Vladimir Putin Thread

GarryB wrote:What you are ignoring is that such evaluations can only be made after the event.

My friendly recommendation would be to get closer to the definition of sarcasm.

Putin nominated to run as independent, 12.16.2023.

The Russian president has been put forward as a party nominee only once in his 20-year political career.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has won the backing of a group of voters who have declared their support for his bid to seek reelection next year as an independent candidate. Putin, who is aiming for his fifth term in office, has run only once as a party nominee, in 2012.

On Saturday, a large group of Putin’s supporters, including members of several Russian political parties, opinion leaders, artists and athletes, gathered in Zaryadye Hall in downtown Moscow to officially announce the creation of an action group to nominate the incumbent Russian leader. Putin himself was not present.

Russian law mandates that a person must gain the support of a group comprising at least 500 people in order to run as an independent.

After reaching the required quorum, the meeting then proceeded to unanimously support Putin’s candidacy. When asked whether they back his nomination, the entire audience stood up, waiving red leaflets and voicing their support, according to videos shared by local media outlets.

Meanwhile, Andrey Turchak, the secretary of the General Council of the ruling United Russia party, said that a campaign headquarters would be formed once all nomination procedures are over.

The Russian president announced his reelection bid last week at a ceremony where he awarded Hero of Russia medals to servicemen who had taken part in the military operation against Ukraine. At the time, he was asked to run by the chairman of the parliament of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Artyom Zhoga, who is also a decorated veteran of the conflict in Donbass. Zhoga praised the Russian president for his efforts to help the region to break free from Ukrainian rule. He also said that not only Donbass, but the entire country “needs” Putin as its leader.

The DPR, along with three other former Ukrainian territories, overwhelmingly voted in public referendums to join Russia last autumn.

Putin has run for president four times, with three of his campaigns being as an independent. The only exception was in 2012, when he was nominated by the United Russia party.

The presidential election in Russia will be held over March 15-17, 2024, while the inauguration will be in early May. Putin’s rivals are likely to include Gennady Zyuganov, the long-time leader of the Communist Party, while other parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and New People, have also signaled plans to put forward candidates.

https://www.rt.com/russia/589167-putin-run-independent-candidate/

This is another thing that distinguishes Russia from US.
There are not only two parties and one person could run also as independent. Actually the president should be above the other parties anyway.

It is ridiculous to hear about Putin being a dictator when in the west you just have the countries run by the big corporations or by some hidden powers with a figurehead elected to the office.

Considering this, zelenski being an actor is the perfect example of western "democracy".

If it continues like this I believe that in a few years the word democracy will be shunned as much as the word Nationalsozialismus.

Anyway I believe that Putin wants to first reunite Russia with Ukraine and Bielorussia (and maybe Kazakhstan), leaving Russia in a much better situation that what it was in 1999, before leaving office.

Maybe because it is a matter of "hubris" and he wants to be the one that saved Russia and reversed the fall.of soviet union, maybe because he fears that he needs it to be a "fair accompli" to avoid his successors to ruin everything in front of the goal.

I still doubt that, even in case he should be hit by a lightning bolt and die today, the new president would be a western bootlicker, and there are also some good alternatives been groomed, but at the moment Russia does not need chaos and some continuity can help.

As an example, reopening to western products before the russian products are ready, in production and already occupying the market could be very dangerous, because it would destroy all.the work and the money spent to prepare it. It is not sure that an alternative to Putin would not ruin most of the work done to be a strong independent nation, if he reopen to the west too early.

Furthermore Putin has still some credits and credibility from the russian people, so he could still take some decisions that could be slightly painful in the short term but would help a lot in the long term. Other politicians could be instead more prone to only think at the short term, even if it causes damage for the future of the country.

Finally some people speak of a zar in a derogative way, but if a person is doing a decent job it can be ok to have that person for 25 years as a leader of the country. The important thing is not to have hereditary monarchy.

Not sure Putin wants to Soviet Union back at all, it was a limiting factor on Russia and really only benefited some of the regions and not all of them.

It diluted Russia in directions that were never appreciated.

GarryB wrote:Not sure Putin wants to Soviet Union back at all, it was a limiting factor on Russia and really only benefited some of the regions and not all of them.

It diluted Russia in directions that were never appreciated.

I mean reincorporating back into Russia proper the historical parts of Russia. Not bringing back soviet union. By the way Northern Kazakhstan should have been included in Russia in 1992. Furthermore the rest of Kazakhstan is also very useful.
Kazakhstan is also very well placed for commercial transit to China, has a relatively small population and in the south there is also the Baikonur cosmodrome.

The-thing-next-door wrote:It would be nice to see his successor re take alaska, finland and poland.

Alaska yes, the other 2 not really...

Finland and Poland and Alaska don't deserve to get off the sinking titanic and onto the high speed train...

Let them sulk and waste money on walls and US bases.

People who want to be Russian would be welcome, but no pressure should be applied... the west has gotten to where it is by its own stupid choices... let them continue to make their mistakes the rewards wont be too long in coming.

GarryB wrote:Finland and Poland and Alaska don't deserve to get off the sinking titanic and onto the high speed train...

Let them sulk and waste money on walls and US bases.

People who want to be Russian would be welcome, but no pressure should be applied... the west has gotten to where it is by its own stupid choices... let them continue to make their mistakes the rewards wont be too long in coming.

Alaska has a very small population (about 700000 people).

It is not really a problem.

Furthermore only 15% of them are natives. The rest are not really relevant. They can either stay or leave.

A lot of the natives are Russian Orthodox Christians. They are a plus.

You smoke some good shit lads.
Maybe you can share a pipe for two?

Alaska has a very small population (about 700000 people).

It is not really a problem.

Furthermore only 15% of them are natives. The rest are not really relevant. They can either stay or leave.

Russia has enough land and does not need more idiots to have to pander to.

Russia will be spending money fixing up its newly incorporated territories, but that is fine because those territories should be rather productive and start to generate more money than what they will need to get on their feet again.

Territory with a hostile population is always going to be a drain on resources... I wouldn't even bother.

In fact I would transmit RT into Alaska offering those who speak Russian and want some land and jobs and a future if they want Russian citizenship and a flight to Russia.

Would be interesting to see if anyone would take up the offer and if they did how they would get on. Their experience might lead to others following, or to nobody following... either of which is just fine.

Happy New Year holidays to you all! May your best wishes come true!

Is still called Merry Christmas were I live.

Putin celebrates Christmas with families of fallen heroes[/b], 01.07.2024.

“We will always be by your side,” the Russian president told the relatives of slain soldiers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has celebrated Orthodox Christmas with the wives and children of soldiers who have lost their lives in the Ukraine conflict, according to the Kremlin’s official website.

Putin had a lengthy meeting with the families at his Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on Saturday evening and had dinner with them. Afterwards, they attended the Christmas service at the local church.

Christmas is one of the “warmest” and “most beloved” holidays in Russia, the president told his guests.

On January 7, Russian Orthodox Christians, who constitute the majority of the country’s population, offer greetings to each other as well as representatives of other faiths, and receive greetings from them, he said. “One can safely say that this holiday is characterized by a strongly-pronounced fraternal unity of the peoples of Russia.” 

The president stressed that “many of our men, our courageous, heroic men, Russian warriors, even now, on this holiday, defend the interests of our country with arms in hand.”

He added that the meeting at Novo-Ogaryovo should serve as a “clear signal” to officials at all levels that the relatives of those who die fighting for the country should receive help whenever they need it.

“Now, on the eve of the holiday, I’m not going to talk about the very subtle, difficult issues concerning your families. But I want to assure you once again that we will always be by your side,” the president told the families.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the relatives of the fallen heroes spent the New Year’s holiday week in Moscow, where a special program, which included exhibitions, shows, and other events, was organized for them.

https://www.rt.com/russia/590219-putin-christmas-families-heroes/

Putin called Berdyaev one of his favorite philosophers and encouraged him to read Kant, by Denis Telmanov for VZGLYAD. 01.07.2024.

Vladimir Putin said that he loves the work of philosophers Nikolai Berdyaev and Immanuel Kant.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with the families of soldiers killed in the Northern Military District, said that he considers Nikolai Berdyaev one of his favorite philosophers, and also mentioned Immanuel Kant among those who need to read.

“One of my favorites,” Putin said, commenting on a statement by one of the meeting participants that the president’s favorite philosopher is Nikolai Berdyaev.

“There are also people like Kant, for example, who are worth reading and trying to penetrate into what they thought and how,” Putin added, reports TASS .

The author of the remark said that he was studying at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University and noted that philosophy is neither a science nor an art, but speaks “about what people have not yet been able to discover with the help of scientific theorems, about things that are still beyond the usual scientific , understandable knowledge."

"Very interesting. “Very diverse, a complex that covers everything,” Putin replied.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/1/7/1247520.html

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt in your philosophy (science)". 
Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Kant was born and buried in Kaliningrad.

In this cathedral.



I've been there

I just wonder if that's some kind of trolling from VVP

It would be nice to see his successor re take alaska, finland and poland.

What would be better is that Putin and his successor continue what Putin started so that in 10-15 years time the people of Alaska and Finland and Poland think maybe asking to join the Russian Federation might be in their interests because the west is only interested in making the 0.1% richest people in the US slightly richer at the cost of everything and everyone else.

And to be honest I I was in charge of Russia at that time I would decline... and wouldn't even let them join BRICS.

"Humiliating." The West made a shocking statement about Putin, 01.27.2024.

Il Fatto Quotidiano: The West has failed in the fight against Putin.

MOSCOW, January 27 – RIA Novosti. The West has failed in its fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin, writes Alessandro Orsini for Il Fatto Quotidiano.

“It is humiliating to discover that Russia’s economy is stronger than that of the EU, and its military industry exceeds that of NATO,” the publication says.

Orsini believes that Putin is laughing and the Italians are crying because there is a recession in Germany, and the collapse of the German economy will seriously affect the position of Italy.

The article notes that in the field of military technology, the Russians are also ahead of the West in many areas. In particular, he recalled the existence of the Sarmat hypersonic intercontinental ballistic missile, which can change its trajectory and flight altitude, heading towards a target located at a distance of up to 18 thousand kilometers, at a speed 20 times the speed of sound. At the same time, the Pentagon admitted that the United States is not able to intercept it, the author writes.

Russia has repeatedly stated that the country will cope with the sanctions pressure that the West began to exert on Russia several years ago and continues to increase. Moscow noted that the West lacks the courage to admit the failure of sanctions. In Western countries, opinions have been voiced more than once that anti-Russian sanctions are ineffective. Vladimir Putin previously stated that the policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term strategy of the West, and sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy. According to him, the main goal of the West is to worsen the lives of millions of people.

https://ria.ru/20240127/putin-1923851383.html

Putin wants new ‘elite’ in Russia 01.27.2024.

The president said that military veterans should have a higher status than major showbiz stars.

Military veterans returning from the Ukraine conflict should become Russia’s new elite, President Vladimir Putin has proposed. Addressing ministers and top St Petersburg city officials on Friday, Putin also called on Russian ministers to provide decommissioned military personnel with all the support necessary to facilitate their transition back to civilian life.

The Russian head of state previously revealed that some 617,000 service members had been deployed in Ukraine.

“I met today with students, who put their studies on hold, many of them, [and] went to the warzone,” Putin remarked.

“It’s out of these people that we should be forming the country’s elite in the future,” he added. The Russian head of state described returning troops as those who can be entrusted with the country’s development.

“Hence, they should be supported [and] assisted,” President Putin concluded.

He also contrasted veterans with “people who, pardon me, expose their genitals or show their bottom” – an apparent reference to a private party featuring an ‘almost naked’ dress code organized by prominent Russian blogger Anastasia Ivleeva in Moscow last month.

Photos and videos from the event, which was attended by Russian celebrities, mostly pop artists, ended up on the internet, scandalizing conservative activists and authorities alike.

One attendee in particular, 25-year-old rapper Nikolai Vasilyev, aka Vacio, drew special attention as he sported nothing but a Balenciaga sock on his penis in the way of clothing. Some have since suggested that he was emulating Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis’ look from the 1990s.

Several days later, a court in Moscow found Vacio guilty of promoting LGBT values and sentenced him to fifteen days of administrative detention on top of a 200,000-ruble fine (just over $2,000). The rapper insisted that he merely wanted to “surprise the public,” adding that he is not an LGBT supporter.

In the wake of the party, organizer Ivleeva posted videos on her social media, expressing regret that footage of the private event had been made public. She also vowed to direct all the proceeds from the sale of tickets to charitable organizations.

In late December a court deemed the ‘almost naked’ event to be LGBT propaganda under a law banning such activities that had been signed by President Putin in December 2022.

Last November, the Russian Supreme Court under the law recognized the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization and banned its activities in the country.

https://www.rt.com/russia/591371-putin-ukraine-veteran-russia-new-elite/