Lifespan posted:

But seriously, what's the over/under on Prigtastic still being alive?

CommieGIR posted:

gently caress SNEEP posted:

I gotchu boss 👍

Phlegmish posted:

Putin opposes US and NATO imperialism, and occasionally expresses nostalgia for the Soviet era. That's it, that's all there is to it. It doesn't matter that he's an authoritarian quasi-dictator presiding over a crony-capitalist system that is deeply sexist, homophobic and jingoistic. It doesn't matter that he launches his own imperialist wars of conquest, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of people. It doesn't matter that his supposed attachment to the Soviet Union is purely an expression of Russian nationalism and chauvinism. All that matters is that he's sticking it to America.

These people are inevitably deeply Americentric, anything 'bad' that happens must be a direct consequence of American interference, the people involved are always denied agency if they behave in a way that is undesirable. This is the reason why they're so desperate to portray the current conflict as nothing but a proxy war, as even they can't deny that the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians (regardless of language or region) despises Russia and its actions.

zone posted:

https://twitter.com/maria_drutska/status/1672920180379271168

zone posted:

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1673040407926562817

zone posted:

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1673040407926562817

Avirosb posted:

Maybe they'd do better without the embargo. Maybe.

Drone_Fragger posted:

Cuba is great actually, they have really cool frogs there and they're very large and noisy frogs too.

*(this paid post on behalf of the frog tourism lobby in cuba ltd)*

quote:

Meduza’s sources believe that Prigozhin probably realized that “he’d gone too far” and “prospects for his column to continue to advance were dim.” At that point, his fighters were already approaching the Oka River, where the Russian army and the National Guard had set up their first line of defense. Despite Prigozhin’s claims that the “whole army” was ready to join him, Wagner received no additional support from soldiers in the first hours of the uprising.

The Kremlin most likely realized that Prigozhin’s calculations had changed, and then decided to avoid a “bloody confrontation” with Wagner. The final round of negotiations reportedly included the Kremlin’s chief of staff Anton Vaino, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, and the Russian ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov — while Lukashenko took the lead role. According to one source close to the Kremlin, Prigozhin insisted that negotiations include top officials. Given Putin’s reluctance to engage with Prigozhin, negotiators were left with few options.

“Prigozhin needed a trusted third party to exit and save face. That’s where Lukashenko came in. He enjoys publicity — that’s why he agreed,” said Meduza’s source. It clearly benefits Lukashenko, who knows how to benefit from the publicity of becoming the one “saving Russia from bloodshed, or worse — a potential civil war,” said the source.

Meduza’s sources add that Prigozhin ultimately ended up losing out from the rebellion. “He’s been expelled from Russia. The president won’t forgive this,” one source explained. While the exact details of Prigozhin’s future still have to be worked out, he “won’t have the same kind of influences and resources as he did before.” There may also be changes to personnel in the Russia’s defense ministry, “though this would be due to the ministry’s internal issues, rather than Prigozhin’s demands.”

quote:

Another one of Meduza’s source close to the Russian leadership doubts that there would be personnel changes in the defense ministry anytime soon, stating that “Putin almost never bends under pressure.”

Meduza’s sources added that the rebellion weakens Putin’s position: “He was unable to get down to Prigozhin’s level, but he was nowhere to be found after yesterday’s national address. He’s the first in command, and takes control when necessary. He shouldn’t make Lukashenko the public face and allow Russia’s security officials [siloviki] to lead negotiations.”

zone posted:

Minorkos posted:

It doesn't seem to bode well for Putin that he let both Prigo and his mutinous troops get off the hook. I think you'd want to make one or the other take the rap, making further mutineers distrustful of each other, but I guess Putin lacked the leverage for that. If you can defy Putin and get away with it even without truly succeeding, then I assume a lot of other parties just got a lot more interested in similar shenanigans. Not to mention Prigo probably gained a lot more potential followers by showing that he's looking out for his troops.

Der Kyhe posted:

If this guy defects to West because of how Putin handled his case, I'll need to seek medical help for overdose on schadenfreude.

The guy knows each and every powerbroker, smuggler, mole and insider contact Putin and other oligarchs have ever used anywhere to either run their businesses, avoid EU/NATO embargo, or to destabilize Western governments.

deoju posted:

"Plans love silence." So he's got something else up his sleeve, or he just wants people to think he does.

zone posted:

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1673040407926562817

The Moon Monster posted:

We have Cuban frogs in Florida, just go to Florida*

*_don't

Oldsmobile posted:

Lots of people speculate that the reason Prigo pulled out (heh) was because he wasn't getting the support from elites he would have wanted.

This is most def just a "putting it out there" theory. But, what if it had something to do with Putin leaving Moscow?

Like going to Moscow became useless with Putin not there. Or maybe Putin got forced out somehow and he's now a prisoner? Would explain the total radio silence.

Just a malformed theory with nothing much going for it. Maybe the next few days will shed light on it.

Things look weird when there's relevant information missing. And this thing looks weird af.

EorayMel posted:

What's the Florida of Russia?

Is it Russia?

EorayMel posted:

What's the Florida of Russia?

Is it Russia?

Mr. Sunshine posted:

oops d'état

Oldsmobile posted:

Lots of people speculate that the reason Prigo pulled out (heh) was because he wasn't getting the support from elites he would have wanted.

This is most def just a "putting it out there" theory. But, what if it had something to do with Putin leaving Moscow?

Like going to Moscow became useless with Putin not there. Or maybe Putin got forced out somehow and he's now a prisoner? Would explain the total radio silence.

Just a malformed theory with nothing much going for it. Maybe the next few days will shed light on it.

Things look weird when there's relevant information missing. And this thing looks weird af.

mobby_6kl posted:

So far it looks like Prigozhin just got what he wanted, which was removing Putin's buddy from the MoD.

PinheadSlim posted:

Has this been confirmed? Last I heard they said they weren't going to make any personnel changes at the MoD as a result of this poo poo parade.

PinheadSlim posted:

Has this been confirmed? Last I heard they said they weren't going to make any personnel changes at the MoD as a result of this poo poo parade.

Oldsmobile posted:

I mean, with zero info available, all there is to do is speculate like crazy.

Prigozhin "getting what he wanted" isn't exactly clear either.

E: Shoigu is nervous, accodring to Telegram rumors: https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1673072309668544513

Tarkus posted:

Shoigu is increasingly isolated.

mobby_6kl posted:

IIRC what hosed over Cuba was USSR falling apart and stopping subsidizing them

the popes toes posted:

The photos that have just been released of a search of his office are mildly damning so it's clear they're going to screw him