"The Russian Army and Putin are in Trouble", John Sweeney on the War in Ukraine
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 вер 2022
- In the midst of the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin's Russia - award-winning journalist John Sweeney came to Intelligence Squared to draw on thirty years of his own reporting - from the Moscow apartment bombings to the actions of the Russian Army in Chechnya, to the annexation of Crimea and a confrontation with Putin over the shooting down of flight MH17 - to help us understand the true extent of Putin’s long war.
Drawing on his new book, which documents eyewitness accounts and compelling testimony from those who have suffered at the hands of Putin and his entourage, Sweeney spoke to Carl Miller about the heroism of the Russian opposition, the bravery of the Ukrainian resistance, and the brutality with which the Kremlin responds to such acts of defiance, assassinating or locking away its critics, and stopping at nothing to achieve its imperialist aims.
Sweeney: "I see this as 39-45. We've got to defeat these people because they are evil. Full stop."
I love how frank yet humorous John is about the situation. He doesn’t sugar coast anything, just focuses on what he has seen and heard on the ground.
So true!
Thx for the informative vid.
Re Putin: "You can't do a deal with these people, you've just got to stop them."
John Sweeney, I love the way you feel about Ukraine and Russia and that criminal war.
America wars elsewhere are most humane.
@@easwaransanthakumar297 Many people in the west are against usa foriegn policy and it does not excuse ruzzian nazi brutality met out on foreign nations.
Whataboutery will get you nowhere!
Also agree with Sweeney. All wars are stupid but sadly some are necessary. Russia had NO reason to invade Ukraine. The West has a duty to help Ukraine. Firstly we were asked to by Ukraine and secondly we failed to recognise what Putin is in time to prevent this awful aggression against a democratic nation.
The guy is an MSM hack and pales in comparison to a real journalist, Pepe Escobar who does not promulgate propaganda like this pseudo journalist hack
@@easwaransanthakumar297 typical vatnik trying to divert
Excellent! I am going to buy your book! 👏👏
Thank you!
Awesome interview
Question. As the Russians were fleeing were they able to take their washing machines and toilets with them?????
When big powers commit war crimes, they go unpunished.
Lots of people in Georgia, Chechnya and even Belarus will be scratching their heads and thinking ‘what if?’ I genuinely feel I am seeing history made, never seen this since people started chipping away at the Berlin Wall. Please let it continue.
Now is the time to overthrow dictators in Belarus , Chechnya etc as they are only there due to russias support and russia is a little tied up at the moment
But truth to history, without Gorbatschows Soviet Union, there wouldn't have been any chipping away of the Berlin Wall.
Thanks to intelligence squared for getting John Sweeney in, this was a great interview
Hi John, just read your book. bravo for being one of the 1st books off the rank. Beautifully written too.
Good conversation.
Wonderful show
Simply brilliant analysis
Before WW II, Germanic culture had an enormous impact on Dutch culture. After it, Dutch culture turned 180 degrees to Anglosaxon culture. Putin who wanted to spread the influence of Russian culture abroad near and wide, has managed exactly the opposite: to drag Russian culture through the mud to a degree that it won't recover from in decades.
In my Dutch ancestors the reformed church was the influence I never detected any German influence Germany depended on the Rotterdam port for import and export of goods the Dutch were always in the driver set
After ww2 Netherlands government turned socialist to rebuild as well as all Europe with differences in the Soviet countries
Interesting observation. Ironically, Germany became quite submissive (to many peoples' relief) after WWII and instead became an economic super power. However, WWII happened because a lot of disgruntled German WWI veterans felt they'd been robbed of a victory by their leaders. Unless Russia is chastened ('Willy Brandt moment') they'll just breed another generation of disgruntled, entitled Russian nationalists who will look to do it again in Ukraine and elsewhere.
@@disturbingdevelopment4308 but first the kremlin must give the youth good salary internet good disability pensions acccomodation for life free education and weapons similar to 👍America. And do not yell at me
Literally the very same thing here in Sweden: we used to be heavily 'Germano-files' here as well. Perhaps all the way up to the outbreak of the WWII, or at least up 'til the end of it all...
Even though we since like the 1500 or so had our own 'National Lutheran Church' - we were clearly 'Germano-files. Which after the WWII swiftly changed to instead looking towards, first the British - and then the U.S.
(Like as in, for ex.; learning German as a second language was mandatory and we also shared more or less close ties in areas such as collaborations in business, scientific research and cultures etc., etc.
So too - even - with the pseudo-scientific 'research' into "Eugenics", or 'racial profiling', which is of course NOT a legacy Swedish people are anything but heavily ashamed of - so much so that most, or indeed the vast majority of people don't even know anything about it. As in, at all!
This stain however certainly was NOT something we are alone in sharing - but rather does so with a LOT of different as well as disparate peoples and countries around the globe! For ex., there were a lesser or greater minority who all vehemently believed in this pseudo-science in countries which today makes up much of what's today 'Western Europe' - as well as in the U.S, to keep the 'list' short.
Perhaps especially so in most, if not all of the countries which were at that time colonial powers-as well as those in close link to their 'Motherland'!
For ex.: In the U.S there were even a rather large movement of 'Nazis' and/or 'Black-shirts. Henry Ford was also someone who bore his 'Nazi-badge' with honor and donated a sick amount of money to the 'Third Reich' [although he may or may not have been 'exclusively' an antisemite? Either way he printed and produced a weekly or monthly Journal dedicated to the Nazi-doctrine] - in 'good company' with many other American 'business-giants' of this time: IBM with its founder was actually another one of them, who not 'merely' donated huge amount of money but also developed 'important tools' for Nazi-Germany's 'final solution...just to mention a few.)
Great vid
This was a great interview. Thank you . John Sweeney has committed journalism for 40+ years and remained a poet. Even with Dutch courage, that ain't easy...jt
Excellent 👍
I have been to that museum in Vilnius... If that doesn't illustrate why you must resist.... I had Lithuanian Soldiers say to me, "If the Russians come, we will never surrender."
😩😢
He's a real truth speaker... it really is as simple as he puts it ❤👌
I saw the orange hat video early on. Great to see you again! Fantastic interview!
I read someone saying that you should not put a red cross on an army ambulance if you're fighting the Russians.
They will not know what it means and they have not been taught the Geneva Convention, and will just use it to help with aiming.
The story of the cars with "kids" reminded me of that.
It is great that you’ve got journalists of this calibre, who are renowned for their integrity, on to discuss the advancing on all fronts of the Ukrainian military … it will be all over for Christmas
Renowned for integrity?might not b your cuppa,but the way he tried to stitch up Tommy Robinson hardly smacked of integrity.
@@briananderson2675 I was taking the piss brian
@@briananderson2675 And??? Tommy Robinson is a Racist thug and a criminal.
I’m reading your book John. You are a national treasure.
Excellent
John Sweeney, thank you for speaking out the truth about the blasting of the apartment buildings in Russian cities in 1999 that led to the Chechen war in 1999. Yes, it was a black operation of the Russian secret service FSB, former KGB. The goal of the operation was to create an image of the tough man for Putin and ultimately, crush Chechen resistance, obliterate any chances for Chechens and other national minorities in Russia to get an independence from Moscow authoritarian clutches. And on the ruins of the Chechen capital Grozniy, Putin as a “tough” man began to build a new Russian empire. Putin killed thousands of Russian citizens to consolidate his power. Unless, Russians understand this, they are gonna be killed in endless Putin’s wars. Glory to Ukraine and all brave Ukrainians who had a courage to stand up against Putin. And they have been doing this for 8 long years.
Well said. In a way, this war was another attempt to use the same playbook. The KGB/FSB is the state. That will be very difficult to break. I bet they are cooking their own alternative to Putin right now.
I would suggest changing Tolstoy's book to the title "Special Military Operation and Peace". This would probably satisfy the Put'er.
@@thor9563 awesome. I prefer “Crime and punishment” as well. Just have to wait for the punishment.
So let me live in Canada among some of my descendants who murdered, slaughtered, killed, raped, committed genocide, annihilations, raping men, women and children, raped lands of resources. So i prefer to live among these genocidal maniacs who murdered first Nation children and buried them under schools etc. Good for you, the worldneed your kind of morals and ethics.👍🏾
Wait til Scotland gets independence from England , and the disaster of failed Brexit and watch little England and it's silly monarchy go down as a washed up power long before you will see independence of Russian republics. Some of the claims made by this MSM third rate hack are risible and a year from now will be laughed at
Thus was both entertaining and interesting. Well done!
Corruption economic and moral was also a Big reason for the soviet fall, when you dont have freedom for so long and no rules its what you get
Suggest reading Catherine Belton’s book ‘Putin’s People.’
brilliant
YOU WERE NOT THERE AT THAT INTERVIEW!!!!! 🤪. Love John Sweeney!
P.S. John Sweeney....get someone, or DIY , to reinforce those cut stair stringers on that 'library' staircase !
The cut was too deep! A simple solution would be to reinforce the bottom edges with a light steel angle on both stringers .
Or, glue and screw a hardwood cleat to both to make it deeper. (P.S. Used to build 'em!)
I agree with John on pretty well everything. There is no point holding out any hope of meaningful compromise with a guy like Putin. He will only consider you weak and continue his bullying later on. John must be on the right track given the number of Russian trolls are flitting about spouting their usual tedious whataboutisms.
adore John, I feel safer and better informed having John out there sticking his bold noggin where the criminals / gangsters don't want it! Glad he's free from the bbc to say it as it is!
Well said.
Excellent program
i want to see what you cut out at 21:22.
I don't see anything cut there?
Sound quality is horrible.
John rocks!
We need more John Sweeney's up on the front lines backed up.
What an amazing and brave journalist. It appears like he was drinking Irish Cream over ice - delicious. Great choice fascinating interview.
No there is no cream residue. He simply likes ice in his white wine during the excessive heat of summer.
He gets it!
I've read your latest book and really enjoyed it , enjoy isn't the right word. I'm in Russia been here for ten years Of the adult Russians around me I'll say that the vast majority think that Russia is on the verge of winning , how I don't understand . And that they are fighting the whole Western world especially America , which ties into their victimhood mentality The younger generation think differently .
T Y for that intell.
Is there any hope of reaching out to ordinary russian folk?
Johnny Sweeney! Good man! I know him from his great video on Scientology.
That was a great programme, those hollow eyed half mad acolytes and John just losing it at one stage, I'd lose it after 30 seconds I'd guess.
Wow there sure are a lot of russian shills in the comment section.
That is pretty standard these days
1 potato per comment .
A bottle of vodka every 100 😂
I'm suprised they are able to still be paid tbh
john sweeney pretty blunt interview no messing about with this interview
It's a great interview but I have to say the interviewer should invest more in the quality of his sound. The difference with the interviewees is notorious.
Sweeney can be an absolute prat at times but I'd be a liar if I said he wasn't an absolutely brilliant journalist and political historian and he obviously does care very passionately about the people and events he's reporting on. Good work, John. Keep up the good work.
A question a lot wonder is who specifically should be Putin's replacement?
I love John Sweeney. I love his reporting and I like his humor. But he really cares about what he reports on. He knows how to get the full story. ❤
Someone should urgently tell Vlad not to stand too close to the windows.
NOT HALVED BUT SQUARE ROOTED!
So, that begs the question, if one of the oligarchs or even an angry babushka with a deceased soldier son, wastes Pootin with a pistola or a rat poison cuppa, hopefully strycnine so he suffers, who, who would ascend and would he be as bad or nearly as bad as Bad Vlad ?
So true, and I love the Orange hat. Love from NZ
Wearing his orange beanie, a veteran journalist for 40 years - it's easy to think he's just a joker rather than a genius journalist - probably that's why he's so successful. It's easy to listen to this interview and think he's an idiot but actually the underlying brilliance of his intelligence belies this fact, This guy is the real deal and has been there and seen everything. His joker outlook is probably why he is still alive today.
Killer comments. Well done.
46.40 - very concerning. Bad boy bojo!
innovation is extinguished by endemic terror. Leadership by terror is a moronic substitute for leadership by legitimate problem solving and good governance. These things are such truisms that they shouldn't be controversial. Any polity that fails to grasp that is doomed until they do.
Very well said. Despite the smarts of individual Russians, the country will continue to degrade and dimmish, but that will mean perhaps, an internal warif things get desperate. Trouble is Russia is so rich in terms of resources. The old Roman Caesar's ploy of 'bread and circuses' ! So, is this war a circus?
Math Nerd: Not intelligence halved, intelligence square-rooted!
It doesn't take much of an escalation of terror before confidence and initiative is so completely extinguished that the idea of the left hand knowing what the right hand is doing simply goes out the window. The keystone cop performance of the Russian army shouldn't have been as surprising as it was to most of us. Maybe Putin himself had a flash of insight and realized that this process was picking up pace.
I didn't know Ukraine won...
@@StompingRabbits It will, Just a matter of time and exhaustion.
My heart cries for Ukraine. But my soul&spirit are fierce in prayer that all Ukraine defenders celebrate their beautiful country's victory SOON!! SLAVA UKRAINI♥️from Colorado USA
Putin and Hitler has a lot in common
- Both saw the end of a country's political/economic/military identity
- Both thought all they had to do is "kick in the door and the country would collapse"
- Both invaded a sovereign country but eventually found defeat (after an initial success)
- Both decided to lead/command thier own military (bypassing the generals)
- Both knew that once they invaded that thier lives depend on them winning.
He looks like a crew member of the Calypso
My man loves the drink
I'm sorry to hear that about Tehran's nightclub scene🤣
Slava Ukraini! Excellent reflections and memories! Thank you John Sweeney.
The Russian army and people are in trouble, Putin is sitting safe behind the iron curtain of Moscow watching, the obliterations of his people an soldiers poor souls, bless 🙏 them all, power
well done John I make you right on what's going on in Ukraine and with Putin
I don't think that Putin is attached to the Soviet Union, but to the Russian Empire and Imperialism.
Ask John who's worse on critics...Putin or Mschaivage/Scientology. Bet he'd say it's closer call than most would think-especially cuz as he said he writes exclusively in English.
I wrote a few months ago that the Russian Federation will not win this war, we can see it clearly today. It is impossible for a weaker country to win the war against NATO militarily. Because NATO has an edge in every area. It is impossible to win against a country that only America supports, let alone NATO, we see such an example in the intervention (read war) in Afghanistan. Afghanistan won this war thanks to the help of America, it is a pity that the Kremlin did not take this into account, unleashing the current war with Ukraine. It was a military, image and economic defeat. The Kremlin understands the same pattern all the time, Russian troops will enter Afghanistan, a quick attack, this amount of military equipment, the Afghans will be so surprised that they will not resist and will greet them with flowers;) They murdered civilians in the same way, they did it on purpose, just like we see it in Ukraine, well over 1,000,000 civilians died in this war, 15,000 Russian soldiers were killed in the fighting, including 50,000 wounded. Afghan troops fought for a long time to destroy people and equipment, the Kremlin was not particularly worried about the number of casualties in its soldiers and the fact that this war lasted too long, they always claimed, since Stalin's time, "WE ARE MANY PEOPLE", i.e. another thousand soldiers unnecessarily killed rather, that's less of a problem. In 1986, the Kremlin knew it well that it would not win this war, and that it was propaganda for Russian society, today we have the same in the war with Ukraine, the war is lost, but an ordinary Russian does not know about it. The USSR fell, but unfortunately the methods of the Red Army in murdering civilians were the same: (The war in Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine are two similar wars, it is a pity that the Kremlin does not learn from mistakes (???) (A065)
Yep it was always impossible for them to take Ukraine. Russia simply doesn't have the logistics. It was the dumbest move of the century.
The Russian military is weak. I think any single NATO member could beat them really. It wouldn't even need the whole alliance.
@@BlatentlyFakeName I think the same as you.
Hmm - is NATO at war with Russia? I thought we - as NATO - are not and we - as NATO - have in no way an interest in fighting a war with Russia. That is the whole base on which our argument "Russia be not afraid - NATO is no danger for you!" stands.
@@chrishieke1261 This is what it was in Afghanistan in the 1980s. This was at the beginning of the war, but then it became very obvious. Well, but you are right, the introduction is supposed to be this way and it is important, it should be so. You're right about that !!! I agree with you !!! Only in 2023, however, it will become obvious, also for the USA. We have to pre-play and that's the right thing to do !!!!!!
1) What will Putin's response be when his enterprise's failure becomes clear to him, and HE realizes he needs to change course? Most people know this, but it either won't happen (Russia will win), or Russia will have clearly and conclusively lost at some point. I am not speculating what happens if Russia wins, I can't envision how that could happen. I am asking, when Putin figures it out... what do you believe will be his response? Or do you think he has already come to that conclusion and is just bidding time, waiting for the best time to pull the plug?
Free Chechnya !!!
20+ years long
I Love John Sweeney's Trademark Hat + his unique insight into ruZZia.
He looks like a homeless person.
The interviewer seems to be very self-centred from just his opening minute.
Great guest though. Good thing you let him talk.
John Sweeney one of the best journalist ever from the UK?
He said he's of Irish stock
The media is very tight lipped about all the things that are happening in ukraine
I dont want to belittle the crimes of Putin, but it is highly instructive that we never have these conversartions about the identical crimes of Western leaders.
Never, eh? Not once? You know how many books have been written on Vietnam? Everybody knows the idiot Bush Jr attacked the wrong country. Even 70 years on we regret appeasing the little fellow with the moustache and his brownshirts. Get a clue.
You will also have no one.
Remember "Europa is garden,outside is Jungle"according to Baroso.
Fantastic interview! John Sweeney just tells it like it is...appreciated in this sea of bullsh*t everywhere else. Just read his book 👍👍👍 Thank you. 💙💛
The answer to anyone claiming that "NATO is expanding its borders" is brilliant. "Whose borders indeed."
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (I'm assuming that is what was referred to) was signed in Moscow on August 23, 1939. Ribbentrop was executed after the Nuremberg trials, whereas Molotov lived out a peaceful life in Moscow till his death in 1986. The archives revealing all these agreements came out in then West Germany in the 1960s, and also in shorter form at the Nuremberg Trials. I'm unaware of any equivalent "soulsearching" to put it mildly on the Russian part. I've even heard this being justified by Russians, when brought to their attention. An offer that couldn't be refused? Signing a deal with Third Reich fascists rather than with Western democracies, who were at the time, as the emblem of capitalism, considered the greatest threat by Jo Stalin.
The British really do have the best drunken reprobate apologists for their part in "The Great Game."
"Putin trades in violence." ...... Well, NATO doesn't exactly trade in jelly beans....
NATO didn't start this war troll, Putin did but it's weapons and the Ukranian spirit will end it.
NATO only exists because of Russian aggression. This war has justified it's existance 100 fold.
Youse probably want that onanist Navalny in charge in Russia and Moscow filled with Tescos club cards and M&S. The Planet needs more Heavy Metal
Sweeney’s reality is probably a multiple of intelligence squared but if he wanted consistent maths imagery I suggest “intelligence rooted”.
I was just checking through the comments to see if anybody else had noticed this ...
Best beanie in the world 😀
I'm not even remotely a Tommy fan. What happened there. PANODRAMA
This guy sounds drunk as fuck. I approve.
Jovial fellow with the orange beanie!!! 🥳🥳🥳
The political western European relations with Russian are a bit more relaxed then they should be. The post Soviet countries are demonstrating exactly what should be done. The old Soviet Russian Bear is not dead yet. We still have some final spears to throw at it.
Yes, keep up those sanctions, pile on more !
@@linmal2242
It will help :
MAKE RUSSIA GREAT AGAIN
🙈😂😂
Puin wants he oil and GA nder the entire area he is tying annex. He could care less about th people above ground
Soo many sofa experts... 😃
It's important to understand what's going on... to not get overly jingoistic.
As soon as this conflict ( on the failed attack of Kiev ) started... the US Pentagon said,
that they'd opened a direct line to their Russian counterparts.
In order to stop an escalation towards WWIII.
An agreement was then made - that Russia would be allowed to invade in its Special Military Operation.
In an extremely limited role in the East and South of Ukraine.
( To supposedly help out the Donbas separatist militias )
But would not be allowed to mobilise a full-scale military force to their aid.
That 'Center and West' Ukraine were off limits.
If they did encroach on these 'rules of engagement' ... the US ( NATO ) would immediately,
issue a no fly zone and place troops on the ground.
The US warned Russia that they would do everything in their power to stop Russia's 'aggression',
with fiscal sanctions, full military intelligence and weaponry support to Ukraine.
But would not intervene directly. The Russian President and his military staff agreed to this.
Now Western leaders can safely enter the Ukrainian capital without fear ...and the Ukrainian government,
doesn't fear assassination.
That's also why Russia can't stop the daily convoy of munitions from entering Ukraine from NATO states.
For many, this conflict is just so bizarre and unreal.
It's perplexing to understand why Russia and the US are fighting a proxy war with such,
self-imposed 'limiting' restrictions.
That the conflict should've been 'over' within weeks ...and is somehow,
seemingly 'stretching out indefinitely'.
A conflict that has become a series of small skirmishes and can't be resolved.
This is why Russia ( Once speculated as a vast military empire ) is being so easily humbled.
They literally can't add anymore troops to sway the conflict.
The reason... they made a deal and Russia is trying to help the Donbas separatists win,
with a very limited set of options.
Russia is supplying 'lethal aid' to the Donbas ( unprofessional ) militias ( with some troops on the ground )
and the States are supplying 'lethal aid' to the Ukrainian rightwing nationalists. ( with reportedly no troops on the ground )
As long as this status quo remains... there's no threat of a nuclear escalation?
This offers the correct 'spin' on the strange nature of this proxy civil war.
Don't be fooled by other more indignant or nationalistic scenarios.
A sound analysis.
But I doubt that NATO intervention was ever on the table. As long as NATO wouldn't be attacked first, there would be no political consensus to intervene in the war and quite a few NATO members (Turkey, Hungary, Slovakia, France, Germany, Italy, possibly Spain, Romania, BeNeLux) would have opposed such a way of action. As it currently stands, the majority of the EU member states (certainly all the large ones with the Franco-German-Italian core) doesn't want a war with Russia over Ukraine. Really - and this sounds harsh and purely egoistic - I am personally not prepared to fight a war against a nuclear superpower over the highly complicated and multi-layered issue of Ukraine and Russia. Moreover, I have the suspicion that Europes huge support for Ukraine has nothing to do with the urge to help Ukraine as a country or because they like Ukraine ... but because this war is a blatant breach of international law and if unopposed, could lead to further such actions (China comes to mind, Israel vs Iran, the whole Pakistan/India problem).
That would mean the USA would be quite alone (Poland would join them, as well as the Baltics and the United Kingdom, Canada .... I'm not sure) in a war against Russia. I cannot judge how great the appetite for war really is in the USA. But we had the retreat from Iraq (that gave rise to ISIS/Daesh/IS) and the flight from Afghanistan that were to good part caused by the demand of the population of the USA. Since WW2 all the wars the USA participated in were no threat to the USA itself and were all highly controllable - US forces could pull out at any time if the war goes south (like in Vietnam) and the opponent had no real means to damage USA home soil territory.
Let us hope that this war doesn't escalate further.
On the topic of escalation: What do you think are likely scenarios in the case that Ukraine advances on proper Russian state territorry (that includes Crimea - regardless of the international viewpoints, Russia regards Crimea as indivisible territory, much like Alaska or Hawaii)?
Your dad he want his son to eat breakfast every morning
Interesting when you talk about Putin the man, but do not call Sambo mixed martial arts, do some research, it's actually derived from early judo...
Bright guy - why can't Russia find a leader that is bright and sensible?
Don't see many Ukrainian refugees in his household
Absurd
I will agree your point of view but before commencing war, Ukraine, totally failed to know the mentality of Russia, Ukraine simply sit, until they surrounded ukraine , than allowed to Russian army surrounding Ukraine, all the side. That is mistake
I sort of want to say that a man whose house is so full of books is a man to be trusted, but that would be really silly, wouldn't it? In an age when Twatter and Faceboobs, Tik Tak Toe rule the airwaves so to speak.