Category Archives: Putin

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

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Elon Musk is denying a report by Eurasia Group founder and political scientist Ian Bremmer that the SpaceX and Tesla CEO recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about "the minimum the Russianpresident would require to end the war." Bremmer's note went out earlier this week to clients. Investor Sven Henrich asked Musk, via his Twitter account "@northmantrader," if the report was true. Musk responded in a tweet on Tuesday: "No, it is not. I have spoken to Putin only once and that was about 18 months ago. The subject matter was space."

Later on Tuesday, Bremmer doubled down, writing that Musk had told him that he spoke directly with Putin and the Kremlin about Ukraine.

CNBC reached out to Eurasia Group and SpaceX but neither were immediately available to comment.

As CNBC previously reported, Musk posted a series of tweetsOct. 3 seeking support for his opinion on the best outcome for Russia's war on Ukraine.

Musk proposed UN-supervised votes in Ukraine about whether certain regions of the nation under siege should join Russia. He also said Ukraine should hand Crimea over to Russia and that the nation should then remain "neutral" rather than aligning with either NATO or Russia.

Since those tweets, Musk has continued to promote the idea, on Twitter, that some Ukraine citizens would prefer to, and vote to, join Russia.

Kremlin officialspraised Musk for his opinion, but Musk drew sharp criticism from many others, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sen.Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., and Russia-born human rights activist and former chess championGarry Kasparov.

Kasparov, who sought to block Putin's rise to power and was jailed and beaten for his activism before fleeing the country, described Musk's plan as a "repetition of Kremlin propaganda."

And Ukraine's outgoing ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, wrote in response to Musk's tweets: "F--- off is my very diplomatic reply to you."

Musk had previously earned hero status in Ukraine because his company SpaceX enabled its Starlink satellite internet service to keep parts of the country online beginning in the early days of the conflict.

Publicly opining on war could prove risky for Musk and SpaceX, said J2 Ventures founder and managing partner Alex Harstrick. Before starting the fund, Harstrickwas an Army intelligence officer who deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq with special operations units.

"Any company that sells in a significant way to the United States of America, and specifically the Department of Defense, has to acknowledge that its CEO has a responsibility to make sure that what they are talking about in any public disclosure is consistent with the values of the United States," Harstrick told CNBC's "Squawk Box."

SpaceXhas notched federal contractsworth more than $10.5 billion since 2003, according to data tracked by Deltek's GovWin and viewed by CNBC. If the leaders of a defense contractor are seen as interfering with diplomatic efforts by the U.S., government agencies may be hesitant to work with them when alternatives are available, he suggested.

Musk has also recently sounded off, in an interview with the Financial Times, about his vision for resolving China's conflict with Taiwan. Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the U.S.,thanked Musk for the idea in a tweet.

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Elon Musk denies report that he talked to Putin recently about Ukraine war - CNBC

Russia has lost around 65,000 soldiers since its invasion of Ukraine, officials in Kyiv say, a death toll which would rank well above the fatalities suffered by the US in the Vietnam War.

The general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces gave the figure in its latest war update on social media. As of 17 October, it listed about 65,320 (+320) persons eliminated as among the total combat losses of the enemy since the war began almost eight months ago on 24 February.

If confirmed, it would mean Russia has lost close to 2,000 soldiers a week during the conflict. The 65,320 estimate was up about 10,000 on the previous figure provided by the Ukrainian military on 21 September.

By way of comparison, according to the Defence Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files, around 58,220 US military casualties were recorded in the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund states that 58,281 Americans died in the prolonged proxy war between the US and Indochina forces in Vietnam.

There is no confirmation of the exact losses suffered by the Russian forces in its war with Ukraine, which Vladimir Putin calls a special military operation to oust the so-called neo-nazi leadership of the neighbouring country. Russia provides few updates and the figures they do provide are inevitably far lower than those maintained by Ukraine.

In late September the Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu claimed Moscow had lost 5,937 soldiers in the war with Ukraine between 24 February and 20 September.

The top Russian official also claimed that at least 61,207 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the war and 49,368 have been injured in the same period.

Another estimate, from Washington, pegged Russian casualties including those wounded at between 70,000 and 80,000 up to August this year.

The Pentagons undersecretary of defence for policy, Colin Kahl, had claimed then that Vladimir Putins forces were taking a tremendous number of casualties.

Theres a lot of fog in the war but I think its safe to suggest that the Russians have probably taken 70 or 80,000 casualties in less than six months. Now that is a combination of killed in action and wounded in action and that number might be a little lower, a little higher, but I think thats kind of in the ballpark, Mr Kahl said.

Nearly eight months into the war, Russia is recording significant losses amid a strengthening counterattack from Ukraine in the besieged countrys northeastern and southern territory.

To further bolster its military offensive in Ukraine, Mr Putin had ordered the drafting of Russian men in a partial mobilisation order last month.

Russian police and military officers have conscripted hundreds of men in the past week, grabbing them from the street without any notice to be deployed in the Kremlins war in Ukraine, reported The Washington Post.

The Russian police officers searched for conscripts in places including a business centre in Moscow where they seized almost every man in sight, the report added.

Last week, more than 200 men were taken away from the dormitories of the Mipstroy1 construction company and on 9 October, officials grabbed dozens at a shelter for the homeless.

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Putin has lost more troops in Ukraine than US did in whole of Vietnam war report - The Independent

MOSCOW, Oct 12 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia could redirect supplies intended for the damaged Nord Stream pipelines to the Black Sea to create a European gas hub in Turkey, or even use the one intact part of Nord Stream 2 to supply the EU.

An investigation is under way into explosions last month that ruptured the Russian-built Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines on the bed of the Baltic Sea.

Putin said it was possible to repair the pipelines and that Russia and Europe should decide their fate.

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"We could move the lost volumes from the Nord Streams along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea region and thus make the main routes for the supply of our fuel, our natural gas to Europe through Turkey, creating the largest gas hub for Europe in Turkey," he told an energy conference in Moscow.

"That is, of course, if our partners are interested in this. And economic feasibility, of course."

The problem is that European Union countries are trying to end their reliance on Russian oil and gas after Putin sent troops into Ukraine as part of what he calls a special military operation.

Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, speaking at the same conference in Moscow, said the idea was new to him but should be discussed.

"It is the first time we've heard this. Thus it is early to make an assessment," Donmez said. "These are things that need to be discussed."

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller praised the Turkstream pipeline across Black Sea, noting it was much deeper than Nord Stream.

"As for the hub, there is no doubt that we can consider the issue of a trading platform on the border of the European Union and Turkey," Miller said.

Putin also said Russian gas could still be supplied to Europe through the one part of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is intact, but that would depend on the EU.

"It is possible to repair gas pipelines running along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, but this will only make sense if they are further economically justified," he said, adding that the security of the pipeline would have to be ensured.

"And there is one branch of the Nord Stream 2, apparently that survived," Putin said. "Russia is ready to start such deliveries. The ball, as they say, is in the court of the European Union."

Miller said the pipelines could be repaired but that the EU had to say whether it wanted them repaired - and ensure their security.

Three of the Nord Stream pipelines are damaged. That leaves only one line of Nord Stream 2, which has an annual capacity of 27.5 billion cubic metres, functional.

"We are ready to supply additional volumes in the autumn-winter period," Putin said.

The pipelines, which have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis, have been leaking gas into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark and Sweden.

Europe suspects an act of sabotage that Moscow quickly sought to pin on the West, suggesting the United States stood to gain.

Apart from being the world's biggest natural gas exporter, Russia is the second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia and a member of the OPEC+ producer group that last week decided to cut output.

Putin said Russia planned to hold oil production and exports at current levels until 2025 and that Moscow would not cede its leading position in the global energy market despite Western sanctions.

"We hope that these decisions will suit both oil producers and consumers," Putin said. "The coordination of the actions of OPEC+ partners will definitely continue to ensure the stability and predictability of the market."

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Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Barbara Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Putin moots gas hub in Turkey with Nord Stream supplies - Reuters

The news comes as Russian police launched a murder investigation after a military commissar in charge of enlistment for Vladimir Putins chaotic mobilisation campaign was found dead near his home.

But tonight senior sources in Crimea warned that Russia remained uncowed, and was preparing to authorise the use of chemical weapons as part of a new offensive which will coincide with Novembers G20 summit in Bali.

A female FSB intelligence officer with operational information of Russian troops movements and a high ranking mercenary with the Putin-supporting Wagner paramilitary group are now said to have reached safe exile in France, where they have sought political asylum.

Evidence from the two defectors will both help to build up the dossier of war crimes against Vladimir Putins war machine and help Ukrainian forces in their counter-offensive inDonbas, said Russian human rights activist VladimirOsechkinwho revealed the defections.

The female intelligence officer has reportedly brought serious insider information relating to the invasion of Ukraine, counterintelligence and the Defence Ministry, while also revealing details of corruption schemes of the FSB - the Russian counterintelligence agency once headed by Vladimir Putin.

Despite reports that he was found hanged, relatives of the married father-of-two -a veteran of Russias war in Chechnya - strongly denied he killed himself.

However, his death follows a series of attacks against recruiters for Putins unpopular mobilisation programme, with more than 70 offices hit with Molotov cocktails.

Armed snatch-gangs backed by police, reminiscent of the 18th Century press gangs employed by the Royal Navy, have been operating in Russian cities, grabbing men on underground trains, on the street, and in offices.

Speaking at a summit if Kazakhstan, the Russian premier said the call-up would be over within two weeks and there were no plans for a further mobilisation, though he remains 80,000 conscripts short of his 300,000 target

Senior military sources in Crimea said that Russia was on track to launch its own offensive next month, which would reverse recent Ukrainian gains.

Putin suffered one of his most humiliating actions by Ukrainian forces last week after a kamikaze drone destroyed parts of the 12-mile Kerch Strait bridge linking the peninsula to the mainland and a crucial supply route for the Russian forces who have taken control of most of southern Ukraine's Kherson region.

The 3.3bn bridge, opened with fanfare in 2017 three years after Russia annexed Crimea, will not be completely repaired until July.

Fury over the attack caused Moscow to launch a barrage of deadly missile strikes against Kyiv and other Ukrainians cities.

A statement by Putin that Russia has no need to embark on fresh missile strikes was taken by Western officials to mean that he has temporarily deepened missile stocks.

But last night a recently-retired Russian admiral in Crimea, who still has close links with the Kremlin , warned that Moscow was preparing to unleash more sinister and deadly reprisals.

The admiral, who did not wish to be named, conceded there was "much anger" over last week's brazen attack which "had been anticipated but not efficiently defended against", but said that criticism was being directed towards Nato, and not Putin himself.

He added: The West is embroiled in the fantasy that we will launch nuclear missiles. This is fantasy, and will only happen if the motherland is itself directly threatened by nuclear missiles.

But Russian troops are preparing for their own offensive next month. And I have been told that the use of chemical weapons is being actively discussed. And some are suggesting it should be timed to happen during the G20 summit.

We have used chemical weapons before, in Syria, and we all now know that supposed Nato red lines mean very little in practical terms.

"That is the thinking in the Kremlin today.

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Putin in crisis as 'two top officials defect and reveal more Russian war crimes' - Express

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi today met with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of the IAEAs efforts to prevent a nuclear accident during the current military conflict in Ukraine, stressing the urgent need to establish a safety and security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

Last week, the Director General met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and they will meet again there later this week, following today's discussions with President Putin in St Petersburg.

In recent weeks, Director General Grossi has been engaging in intense consultations with both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to agree and implement such a protection zone as soon as possible, in view of shelling at or near Europes largest nuclear power plant in recent weeks and months.

"The situation in the region around the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and elsewhere has become increasingly dangerous, precarious and challenging, with frequent military attacks that can also threaten nuclear safety and security," Director General Grossi said.

"Now more than ever, during these extremely difficult times, a protection zone must be established around the ZNPP. We cant afford to lose any more time. The stakes are high. We must do everything in our power to help ensure that a nuclear accident does not happen during this tragic conflict, as it could cause even more hardship and suffering in Ukraine and beyond," he said.

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IAEA's Grossi Meets Russia's Putin to Help Prevent Nuclear Accident in Ukraine, Calls for ZNPP Safety and Security Protection Zone | IAEA -...

ROME, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin was "pushed" into invading Ukraine and wanted to put "decent people" in charge of Kyiv, former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has said, drawing fierce criticism just ahead of Italy's election.

The Italian leader, whose Forza Italia party belongs to a right-wing coalition expected to win Sunday's parliamentary election on Sunday, is a long-time friend of Putin and his comments are likely to alarm Western allies. read more

"Putin was pushed by the Russian people, by his party, by his ministers to come up with this special operation," Berlusconi told Italian public television RAI late on Thursday, using the official Russian wording for the war.

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Russia's plan was originally to conquer Kyiv "in a week", and replace the democratically elected Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskiy with "a government of decent people" and get out "in another week," he said.

"I haven't even understood why Russian troops spread around Ukraine while in my mind they should have only stuck around Kyiv", said the 85-year-old Berlusconi, who once described Putin as being like a younger brother.

Putin's stated war aims have varied during the seven-month war. Ukraine initially chased his troops from the Kyiv area, and more recently from parts of the northeast near the Russia border. Putin now says the main aim is to secure territory in the Donbas region partly controlled by pro-Russia separatists. read more

Facing widespread condemnation from opponents, Berlusconi released a statement on Friday saying his views had been "oversimplified".

"The aggression against Ukraine is unjustifiable and unacceptable, (Forza Italia's) position is clear. We will always be with the EU and NATO," he said.

The leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, described Berlusconi's comments on the war as "scandalous".

"If on Sunday night the result is favourable to the right, the happiest person would be Putin," Letta told RAI radio.

Centrist leader Carlo Calenda, another election contender, said on Radio24 said Berlusconi had spoken"like a Putin general".

Asked about Berlusconi's comments, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said he believed the former Italian premier liked "to take the side of the winners, and this is definitely not Russia and not Putin".

"I believe the Italian people, and specifically Mr. Berlusconi, are quite pragmatic and understand that, based on the current internal political situation in Russia and based on the situation at the front, it would be a mistake to support Russia in the medium term," Podolayak told Reuters.

Two pollsters Reuters spoke to downplayed suggestions that Berlusconi's statements were driven by electoral calculations.

"These kind of remarks shift very few votes, people are not very interested in foreign policy," said Renato Mannheimer, head of the Eumetra polling agency.

"I think he let slip something that he believes in but which he didn't want to say out loud," said Antonio Noto, head of Noto Sondaggi.

Under outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italy has been a staunch supporter of Western sanctions on Russia following the invasion.

Giorgia Meloni of the far-right Brothers of Italy, tipped as the next premier, has pledged to stick to that position, but her allies Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini of the League have been more ambivalent.

Berlusconi said on Thursday that Moscow's decision to invade followed an appeal by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, who allegedly told Putin, "please defend us, because if you do not defend us, we don't know where we could end up."

Voting began on Friday in four Ukrainian regions mostly held by Russian forces including the separatists, the start of a plan by Putin to annex a big chunk of Ukraine. read more

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Additional reporting by Angelo Amante in Rome and Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Gareth Jones

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Putin invaded to put 'decent people' in Kyiv, says Italy's Berlusconi - Reuters

Signs that some countries willing to tolerate Russias invasion of Ukraine are losing patience have emerged as Turkey, India and China responded cooly to the announcement that four Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia were planning referendums on joining the Russian Federation.

Turkey, which has been at the centre of mediation between the west and Russia, issued a sharp rebuke, saying in a statement that it was concerned by attempts to stage unilateral referendums.

Such illegitimate fait accomplis will not be recognised by the international community. On the contrary, they will complicate efforts to revitalise the diplomatic process and deepen instability, the statement said.

We renew our support to Ukraines territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty, which we have been emphasising since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, and reiterate our readiness to extend all necessary support to resolve the ongoing war through peaceful negotiations.

At a briefing in New York, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, said he had always supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Erdoan appeared to have been blindsided by Vladimir Putins mobilisation of troops on Wednesday, given that he said in an interview with the US Public Broadcasting Service on Monday that he was under the impression that his Russian counterpart was in the mood to make concessions.

Reflecting on a recent discussion he had with Putin , he told PBS: He is actually showing he is willing to end this as soon as possible. That was my impression because the way things are going is quite problematic.

Erdoan is not the first world leader to end a meeting with Putin with a misleading impression, but Turkey is also facing other pressures.

The countrys banks are under growing sanctions pressure from the US to decouple from Russia. Two private institutions, DenizBank and Isbank, suspended use of the Russian payment system Mir this week after Washington expanded its sanctions on Russia, including targeting the head of the entity that runs Mir. Turkey is never going to be cut off from Russia economically, but business as usual is over.

Indias prime minister, Narendra Modi, whom the the French president, Emmanuel Macron, praised lavishly this week for telling Putin to his face that this was not a time for war, is being urged to follow his comments up with concrete action.

There has been a lot of impatience with Indias refusal to take sides, or what Delhi likes to call juggling balls on a high wire. Jen Psaki, then the White House press secretary, urged the country in mid-March to reflect on where you want to stand when history books are written at this moment in time.

Indias external affairs minister, S Jaishankar only referred to Ukraine tangentially at a session at Columbia University this week, but suggested his country had reappraised its attitude toward the US.

For almost 50 years, for various reasons Im not saying we were at fault, or the US was at fault but the fact was we regarded the US with suspicion, with a lot of wariness, he said. It was a very substantive relationship, but the overall foreign policy assessment of the US was of deep caution, if not of deep suspicion.

Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning

It has taken us a lot of effort to overcome the earlier assumptions in order to forge a different relationship with the US and one of the big differences which PM Modi has made he has not carried ideological baggage, hes not a person who is rooted in a certain worldview which makes you fundamentally distant from the US.

That has been reflected in Indias approach to Ukraine, where it has taken small steps away from neutrality. It continually refers to honouring the UN charter, has condemned war crimes committed in Bucha and voted for the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to be allowed to address the UN security council by video link.

China is a tougher nut to crack, and its often opaque statements are open to contradictory interpretations. It may still think its alliance with Russia is necessary to keep Washington in check, but the statements coming from the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson this week hardly endorsed Putins gamble.

One former British foreign minister said Russia had retained deep links to countries around the world, with allies who were still willing to push back against the west and find reasons to excuse Moscows actions.

Of the neutral camp, he said: I think they will extra hedge against a Russian defeat, so they should be open to western engagement. It is clear now Russia cant win, but that is obviously not the same as losing.

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Patience with Putin may be ebbing among friendlier countries - The Guardian

Wed, 09/28/2022 - 13:05pm | By: David Tisdale

Though many consider the late Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev and current Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin two very different types of leaders, they shared similar philosophies about Ukraine in their opposition to its existence as a separate state outside of the Russian sphere of influence.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Associate Professor of History Brian LaPierre will give the lecture "The Death of Gorbachev and the Origins of Putin's War in Ukraine at 5:30 p.m. in room 101 of the Liberal Arts Building on the Hattiesburg campus. It may also be accessed online via Webex at https://usm.webex.com/usm/j.php?MTID=mdde524942b3f293a8894f3e72b295ab4.

When it was announced at the end of last month, the death of Mikhail Gorbachev seized global headlines. Gorbachevs death served not only as a chance to take stock of his legacy and accomplishments, but also became an opportunity to lament at the current situation in Russia and to push back against Putins illiberal autocracy.

Gorbachev (L) and Putin (R) in discussion.

In countless media tributes, journalists have presented Gorbachev and Putin as mirror opposites, Dr. LaPierre said. Gorbachev gave new freedoms to the peoples of the USSR and democratized a totalitarian system; Putin stripped those freedoms away and resurrected a dictatorial regime. Gorbachev ended the Cold War peacefully and sought better relations with the West; Putin started the largest land war in Europe since WWII and plunged relations with the West to a new nadir.

Despite the very real differences between these leaders, however, there is one area in which both men have some counterintuitive common ground: they both opposed Ukrainian independence and workedeach in their own wayto undermine it. In this lecture, Ill explore these similarities to uncover the origins of the current war in Ukraine.

Dr. LaPierre is the author of"Hooligans in Khrushchev's Russia: Defining, Policing, and Producing Deviance during the Thaw." He has conducted significant archival research in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe.

The USM History program is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences School of Humanities. Learn more about the program at https://www.usm.edu/humanities/index.php.

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USM Professor to Give Lecture Sept. 29 on Gorbachev Legacy and Putins War in Ukraine - The University of Southern Mississippi

Twelve years ago, Vera Krichevskaya and Natalia Sindeeva founded TV Rain, a media organization built on independence and as the two women said at the time, optimism. They had in mind an engaging, high-wattage media platform that would steer clear of politics. Sindeeva, the CEO of the new enterprise, was a wealthy businesswoman and by her own admission not a political person; she was interested in building a lifestyle channel. Neither woman envisioned anything like the highly charged political entity that TV Rain would become.

Events took care of that. Before long, TV Rains reporters were covering stories that were increasingly unpalatable to the Kremlin: Russias invasion of Crimea, the assassination of the opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, Russian President Vladimir Putins manipulation of elections, anti-Putin protests and many others. In all these cases, TV Rains coverage was straightforward, often hard-hitting and unlike the fare on most other Russian channels.

The Kremlin took note, and what followed was a kind of rolling crackdown that grew in intensity as the years passed. TV Rain was warned by the Kremlin, kicked off cable networks by Russian state-controlled providers, evicted from its office space, and its reporters and editors were harassed, followed and threatened. Ultimately, Sindeeva was branded a foreign agent a title reserved for the Kremlins top enemies.

Time and again, TV Rain rose from the ashes in different ways; the company used Sindeevas apartment as a studio, turned to YouTube as a distribution platform and put its content behind a paywall to earn revenue.

Six days after Russias invasion of Ukraine, TV Rain was shut down entirely in Russia and threatened along with all media organizations in the country with long jail terms for any opposition to the war or the Kremlin more generally. Most of the team fled the country for makeshift studios in Latvia or Georgia; TV Rain has recently relaunched its programming on YouTube from outside the country.

For the last three years, Krichevskaya has been chronicling TV Rains story for a documentary film that was released this week in the U.S. Its called Tango with Putin with the more provocative subtitle F@ck this Job. In an uncanny coincidence, the films European release was scheduled for Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine; a rollout of the film across Russia had been planned for the following week. Krichevskaya got a call from the ministry of culture on March 1. They told me that the film wont be released, she told Grid. Everything was canceled. And a few hours later we all received push notifications that TV Rain itself was blocked in Russia.

Beyond the story of TV Rain, Tango with Putin is a film about what has happened in Russia (the filmmakers would say, what has happened to Russia) during the last decade. Its a powerful account of the many forces that have led to the current moment both in terms of the war and public opinion inside Russia.

Krichevskaya and Sindeeva have both left Russia and arent sure when they may return.

My hope, my vision, I suppose, Sindeeva said, is that once we have survived this catastrophe, whatever it will be, then we will get another chance for the future.

Grids Global Editor Tom Nagorski spoke to the two women on Monday, the day of the films launch in Washington, D.C. a conversation about TV Rain, about the film, and about the limbo they and millions of Russians now find themselves in.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Grid: You had already created a media enterprise. What made you decide to make the film?

Vera Krichevskaya: I had the idea for a film in 2019, when we were struggling at TV Rain to find a solution, some way to survive. It was a depressing time, when you fight for independence, you struggle, but you dont feel any demand from the society. We had a subscription model that helped us survive. But we were making so much effort for maybe 60,000 people, in a country of 140 million. It was very depressing. TV Rain had built up the biggest subscription base of all Russian media, but at the same time it was just 60,000 people.

It was a real crisis point for the company, in my life and Natashas life. You wonder what is your purpose, why you have been doing this so many years, with such little result? My feeling was that this is the end of the company. That Natasha was probably going to close it, or sell, or something.

Natalia Sindeeva: That moment May 2019 it was the only time when I felt lost. I have never felt that way before. I was asking: What is my lifes purpose? And I did not know the answer.

VK: And so I got the arc of the film, the story, in my mind. All our great optimism at the beginning, and then such darkness, hopelessness at the end. This is why the film is also a story about Russia.

G: The film does seem to be about so much more now, given the invasion of Ukraine and all that has happened. What role can the film play now?

VK: Well, first of all, it was a total coincidence that the date for the films release in London and Paris and other places was Feb. 24. Natasha landed at Heathrow Airport on the 24th. I dropped everything to go and meet her when I heard the news, because it was shocking. The invasion of Ukraine.

The release in Russia was scheduled for March 2. We were going to go on a big tour around Russia. Our first region was going to be Siberia, the start of a two-week tour. Screenings were sold out, around the country, all over. But the week before, on Feb. 24, it was the first international release.

Immediately, the film became something different.

Our release in Russia was canceled at the last minute. I came back to Russia on March 1. And on that day, it was around 7 p.m. or so, I got a call from the ministry of culture. They told me that the film wont be released.

I had fought for the permissions for maybe three months. We had our premiere scheduled for one of the biggest cinemas in Russia, very close to the Kremlin, 2,000 tickets had been sold. And then everything was canceled. The cinema got a bomb threat the area around the cinema was cordoned off.

So it wasnt released in Russia. And of course we canceled everything. Our trip to Siberia, to the south of Russia and so on. In Russia, only one cinema in Moscow showed the film, for two weeks. It was very brave of them.

And a few hours later, we all received push notifications that TV Rain itself was blocked in Russia. All this on March 1. TV Rain was operating on YouTube only then. It became clear that we will face punishment, with 15 years in prison, for the work TV Rain was doing.

And thats why we decided to close the company.

NS: We released the film in a secret YouTube channel, a secure channel, and we reached almost 1.9 million views. Then we gave rights to the BBC Russian service and ARD in Germany. ARD and BBC broadcast the film immediately. I think they realized it was so important to show the film at this time. Because the film shows the trajectory of Russia. How we reached this point. It gave a very transparent explanation for foreigners, about what had happened to us. What had happened to TV Rain, yes. But also, what had happened to Russia.

G: And what exactly has happened to TV Rain itself? What is the nature of the operation now?

NS: Most of our team members are based in Latvia right now. In Riga. We are renting a small studio in Latvia they gave us a very kind price, but unfortunately we only have this studio for a few evening hours, so we cannot broadcast from early morning till midnight as we did before. In Georgia, its the same situation, we have very a small place there, it is not ours. We work when the studio is available. By late October, we hope to have our own studio in Amsterdam, our own place when we can start operating again.

G: And what is the output the content, given that you are not in Russia anymore?

NS: We still have a lot of sources. They are not our journalists in Russia now, but there are others. And we have other good resources. It is still important that we focus on Russia.

VK: Of course we cover the war in Ukraine, and fortunately one of our journalists, one of our reporters, was in Ukraine when the war started because right now it is impossible for us to get visas, or accreditation. We have good sources also in Ukraine including in President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyys office. We would love to send more correspondents there if we could. But again, while we focus on Ukraine, we must focus primarily on what is happening inside Russia.

G: Youve both spent a lot of time in the West. What do you think is the one thing or maybe more than one thing that people dont understand, in the U.S. and U.K. and other places about Russia right now?

NS: The most important thing people do not understand is the penetration of Russian propaganda. Just how deeply the propaganda has impacted things. How deeply it has gone into peoples minds. I do not think they understand this. And its not only the not-so-educated people. Even the well-educated people have been infected. Yes, infected. Its a disease.

This is what people around the world do not understand. It is the nonstop, total propaganda. Everything the Kremlin says, its based on a lie. Everything Putin is saying, it is based on lies. Official statements, they are based on lies. All the time, lies.

At TV Rain, our independent reporters were trying to convey just how much money they spend on propaganda, how much money they spend on the internet and Telegram channels and other social networks to manage their propaganda, and censorship and so on. It really is, in my opinion, the only area where the Russian state under Putin achieved total success.

And people in the West do not understand that this has been going on for years. For eight years at least. That there has been an experiment with Russian society. A psychological experiment. An experiment to teach the Russian people their view of Ukraine. That it is not a country. That people there are evil. And so on. Every day, for years now, on all of these platforms. And so if you are saying, Well, the Russians support the war, that is a very simple approach. And it does not show a real understanding of what is going on in Russia. This is not support in the way you think of it here.

VK: It really is a kind of sickness. People are blind. They have been blinded and brainwashed to have a completely opposite picture in their minds of what is actually happening. They see attacks on all these towns and cities and people in Ukraine and they are told it is Ukraine that is doing it. They are told to erase the Ukrainian people. They are told it is a fight not against Ukrainians now but against Americans.

G: Let me ask you about recent events. In just the last few days, it does seem that in some parts of Russia, some people are starting to understand, or at least they see now, OK, its going to be my son, or its going to be my father, who goes to fight. What are your impressions of whats happening now, since Putin gave his mobilization announcement last week?

VK: Let me say it like this: On Sept. 21, Russians found out what had really happened on Feb. 24. Of course its not all of them, or not yet, but this is what has happened. For all this time, people were thinking, Oh, no problem, its going to be OK. Now it is something different. Now it is not so OK. Its a big movement right now.

NS: It is very important to understand what happened to Russians last week, because of Putins speech. The idea of mobilization, the reality of mobilization, it meant that people who were paying no attention to the war, all of a sudden they are searching on the internet for any information they can find. They are going to Google or wherever to search. Because this announcement, it means war comes to their home and their life. And so now they started searching to know what is going on. It was like a trigger for them. It was a time to leave their comfort zone. And so, yes, immediately the situation started to change.

G: You have a quote in the film, I think its from the poet Vladimir Sorokin, saying that there is no future in Russia; that the present is the future. Things do not change. Its a very pessimistic view of course, and the message in your film is very pessimistic too. But you also have these moments where you see hope even miracles, as you say, along the way. Do you have any optimism now about the situation? And if so, where do you find it?

VK: Natasha and I, we see things differently. For me, I feel more pain than any optimism or pessimism. Because unfortunately, I dont feel that there is any future for Russia. I have no vision for it. Actually, I can feel and imagine very well a future for Ukraine. I have a vision for Ukraine, and I dont have any vision for Russia. And this is very painful.

One of the reasons to make this film was to make a film about a group of people who were completely different, different Russians but fighting together for the same thing. For independent media. It was something important. But now, I dont know. Ever since Feb. 24, I have no real vision, no optimism right now.

NS: OK, for me, on one hand, I see my country as ruined, and I cannot say I have optimism right now. I believe Russia is moving toward some kind of catastrophe.

But my hope, my vision, I suppose, is that once we have survived this catastrophe, whatever it will be, then we will get another chance for the future. So if you ask me about today, no, I have no optimism for Russia. But I can see a day, after whatever is coming, when there will be a chance to have optimism again.

Thanks to Lillian Barkley for copy editing this article.

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'Tango with Putin' is the story of TV Rain and what happened to Russia - Grid

Vladimir Putin has sacked Russias highest-ranked general in charge with managing its militarys logistics operations in Ukraine.

Russias Defense Ministry announced Dmitry Bulgakov was being transferred to a new role and will be replaced by Col Gen Mikhail Mizintsev.

The reason for the former deputy minister of defences his change in position was not revealed but it is widely seen as a punishment for the flaws in supporting operations in Ukraine.

Gen Bulgakov has overseen the militarys logistics operations since 2008, including its Syria campaign in 2015.

But sources claim he was blamed for logistics failures in Ukraine, which limited Russias advance and left troops undersupplied.

His dismissal comes after the Kremlin was forced to approach its allies, North Korea and Iran, for new artillery and drone supplies in recent months.

The change in Russias logistics leadership comes after footage share social media, which has not been verified by i, showed newly drafted Russian recruits being equipped with rusty assault rifles.

Gen Mikhail Mizintsev managed Moscows brutal siege at the port city of Mariupol.

Mizinstev, 60, was slapped with sanctions by Britain over his involvement Russian seizing Ukrainian port city Mariupol in May after a siege that lasted more than two months.

Russian Pro-war figures have welcomed his dismissal and the appointment of Gen Mizintsev, who was dubbed the Butcher of Mariupol.

Gen Mizintsev led Russian forces in Syria and led a brutal bombing campaign that levelled the city of Aleppo, it is claimed.

The change in command comes amid reports Mr Putin has taken a more active role in strategic planning for the war in Ukraine in recent weeks.

He has been rejecting requests from his commanders on the ground that they be allowed to retreat from the southern city of Kherson which it seized earlier in its war, The New York Times reports.

If troops withdrew from Kherson, it could enable the Russian military to preserve equipment and save the lives of soldiers.

US officials also told CNN that Putin was forced to take action due to the increasingly dysfunctional command structure in Moscow.

UK defence officials suggested Mr Putin had side-lined his defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, after he was mocked by senior officials for his ineffectual and out-of-touch leadership and for failing to deliver a quick and decisive victoryin Ukraine.

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Vladimir Putin sacks another general as he takes a more active role in Ukraine war - iNews