Did Patrushev provoke Putin to war? |
Russia Secretary of the Security Council Nikolay Patrushev and director of the Federal Security Service (FSS) Alexander Bortnikov were the most ardent supporters of the war against Ukraine.
Britain’s The Times newspaper writes that the president It is believed that they provoked Vladimir Putin to war.
Newspaper journalist Owen Matthews has published excerpts from his book, which is being prepared for publication.
The journalist writes that the main warmongers are Patrushev and Bortnikov, who is closely familiar with the issue of intervention in Ukraine. Russia officials said.
The author claims that Patrushev, Bortnikov and Russia officials of the power structures close to them were convinced that the only way to save Russia from the supposedly growing strategic threat of the West was to launch a “preemptive” strike on Ukraine.
Viktor Zolotukhin, the head of the Russian Guard – Rosguard, told Alexey Venediktova, CEO of the now closed Echo Moscow radio, that in fact “Ukraine does not exist” and it is simply a buffer zone between Russia and America.
Putin’s shrinking circle
Apart from Patrushev, Bortnikov and Putin himself, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is also mentioned among those who prepared the intervention in Ukraine.
However, according to the author of the book, Shoigu played the role of executor and not ideologist in this matter.
It is also said that Shoigu even showed hesitation from time to time.
The author states that Nikolay Patrushev was the most ardent supporter of the war around Putin.
The Times writes that Putin’s isolation from the environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic played an important role in starting the war.
At that time, Putin’s circle was extremely limited and in this circle of Ukraine those who think it is important to be under absolute control prevailed.
of Ukraine businessman Yuri Kovalchuk was one of those who insisted on the strengthening of the struggle against the West with the subjugation.
Russia to the West offer no, he gave an ultimatum
Newspaper writes that the principle decision on the war against Ukraine was adopted in the late summer of 2021.
However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was tasked with obtaining greater concessions from the West in order to avoid war.
The Times writes that Lavrov himself wanted this conflict to end without war, and he thought that Putin shared the same opinion.
The security guarantees that Russia demanded in December 2021 were not acceptable to the West.
The Times writes that these proposals put forward by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the West Britain diplomats were not spelled correctly.
They thought that Putin He wants to achieve certain concessions by negotiating with the West, while it was about Moscow’s ultimatum.
The Times writes that representatives of the Russian elite, including members of the Security Council, were completely unaware of Putin’s decision to start a war against Ukraine until February 21.
Pre-recorded “live broadcast”
It is claimed that Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov in one of the private conversations of the majority of the members of the Security Council Kyiv stated that they received the information about the attack on him only at the meeting of this institution.
Among them was Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The decision to recognize the so-called “DXR” and “LXR” was also made at this meeting.
The Times cites Peskov as saying that the members of the Security Council were told on February 21 that the Security Council meeting would be broadcast live on television. But in all cases, TV channels showed the video recording of this meeting.
It is claimed that Putin’s speech about the start of a “special operation” in Ukraine was written on February 23.
The next day, a large-scale war against Ukraine began.
The Russian service of RFE/RL writes that the Russian authorities have not yet reacted to The Times newspaper article.