That was an incredible conversation. I agree with the ideas and feel so frustrated how many smart people are viewing Russia and Putin as if they want what a European country would want proving how little they understand the situation.
Xi is just as bad if not worse. He is ideology over everything. Politicians are not dealing with China as an adversary, especially US needs to decouple faster from China!
Excellent points on sickness of Russian society! Why won’t the Russians who fled protest - they won’t be jailed? Why will Iranians protest (who are executed) and Russians will not (who are only jailed) Why did Ukraine have 3 protests and Russian has zero? Outstanding discussion!
I saw no russians protesting the war outside the russian embassy in Dublin. I think they should all be sent home. That might actually focus their minds on doing something, when the easy option of running away and enjoying western freedom and prosperity is taken away.
The Russians that left do protest and have rallies in the places they fled to. Some are afraid they could be found and taken back or killed or fall out of a window from high up.
I've read a couple of accounts from relatively junior military types who were part of the NATO training program for Ukraine, and they had no doubts whatsoever about just how hard the average Ukrainian would fight to defend their homeland. IIRC, by 2022, something like 800,000 Ukrainians had served in some capacity in the Donbas. They had good training, steadily-improving equipment, most had combat experience (or had at least experienced incoming fire, the acid test for soldiers). And of course, they were far, far more motivated than their opponents. How did anyone think this would be a cakewalk for Russia? At the very least, Russia faced a deadly partisan threat that they could only counter by using the same scorched earth tactics used in Chechnya and Syria, further inflaming Ukrainian anger against them...
We’ve had countless decades of politicians abandoning their countries when the first shot was fired. I think “experts” were simply lazy and had little understanding of Ukraine’s administration… I think it’s fair to say that Zelensky surprised a significant number of Ukrainians as well. That’s all to say, even with a decent military, if a political crises occurs on the first day of war, it’s hard to see how a country can fight effectively. Regardless, your point stands… how did so many people get it wrong and why hadn’t we told Putin the following equipment would be delivered to Ukraine if he invaded: - 800 M1A2 - 1000 M2 Bradley - 25,000 Javelin - 200 M109A4 - 1,000,000 rounds 155mm - 200 F-16 Etc. Putin would have either invaded and we would have started shipping serious equipment early (instead of hand wringing over escalation concerns)… or he would have not fired a shot. Either outcome would have been a hundred times better than the current situation where the Ukrainians don’t have what they need to fight and win.
It was assumed that 5 times as many tanks, 10 times as much ammunition, 5 times as large an airforce, state of the ort modern missile systems and nuclear weapons meant that russia would win in days. What was predicted incorrectly wasn't the valour of the Ukrainians but the absolute incompetence of the russian high command, and the unsuitability of the Soviet military methodology.
@@occamraiser Totally valid argument, not sure it invalidates the complete lack of confidence in the Ukrainian armed forces but I would agree that of the two… it’s probably what was forefront in the minds of analysts. Still, Russia has never performed with competence at the outset of any military conflict in the past 200 years (so far as I’m aware); so I’m still surprised that the consensus among “professionals” was so egregiously wrong. This is not to say that all analysts were wrong, but they were few and far between. I’ll also say that I didn’t have a clue as to how any of this would play out… but I don’t make a living studying the war fighting capacity of nations.
As if US isn't funding puppet governments around the world and installing brutal dictators hahaha. US supports (militarily) 73% of world dictatorships. Fact. Let's laugh at this clown...
Brilliant bullsh*t Ukriane after it gained independence in the 90s has always been corrupt even when russia was week and didnt had any influence and let me remind you that almost all but one of its presidents were all pro western, all of their parlaments were pro western. After 2014 when the nation becane even more pro western nothing changed the corruption remained the same
Thank you for such a insightful discussion. Everything I've been thinking about ruZZia and p'tin over the past 23 years has been validated. It means a lot since my formal education amounts to grade 12 and I barely survived living in borderline poverty most of my life. But it didn't stop me from asking questions, seeking knowledge and learning from deep contemplative thought; finding answers. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦⚔
@@SiliconCurtain Yes, or they think too much when they're in an agitated, stressful, anxious emotional state and get everything wrong. I experience this as well, but I counter that by practicing 'non thought', which took me 17 years of hap hazard practice to achieve. Thanks again for what you do. Your channel has become the most important one to me.
Dear Mr Nobody, I am very educated and have spent my life within circle of very highly educated people. But even I know very intelligent people that do not have a university degree or even a highschool diploma. And I do know a few people with a masters degree who are, frankly, morons. Education does not always equal intelligence, and the other way round too. Don't underestimate yourself. Lots of love and good luck ❤️
@@mrnobody3161 Mister, please do yourself a favour and rename your UA-cam account into ' @mrsomebody3161', because what you've described about your life and how you've handled it, demonstrates that you are a unique SOMEbody. Please, don't denigrate yourself with such a non-fitting pseudonym. Thank you in advance.
@@mrnobody3161 Dear Mr Somebody3161, regarding: "or they think too much when they're in an agitated, stressful, anxious emotional state and get everything wrong." What I've noticed to my detriment is that the more successful people become in their careers, the more they can start to fear anything that could pose a threat to their current success and status. At least unconsciously they become aware of the fragility of their current position. Fear and greed make for a very toxic mix and changes people for the worse.
Thank you Jonathon. Another facet of this complex story. Quite apart from the brutal invasions of neighbouring countries, and despite the murders of journalists and lawyers (Anna Politskovskaya as far back as 2006), it's not as if Western journalists were unaware of what was happening. It seems amost as if rather than being misinformed, they misinformed themselves.
I like Mr Kuzio's commentary. He constantly backs up his opinion with facts and he has the broader historical view to put everything into perspective. It's also very interesting what he says about the preconceptions about Russia's power and influence.
My parents, diaspora from the holodomor, never trusted the Russians, despite not realizing their part in the hunger. Things haven’t changed. Thank you Taras, for explaining the phenomenon
My father was fully taken in by soviet propaganda. As were the entire Left Wing in UK from the 1930s onwards. Dad died in 1976 so his opinions never got challenged by his kids. Appreciating the reality would have upended his political world.
Fascinating conversation. It really highlights the naivete many western leaders exhibited towards Putin. In fact, some of them still do. He isn't a statesman, a politician, or even a president. He's a mafioso. He has more in common with a Martin Scorsese character than any politician we in the west would recognize.
All power to Taras's elbow! This is someone who tells us what it's really like in Putin's world. A 'KGB' bar in New York? There is a bar in Preston that obviously tries to appeal to student dreams. It's name? The Яevolution! I don't know how you manage to find these speakers, Jonathan. Your channel deserves to be broadcast every day on the BBC to keep the public informed and up to date with what is going on in Russia and the tectonic currents that drive its politics.
BBC only recently stopped parroting Russian propaganda as impartial news. A presenter on Radio 4 was dumbfounded when an aid worker called out the double standards. BBC has improved but serious coverage of the war is weak to say the least.
This was probably one of the best, if not the best, overviews about Russia I've ever heard. Jonathan, thank you for doing what you do. BTW, I'd pay a lot to get Taras sit down a couple of hours with Scholz and Macron.
Scholz and Macron are a lost cause. If Putin was right in one of his assumptions, it was that (Western) European leaders are weak and spineless. They only do the minimum required, because they feel some pressure by the Western societies. Societies that are appalled by the Russian atrocities, that in the modern age come right in our homes and our phones the very next day. In the same time they feel equal, if not more pressure by the beneficiaries of the kleptocratic system the guest is talking about in this interview. The individuals and corporations behind it actually want the "good ol' times" with Putin's regime as business partner. This Taras Kuzio would be wasting his time with Scholz and Macron. If I had the power, I would get him explaining the facts and the processes in the high schools and universities in France and Germany.
Post Putin, if the Russian people are to come to terms with their acquiescence they will need their own version of a truth and reconciliation commission.
Out of date. Many many years ago the global collective meant something. In more recent years morality means nothing and commerce occurs largely unabated. Nations such as Russia used "war on terror" to commit atrocities. The USA did the same and still does. The CCP did similar. Today in 21st century, people are demonstrating some scary passivity. The protests in Iran are unusual but of course were put down.
But to wake up they need to be shocked awake by a multi-generation scarring event equivalent to Germany's defeat in WW2. How else will they give up the dream of Russian Mir for all of us?
May I suggest Martti J. Kari, who's a former Finnish intelligence colonel would be a great guest on this Channel. There is a lecture by him on UA-cam and his insights into Russia after studying them for many years are fascinating. I think he speaks English to some degree.
Definetely a great suggestion! After his career in the army, he is nowadays an university teacher (cyber security and strategic analysis). Since he has been in the past a lot in Russia and knows the language well, he has pretty deep understanding of Russian culture. (Plus he has been working also in Ukraine...)
There may be something wrong with my memory but I thought the BBC had followed Litvinenko's illness fairly well and there was no doubt it was a KGB assassination. While he was alive, that is. On his death they could not prejudice a murder trial but we did know it was a rare transuranic element. There was also newspaper coverage of some of the premises affected.
“how do you rip this sort of toxic weed out of the body politic of Russia?” Bravo! I have been wondering the exact same question, though without the poetic delivery.
Thank you both, incredibly good content. Jonathan, would you consider an episode of interviews with rank-and-file activists of Ukraine support? Here (in San Francisco) and in Europe there is a fascinating movement emerging of Ukrainians supported by Belorussians, Georgians, Free-Russians, and a newborn free-Buratya movement, with Iranians, Poles, and others. From the grassroots, Ukraine is bringing about a global anti-Imperialist movement , which is underreported.
We Belgian Flemings have/had a similar issue with how foreign journalists and diplomats covered Belgian internal affairs. If they spoke another language than English it would be rather French than Dutch. As a result, the view of the Francophones was better represented in their coverage, and Flemings felt being internationality on the defensive every time there was another constitutional crisis in Belgium. This stimulated the Dutch speaking Flemish regional government in 2007 to set up a newspaper and website 'Flanders Today' which covered or contained translations of the Flemish newspapers and reached 40k subscribers and 1 million views annually. The initiative was stopped in 2020, which to me was a short sighted move. As a result of centuries of foreign occupation long term strategic planning remains the exception with Belgians, especially with Flemings. For the rest, indeed the interviewee's insights are priceless. Thank you for another fascinating interview.
Those who left are those who can, and are, working remotely. So, they're not anti-war or anti-Putin necessarily, just anti-draft CWA. I agree with Taras. They haven't acted out of protest, but out of self interest.
@25': in regard to history of crimea and considering this as 'settled': The problem begins when you then have to distinguish between the 'imperial' history of Russia and e.g. the behaviour of Israel outside of the borders agreed by the UN when Israel was founded. To me it is the Budapest accord where Russia, USA and UK guaranteed the sovereignty of Ukraine including Crimea that is the keystone to focus upon. History etc, is supportive of course.
The Italian Prime Minister did recently express strong support for Russia’s defeat. 65% of Italians support Ukraine we have recently heard. Don’t let Putin’s propagandists divide us. I support Ukraine and see it as an opportunity to build anew stronger understanding of democracy.
Why did it take me so long to discover this excellent channel? Well, I'm here now. Have been binge watching for the past ten hours and plan to do the same until I catch up.
The point on academic and journalistic laziness and coziness toward to Russia is manifestly very well made - mostly. Live and learn. My own visits to Moscow left me with no such sympathies.
For Russian meddling in western politics perhaps Taras missed Brexit,(breaking up of Europe must have looked fortuitous omen to putins Russia)a Scot I had no objection to Scottish identity being expressed anymore than if I was a Russian,( assuming being in Russia I would be the same person i am today🙂)Ukrainian identity being peacefully expressed.. I think some guy got a couple of eggs 🥚 broken over him by "Scottish nasis" during predominantly peaceful Scottish referendum showing the world how it should be done. He made some great points about learned academics having huge blind spots to Russia, a little humble pie is perhaps needed to be eaten by these Russian experts and if they can't get it right what chance has the common man on the street. Another fab knowledgeable guest and interview, Thankyou SC!
@20chocsaday I wasn't there,I'm sure everyone there has their own account, depending upon thier sympathies.. there was much demonstrations of national identity most was peaceful until George Square riots at the end of the Referendum and who were responsible for that British nationalists
Wonderful to hear this conversation. The closing remarks about how the western world would have looked upon a similar development in Germany in the 1970s as i Russia today are disclosing a fundamental mental bias that has to be changed. Personally I have wondered a lot about expressions of nostalgia in western countries for communist rule (like the bar with KGB theme that was referred to). I have been too interested in history myself to fall for that, but I also have noticed the difficulty that people brought up in central and eastern Europe has had to explain for westerners certain aspects of the Soviet communist and imperialist rule.
I've listened to many (and I mean MANY!) analysts and the problem with the fake "knowledge" and "expertise" in post-Soviet countries is oh, so real... Very few of them ACTUALLY get it. This one gets it. I would buy his books. My thanks to this channel for presenting him to me.
👍 hopefully the channel has avoided the ‘fake expert’ problem… sure there are a diversity of opinions, but I try not to invite on guests who seem to be ignorant of Ukrainian history…
This really is the best interview. I had to come back to it. It bears repeating again and again, Russia is a small, cruel republic consuming other countries and spitting them out as Russian Republics for a political system of robberies.
???? America has been making thinly veiled threats towards Russia and putin for a long while now, and nato is just an extension of Americas millitary and political establishment
I wish Silicon Curtain would have Maxim Katz on!!!! He has the *best* russian language videos on youtube....and the best subtitles as well. Highly recommend him!
What a ridiculous contention that someone who loves Russia can’t be objective. I’m sure that the most vociferous Russian Putin critics love their own country. Why can’t a foreigner also love Russia and also be a critic.
Oh my, I so wish these amazing interviews, opening my eyes to new insights about the Rusiann "cause", would be adequately translated into different languages. Sure you can set auto-generated translations, but it's not the same thing. Better than nothing though. 🙂 (I've checked out the Swedish one)
Yes, look at their cities - devastated. And what does Russian liberation mean in reality? Repression, rape, torture and kidnapping of children. Russia is beyond the pale now… a terrorist, mafia state.
Very interesting. Yes Russia is finished. Ukraine will never be under Russian hegemony. Russians will spend the next 100 years apologizing for what their nation did to Ukraine and the world. The layers of tragedy so engaged will take an entire new generation of Russian authors and poets to describe and rationalize.
Sharp intellect. I imagine to have an examination paper on Russia returned full of red comments. The change is, to say that Russia (still) is aggressive and unpredictable and corrupt, but that this sad fact will not lead us into the derogatory slurs Hitler spit out on eastern Russia populations. But to survive the conflict an increased knowledge base is paramount,. IOW how to act toward Russia.
Putin was almost certainly going to invade. However, had the Ukrainians received the weapons several years ago, the Russian losses would have been greater, the Ukrainian losses fewer, and possibly less territory would have been occupied.
Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, it was common to hear post-mortems acknowledging that analysts had greatly overestimated the capability of the Soviet Army (as well as the Soviet economy). How soon we forget.
I wish someone as well informed as Taras had an open debate with someone/anyone with an opposing view. This would finally open the worlds eyes to the UTTER corruption and barbarity of the Russian State.
This is an interesting point to raise. I bet a lot of people in Ukraine had similar views about Russia, that if they wanted to take Ukraine, their military was strong enough they could take it in a short amount of time. I wonder what seeing Russia as weaker than they were thought of before will have on the other independent republics which were either neighbours or part of the Soviet country.
Russified Diplomats. Maybe that's what I was listening to with the Unherd interview with Fiona Hill. Ukraine can't win, we have to stop the war now with major (imaginery) peace effort. "What have you NOT learned Dorothy". Had to stop listening, lost all respect for her. From what I've learned of Ukraine in the last year, if it can win and prevail it will be a good big brother for all of Eastern Europe and shot in the arm for Europe as a whole. Ukraine's fight is the Wests fight, full stop. Let's not repeat 1938.
Small thing about Russian support, from a perun video about drones, I think. The best use of drones is for surveillance, but Russians were buying drones for the troops. The government confiscated the drones to use them for dropping explosives. I don't know how many Russians were buying drones, but at least some.
The derogatory name referring to the expensive properties bought by Russians, who became rich by their unknown devices, in London England. There are a lot of them and they don't actually have diplomatic immunity.
Refers to the fact that London is one of the main, if not the main, money laundering capitals in the world, especially for Russian oligarchs and organised criminals. It's also where they buy up a lot of property and businesses.
Also, many politicians were accepting funding from Russian sources, including the Tory government. This was very embarrassing because it is against their core philosophy and made them look extra corrupt. They have rejected the money now but previous elections and campaigns imply a Russian interest in trouble in the UK. (The strategy tends to be to undermine civil society and democracy rather than a particular party)
What I find fascinating about Ukraine, is apparently it had one of the earliest civilizations on Earth, and yet we have only just scratched the surface of it, The Aratta People who built some pretty elaborate cave dwellings and mounds for the time, like at Kamyana Mohyla, then migrated to the south.
That is an excellent question. It strikes me from direct experience that India is another country with a zero sum, win-lose mentality. Until Russians understand there is such a thing a win-win, they will not move forward…
I feel like Germany could be key to helping Russians after this (if they accept it) in facing what their country has done and coming to terms with it. If Russian leaders merely bury the truth for years if not decades yet again, then I can't see how the cycle is broken.
It's probably true by this point in the war that most are being forced but it wasn't as true early on. Plenty joined for the money and for various other reasons back in 2022.
@@toby9999, You’re most likely right. But even early on many were tricked into invading Ukraine and by the time the war started it was too late. They were already in the middle of a war and had to fight or be killed. There were probably quite a few elite volunteers who knew what was happening. Some of the operations must have required significant planning, even though it quickly turned into a complete fiasco.
The point about Russians in exile not protesting is fair, but it does not take into account that family members still in Russia might be harassed or worse by authorities in Russia.
That was an incredible conversation. I agree with the ideas and feel so frustrated how many smart people are viewing Russia and Putin as if they want what a European country would want proving how little they understand the situation.
Xi is just as bad if not worse. He is ideology over everything. Politicians are not dealing with China as an adversary, especially US needs to decouple faster from China!
Excellent points on sickness of Russian society!
Why won’t the Russians who fled protest - they won’t be jailed?
Why will Iranians protest (who are executed) and Russians will not (who are only jailed)
Why did Ukraine have 3 protests and Russian has zero?
Outstanding discussion!
I saw no russians protesting the war outside the russian embassy in Dublin. I think they should all be sent home. That might actually focus their minds on doing something, when the easy option of running away and enjoying western freedom and prosperity is taken away.
What is more excellent, he also explains what is wrong with our journalism and academia.
yea the joke is Iranian women have more "balls" than Russian men!
The Russians that left do protest and have rallies in the places they fled to. Some are afraid they could be found and taken back or killed or fall out of a window from high up.
@TOI TECHNO Those that left are considered traitors and rats and Putin has called for them to be killed of they return.
Another brilliant speaker. Silicon Curtain is amazing. It is the best channel on UA-cam in its field 🏅
👍
Could not agree more. Top class information.
Thankyou for an enlightening vlog especially the stats
I agree and patiently await subscriber numbers to be in the millions!
Silicon Curtain is one of many stunningly good channels on UA-cam (and elsewhere). They put the traditional news sources to shame in every respect.
Thank you Taras and Jonathan. Such an enlightening and brilliant breakdown of the situation and history.
I've read a couple of accounts from relatively junior military types who were part of the NATO training program for Ukraine, and they had no doubts whatsoever about just how hard the average Ukrainian would fight to defend their homeland.
IIRC, by 2022, something like 800,000 Ukrainians had served in some capacity in the Donbas. They had good training, steadily-improving equipment, most had combat experience (or had at least experienced incoming fire, the acid test for soldiers). And of course, they were far, far more motivated than their opponents.
How did anyone think this would be a cakewalk for Russia? At the very least, Russia faced a deadly partisan threat that they could only counter by using the same scorched earth tactics used in Chechnya and Syria, further inflaming Ukrainian anger against them...
Very well said.
Putin's arrogance and bad intel trapped him in a situation where he couldn't back down.
We’ve had countless decades of politicians abandoning their countries when the first shot was fired.
I think “experts” were simply lazy and had little understanding of Ukraine’s administration… I think it’s fair to say that Zelensky surprised a significant number of Ukrainians as well.
That’s all to say, even with a decent military, if a political crises occurs on the first day of war, it’s hard to see how a country can fight effectively.
Regardless, your point stands… how did so many people get it wrong and why hadn’t we told Putin the following equipment would be delivered to Ukraine if he invaded:
- 800 M1A2
- 1000 M2 Bradley
- 25,000 Javelin
- 200 M109A4
- 1,000,000 rounds 155mm
- 200 F-16
Etc.
Putin would have either invaded and we would have started shipping serious equipment early (instead of hand wringing over escalation concerns)… or he would have not fired a shot.
Either outcome would have been a hundred times better than the current situation where the Ukrainians don’t have what they need to fight and win.
It was assumed that 5 times as many tanks, 10 times as much ammunition, 5 times as large an airforce, state of the ort modern missile systems and nuclear weapons meant that russia would win in days. What was predicted incorrectly wasn't the valour of the Ukrainians but the absolute incompetence of the russian high command, and the unsuitability of the Soviet military methodology.
@@occamraiser Totally valid argument, not sure it invalidates the complete lack of confidence in the Ukrainian armed forces but I would agree that of the two… it’s probably what was forefront in the minds of analysts.
Still, Russia has never performed with competence at the outset of any military conflict in the past 200 years (so far as I’m aware); so I’m still surprised that the consensus among “professionals” was so egregiously wrong.
This is not to say that all analysts were wrong, but they were few and far between. I’ll also say that I didn’t have a clue as to how any of this would play out… but I don’t make a living studying the war fighting capacity of nations.
Thanks 🇬🇧 to support 🇺🇦. Greetings from 🇦🇷
I couldn't agree more with Mr Kuzio - the man is 100 per cent right on all accounts.
“Russia’s export wasn’t oil, it was corruption”. Brilliant!
As if US isn't funding puppet governments around the world and installing brutal dictators hahaha. US supports (militarily) 73% of world dictatorships. Fact. Let's laugh at this clown...
Russia also exported top end property value inflation especially into Londongrad on Thames.
Russia is the worlds second largest petroleum producer. A primary exporter to world. Natural gas also. In addition- corruption.
Brilliant bullsh*t
Ukriane after it gained independence in the 90s has always been corrupt even when russia was week and didnt had any influence and let me remind you that almost all but one of its presidents were all pro western, all of their parlaments were pro western. After 2014 when the nation becane even more pro western nothing changed the corruption remained the same
Another must watch interview.
I agree, this is one of hte top shelf conversations for sure.
Thank you for such a insightful discussion. Everything I've been thinking about ruZZia and p'tin over the past 23 years has been validated. It means a lot since my formal education amounts to grade 12 and I barely survived living in borderline poverty most of my life. But it didn't stop me from asking questions, seeking knowledge and learning from deep contemplative thought; finding answers. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦⚔
I sometimes think that those with power, money and influence don’t think enough!
@@SiliconCurtain
Yes, or they think too much when they're in an agitated, stressful, anxious emotional state and get everything wrong. I experience this as well, but I counter that by practicing 'non thought', which took me 17 years of hap hazard practice to achieve.
Thanks again for what you do. Your channel has become the most important one to me.
Dear Mr Nobody, I am very educated and have spent my life within circle of very highly educated people. But even I know very intelligent people that do not have a university degree or even a highschool diploma. And I do know a few people with a masters degree who are, frankly, morons. Education does not always equal intelligence, and the other way round too. Don't underestimate yourself. Lots of love and good luck ❤️
@@mrnobody3161 Mister, please do yourself a favour and rename your UA-cam account into ' @mrsomebody3161', because what you've described about your life and how you've handled it, demonstrates that you are a unique SOMEbody.
Please, don't denigrate yourself with such a non-fitting pseudonym.
Thank you in advance.
@@mrnobody3161 Dear Mr Somebody3161, regarding: "or they think too much when they're in an agitated, stressful, anxious emotional state and get everything wrong."
What I've noticed to my detriment is that the more successful people become in their careers, the more they can start to fear anything that could pose a threat to their current success and status. At least unconsciously they become aware of the fragility of their current position.
Fear and greed make for a very toxic mix and changes people for the worse.
Thank you Jonathon. Another facet of this complex story. Quite apart from the brutal invasions of neighbouring countries, and despite the murders of journalists and lawyers (Anna Politskovskaya as far back as 2006), it's not as if Western journalists were unaware of what was happening. It seems amost as if rather than being misinformed, they misinformed themselves.
Another excellent guest, Jonathan! Thank you
Excellent interview. Chilling exposè of the Russian mindset. Thank you.
I like Mr Kuzio's commentary. He constantly backs up his opinion with facts and he has the broader historical view to put everything into perspective.
It's also very interesting what he says about the preconceptions about Russia's power and influence.
My parents, diaspora from the holodomor, never trusted the Russians, despite not realizing their part in the hunger. Things haven’t changed. Thank you Taras, for explaining the phenomenon
My father was fully taken in by soviet propaganda. As were the entire Left Wing in UK from the 1930s onwards. Dad died in 1976 so his opinions never got challenged by his kids. Appreciating the reality would have upended his political world.
If I ever have a son, I'll be tempted to name him Taras. Every Taras I've heard so far is a brilliant person.
Fascinating conversation. It really highlights the naivete many western leaders exhibited towards Putin. In fact, some of them still do. He isn't a statesman, a politician, or even a president. He's a mafioso. He has more in common with a Martin Scorsese character than any politician we in the west would recognize.
I asked one Russian historian what books to read to better understand Putin. He said Mario Puzo - The Godfather
He isn't a statesman, a politician, or even a president. He's a mafioso.
True. He isn't owned by anyone unlike puppets in the west.
Great discussion. Thanks.
Excellent interview!
Excellent narrative. Very informative.
Excellent! Thank you very much, again.
All power to Taras's elbow! This is someone who tells us what it's really like in Putin's world. A 'KGB' bar in New York? There is a bar in Preston that obviously tries to appeal to student dreams. It's name? The Яevolution! I don't know how you manage to find these speakers, Jonathan. Your channel deserves to be broadcast every day on the BBC to keep the public informed and up to date with what is going on in Russia and the tectonic currents that drive its politics.
BBC only recently stopped parroting Russian propaganda as impartial news. A presenter on Radio 4 was dumbfounded when an aid worker called out the double standards. BBC has improved but serious coverage of the war is weak to say the least.
Probably once of the most informative pieces of info I've listened to so far, on this entire debacle.
Thank you for presenting this man's perspective.
👍
Brilliant
Great interview, Taras is a very lucid and commanding speaker
This was probably one of the best, if not the best, overviews about Russia I've ever heard. Jonathan, thank you for doing what you do. BTW, I'd pay a lot to get Taras sit down a couple of hours with Scholz and Macron.
Scholz and Macron are a lost cause. If Putin was right in one of his assumptions, it was that (Western) European leaders are weak and spineless. They only do the minimum required, because they feel some pressure by the Western societies. Societies that are appalled by the Russian atrocities, that in the modern age come right in our homes and our phones the very next day. In the same time they feel equal, if not more pressure by the beneficiaries of the kleptocratic system the guest is talking about in this interview. The individuals and corporations behind it actually want the "good ol' times" with Putin's regime as business partner. This Taras Kuzio would be wasting his time with Scholz and Macron. If I had the power, I would get him explaining the facts and the processes in the high schools and universities in France and Germany.
Great interview!
Post Putin, if the Russian people are to come to terms with their acquiescence they will need their own version of a truth and reconciliation commission.
Out of date. Many many years ago the global collective meant something. In more recent years morality means nothing and commerce occurs largely unabated. Nations such as Russia used "war on terror" to commit atrocities. The USA did the same and still does. The CCP did similar. Today in 21st century, people are demonstrating some scary passivity. The protests in Iran are unusual but of course were put down.
But to wake up they need to be shocked awake by a multi-generation scarring event equivalent to Germany's defeat in WW2. How else will they give up the dream of Russian Mir for all of us?
Thank you for such an insightful interview!
Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦
May I suggest Martti J. Kari, who's a former Finnish intelligence colonel would be a great guest on this Channel. There is a lecture by him on UA-cam and his insights into Russia after studying them for many years are fascinating. I think he speaks English to some degree.
Good idea! Martti J. Karis lecture ist great, profund and straightforward. 👍
Love that lecture, it's brilliant!
Definetely a great suggestion! After his career in the army, he is nowadays an university teacher (cyber security and strategic analysis). Since he has been in the past a lot in Russia and knows the language well, he has pretty deep understanding of Russian culture. (Plus he has been working also in Ukraine...)
I have not heard of him, so thanks! I will look that video up 😀👍
@@sumiland6445 TRIGGERnometry: Military Intelligence Expert Breaks Down Russian Mindset. Interview in English with Martti J. Kari.
There may be something wrong with my memory but I thought the BBC had followed Litvinenko's illness fairly well and there was no doubt it was a KGB assassination.
While he was alive, that is. On his death they could not prejudice a murder trial but we did know it was a rare transuranic element.
There was also newspaper coverage of some of the premises affected.
Great interview… thank you for sharing
30mins in and I'm cheering and clapping 🥳👏🏼 Thank you Silicon curtain🫡
👍
thank you for this timely and excellent interview.
Excellent
Great show. Thanks. Please try to get him back.
“how do you rip this sort of toxic weed out of the body politic of Russia?” Bravo!
I have been wondering the exact same question, though without the poetic delivery.
Wonderful analysis and a wake up call when it comes to trusting Western journalists
Quite the most penetrating, yet easiest to comprehend, discussion of Putin's psychological motivation I have ever encountered. Simply fascinating.
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As an American whose parents were Polish refugees post WWII, Tara's understands what we all understand in our bones.
Revelatory conversation guys 🔥
Brilliant 😮🎉!
Great insight that hasn’t yet been heard by many of us I’m sure.
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Thank you both, incredibly good content. Jonathan, would you consider an episode of interviews with rank-and-file activists of Ukraine support? Here (in San Francisco) and in Europe there is a fascinating movement emerging of Ukrainians supported by Belorussians, Georgians, Free-Russians, and a newborn free-Buratya movement, with Iranians, Poles, and others. From the grassroots, Ukraine is bringing about a global anti-Imperialist movement , which is underreported.
I can try. Some activists are articulate, like Denis is Russia, but many are not… makes the interviews really drag out…
Very intelligent expert👏👏👏
Thank you, great interview.
We Belgian Flemings have/had a similar issue with how foreign journalists and diplomats covered Belgian internal affairs. If they spoke another language than English it would be rather French than Dutch. As a result, the view of the Francophones was better represented in their coverage, and Flemings felt being internationality on the defensive every time there was another constitutional crisis in Belgium.
This stimulated the Dutch speaking Flemish regional government in 2007 to set up a newspaper and website 'Flanders Today' which covered or contained translations of the Flemish newspapers and reached 40k subscribers and 1 million views annually.
The initiative was stopped in 2020, which to me was a short sighted move.
As a result of centuries of foreign occupation long term strategic planning remains the exception with Belgians, especially with Flemings.
For the rest, indeed the interviewee's insights are priceless. Thank you for another fascinating interview.
Great insight ! Thanks
great guest!
Thank you fthis open view set conversation on this matter. Great minds
Those who left are those who can, and are, working remotely. So, they're not anti-war or anti-Putin necessarily, just anti-draft CWA. I agree with Taras. They haven't acted out of protest, but out of self interest.
CWA should be CYA, as in Cover Your A**.
Some of us, did not get it wrong.
Blinding interview, your guests are the best as well as you.
👍 I thought this guest particularly amazing!
@@SiliconCurtain Totally agree, top class.
@25': in regard to history of crimea and considering this as 'settled': The problem begins when you then have to distinguish between the 'imperial' history of Russia and e.g. the behaviour of Israel outside of the borders agreed by the UN when Israel was founded. To me it is the Budapest accord where Russia, USA and UK guaranteed the sovereignty of Ukraine including Crimea that is the keystone to focus upon. History etc, is supportive of course.
Excellent interview an eye opener after watching the interview with Oliver Stone haha in which h said he was never in Ukrain 👍
The Italian Prime Minister did recently express strong support for Russia’s defeat. 65% of Italians support Ukraine we have recently heard. Don’t let Putin’s propagandists divide us.
I support Ukraine and see it as an opportunity to build anew stronger understanding of democracy.
Good stuff, always.
👍
Im new to your program. A mind expanding pleasure. Thank you.
The Eastern Border podcast is an excellent resource for understanding the Russian mindset both the elite and average man.
very good 5/5
Why did it take me so long to discover this excellent channel? Well, I'm here now. Have been binge watching for the past ten hours and plan to do the same until I catch up.
Enjoyed this
Finally!!!
The point on academic and journalistic laziness and coziness toward to Russia is manifestly very well made - mostly. Live and learn. My own visits to Moscow left me with no such sympathies.
For Russian meddling in western politics perhaps Taras missed Brexit,(breaking up of Europe must have looked fortuitous omen to putins Russia)a Scot I had no objection to Scottish identity being expressed anymore than if I was a Russian,( assuming being in Russia I would be the same person i am today🙂)Ukrainian identity being peacefully expressed.. I think some guy got a couple of eggs 🥚 broken over him by "Scottish nasis" during predominantly peaceful Scottish referendum showing the world how it should be done.
He made some great points about learned academics having huge blind spots to Russia, a little humble pie is perhaps needed to be eaten by these Russian experts and if they can't get it right what chance has the common man on the street. Another fab knowledgeable guest and interview, Thankyou SC!
A lady said she was glad to get away from a demonstration. I wonder if that was why .
@20chocsaday I wasn't there,I'm sure everyone there has their own account, depending upon thier sympathies.. there was much demonstrations of national identity most was peaceful until George Square riots at the end of the Referendum and who were responsible for that British nationalists
Awesome video 📹 buds
Very lucid discussion. This is the situation now, no two ways about it.
Wonderful to hear this conversation.
The closing remarks about how the western world would have looked upon a similar development in Germany in the 1970s as i Russia today are disclosing a fundamental mental bias that has to be changed.
Personally I have wondered a lot about expressions of nostalgia in western countries for communist rule (like the bar with KGB theme that was referred to). I have been too interested in history myself to fall for that, but I also have noticed the difficulty that people brought up in central and eastern Europe has had to explain for westerners certain aspects of the Soviet communist and imperialist rule.
I've listened to many (and I mean MANY!) analysts and the problem with the fake "knowledge" and "expertise" in post-Soviet countries is oh, so real... Very few of them ACTUALLY get it. This one gets it. I would buy his books. My thanks to this channel for presenting him to me.
👍 hopefully the channel has avoided the ‘fake expert’ problem… sure there are a diversity of opinions, but I try not to invite on guests who seem to be ignorant of Ukrainian history…
This really is the best interview. I had to come back to it. It bears repeating again and again, Russia is a small, cruel republic consuming other countries and spitting them out as Russian Republics for a political system of robberies.
What nonsense. NATO never threatened Russia.
What you mean never? They threatened Russia to defend NATO memberstates in Eastern Europe at least yearly!!
????
America has been making thinly veiled threats towards Russia and putin for a long while now, and nato is just an extension of Americas millitary and political establishment
Amen.
I wish Silicon Curtain would have Maxim Katz on!!!! He has the *best* russian language videos on youtube....and the best subtitles as well. Highly recommend him!
I will try!
What a ridiculous contention that someone who loves Russia can’t be objective. I’m sure that the most vociferous Russian Putin critics love their own country. Why can’t a foreigner also love Russia and also be a critic.
That is possible- I count myself among that group - but at the same time being deeply critical and cynical.
Oh my, I so wish these amazing interviews, opening my eyes to new insights about the Rusiann "cause", would be adequately translated into different languages. Sure you can set auto-generated translations, but it's not the same thing. Better than nothing though. 🙂 (I've checked out the Swedish one)
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my motto never do anything out of fear
Taras is spot on on all points! Bravo! Exactly how I asses Russia vs Ukraine in the nutshell. Note: he got Trump wrong, otherwise all good
that is ironic, the eastern russian speakers of ukraine got the brunt of putin's war, while putin claims to be protecting them !!!
Yes, look at their cities - devastated. And what does Russian liberation mean in reality? Repression, rape, torture and kidnapping of children. Russia is beyond the pale now… a terrorist, mafia state.
Very interesting. Yes Russia is finished. Ukraine will never be under Russian hegemony. Russians will spend the next 100 years apologizing for what their nation did to Ukraine and the world. The layers of tragedy so engaged will take an entire new generation of Russian authors and poets to describe and rationalize.
I doubt it will happen. They will stay in their state of mind as they are for centuries.
Sharp intellect. I imagine to have an examination paper on Russia returned full of red comments.
The change is, to say that Russia (still) is aggressive and unpredictable and corrupt, but
that this sad fact will not lead us into the derogatory slurs
Hitler spit out on eastern Russia populations.
But to survive the conflict an increased knowledge base is paramount,. IOW how to act toward Russia.
Putin was almost certainly going to invade. However, had the Ukrainians received the weapons several years ago, the Russian losses would have been greater, the Ukrainian losses fewer, and possibly less territory would have been occupied.
Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, it was common to hear post-mortems acknowledging that analysts had greatly overestimated the capability of the Soviet Army (as well as the Soviet economy). How soon we forget.
I wish someone as well informed as Taras had an open debate with someone/anyone with an opposing view. This would finally open the worlds eyes to the UTTER corruption and barbarity of the Russian State.
This is an interesting point to raise. I bet a lot of people in Ukraine had similar views about Russia, that if they wanted to take Ukraine, their military was strong enough they could take it in a short amount of time. I wonder what seeing Russia as weaker than they were thought of before will have on the other independent republics which were either neighbours or part of the Soviet country.
Jon, you keep digging a bit deeper with your choice of guests and their topics on the topic of Russia in Ukraine.
The only way the Russian male could express agency is to leave the country….
Boris Johnson and hie Evgeny friends?
Russified Diplomats. Maybe that's what I was listening to with the Unherd interview with Fiona Hill. Ukraine can't win, we have to stop the war now with major (imaginery) peace effort. "What have you NOT learned Dorothy". Had to stop listening, lost all respect for her.
From what I've learned of Ukraine in the last year, if it can win and prevail it will be a good big brother for all of Eastern Europe and shot in the arm for Europe as a whole.
Ukraine's fight is the Wests fight, full stop.
Let's not repeat 1938.
Ukraine has to win, otherwise we’ll be locked into an Orwellian never ending war with Russia…
@@SiliconCurtain Not to mention the implications China-Taiwan.
Small thing about Russian support, from a perun video about drones, I think. The best use of drones is for surveillance, but Russians were buying drones for the troops. The government confiscated the drones to use them for dropping explosives.
I don't know how many Russians were buying drones, but at least some.
Londongrad?
The derogatory name referring to the expensive properties bought by Russians, who became rich by their unknown devices, in London England.
There are a lot of them and they don't actually have diplomatic immunity.
As a financial centre London dealt with lots of Russian cash and investments
Refers to the fact that London is one of the main, if not the main, money laundering capitals in the world, especially for Russian oligarchs and organised criminals. It's also where they buy up a lot of property and businesses.
Also, many politicians were accepting funding from Russian sources, including the Tory government. This was very embarrassing because it is against their core philosophy and made them look extra corrupt.
They have rejected the money now but previous elections and campaigns imply a Russian interest in trouble in the UK.
(The strategy tends to be to undermine civil society and democracy rather than a particular party)
@@hellsjamfleas Evegny Lebedev(son of Russian oligarch)was nominated for a peerage by Boris Johnson
Well at least you nailed it what the Russian Elites are.
What I find fascinating about Ukraine, is apparently it had one of the earliest civilizations on Earth, and yet we have only just scratched the surface of it, The Aratta People who built some pretty elaborate cave dwellings and mounds for the time, like at Kamyana Mohyla, then migrated to the south.
How were the Germans and Japanese persuaded to abandon their zero sum mentality?
That is an excellent question. It strikes me from direct experience that India is another country with a zero sum, win-lose mentality. Until Russians understand there is such a thing a win-win, they will not move forward…
👍🏆🏅🎯
I feel like Germany could be key to helping Russians after this (if they accept it) in facing what their country has done and coming to terms with it. If Russian leaders merely bury the truth for years if not decades yet again, then I can't see how the cycle is broken.
“They’re still willing to go to the front and die.”
They’re being forced…
It's probably true by this point in the war that most are being forced but it wasn't as true early on. Plenty joined for the money and for various other reasons back in 2022.
@@toby9999, You’re most likely right. But even early on many were tricked into invading Ukraine and by the time the war started it was too late. They were already in the middle of a war and had to fight or be killed.
There were probably quite a few elite volunteers who knew what was happening. Some of the operations must have required significant planning, even though it quickly turned into a complete fiasco.
Yea and no. They have some options. Flee, go into hiding, go to prison. All of those options have a far higher probability of surviving…
@@SiliconCurtain, True, but they might not know that.
It sounds more like the god father movies or early 1920 chicago.
The 90s were - but then the bandits took over the country. Imagine the 1940s with a President Capone, backed by the Waffen SS. That’s Russia…
The point about Russians in exile not protesting is fair, but it does not take into account that family members still in Russia might be harassed or worse by authorities in Russia.
Hitler made same arguments,didn’t work out well for him
Cult of Stalin - yup. Their propagandists said that they need to be more like Stalin (more brutal).
Bad Audio by the guest speaker