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General Ivashov.
On February 7, 2022, retired Russian general warned Vladimir Putin not to go to war with Ukraine, accusing the leader of whipping up an ‘artificial’ conflict to distract from his domestic problems.
In other words, Putin was thinking the war would deflect scrutiny of Russia’s economy.
Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov, 78, penned an open letter titled ‘On the The Eve of War’ in which he blasted Putin’s ‘criminal policy of provoking a war’ despite Russia not facing any ‘critical threats’.
Ivashov, who has retired from military services since being fired in 2001, is active in politics as the chairman of the All-Russian Officers’ Assembly.
He previously served as Putin’s chief of military cooperation in the Ministry of Defense.
Ivashov posted an open letter on the assembly’s website he said he feared Russia will become a ‘pariah of the world community’ if an invasion is launched, and called on Putin to resign.
How prescient was his letter.
Russia, and especially Putin, are the greatest pariahs in the world today.
The decorated general, was not a moderate but was one of the most respected and hawkish generals in the Russian MoD.
He is known as a hardline nationalist who still champions the Soviet system and is close to the remains of the Communist party.
He was fired by Putin in 2001.
He has become a fierce critic of the Russian president - and had frequently called for him to resign for being too soft and protecting a corrupt elite at the expense of the public, accusing him of ‘crimes against Russia’.
His latest intervention shows that there is at least some opposition to a war with Ukraine within Russia.
A petition was signed by 5,000 citizens demanding Putin call off the conflict.
Ivashov said: ‘As for external threats, they are certainly present.
But, according to our expert assessment, they are not currently critical, directly threatening the existence of Russian statehood and its vital interests.’
He goes on to say “Therefore, the explosive situation surrounding Ukraine is primarily artificial and self-serving for some internal forces, including in Russia.”
In other words, it is Russia itself creating the need for an invasion.
Not external sources.
In other words, NATO is not a critical threat.
The EU is not a critical threat.
Ukraine is not a critical threat.
The US is not a critical threat.
It seems some in Russia have seen the light …
