, what I can tell you is this, and I said this before, one of the Achilles' heels of autocracies is that you don’t have people in those systems who speak truth to power or who have the ability to speak truth to power,” Mr. Blinken said. “And I think that is something that we’re seeing in Russia.”
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Update #1: White House: Intel shows Putin misled by advisers on Ukraine (AP)
Update #2: White House Cites Intel Claiming Putin Being "Misled" By His Own Generals On War's Progress (Zero Hedge)
WNU Editor: Is there growing tensions between President Putin and the Ministry of Defense? I am sure there are some tensions as the war grinds on, but Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is still the Defense Minister, and he serves at the pleasure of the Russian President.
"Anonymous intelligence official" Hey that's the same name as the guy who told me about a pee tape. Small world.
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ReplyDeleteTouche!
We cannot bet of what our assumptions are. This state of mind is frightening!
ReplyDeleteI feel as though the Intelligence Services are just doubling down on their original assumptions and are relying on ideological talking points to justify it.
ReplyDeleteI mean think about it. If the Russian are actually winning the war, then that would mean the Intelligence agents were wrong about the entire opening stages of the war. They couldn't even get the strategic aims of the enemy advance were, blunders this bad demand heads roll.