Biden's Ukraine visit upstages Putin and leaves Moscow's military pundits raging | CNN
Category: News & Politics
Via: jbb • last year • 8 commentsBy: Rob Picheta,Olga Voitovych,Vasco Cotovio,Kevin Liptak (CNN)
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President Joe Biden's surprise visit to Ukraine sparked anger and embarrassment among many of Russia's hawkish military pundits on Monday, increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin as the Russian leader prepares to justify his stuttering invasion in a national address.
Biden's historic visit came days before the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, providing a symbolic boost to Kyiv at a crucial juncture in the conflict.
But the visit caused fury in Russian pro-military and ultranationalist circles, as it upstages Putin on the eve of a major address in which the Russian president is expected to tout the supposed achievements of what he euphemistically calls a "special military operation."
"Biden in [Kyiv]. Demonstrative humiliation of Russia," Russian journalist Sergey Mardan wrote in a snarky response on his Telegram channel. "Tales of miraculous hypersonics may be left for children. Just like spells about the holy war we are waging with the entire West."
"I guess there are lunch breaks in a holy war," he said.
Russian army veteran and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Igor Girkin meanwhile suggested that Biden could have visited the frontlines in eastern Ukraine and escaped unharmed.
"Wouldn't be surprised if the grandfather (he is not good for anything but simple provocations anyway) is brought to Bakhmut as well… AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO HIM," Girkin said.
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Girkin is among a number of hardline military bloggers - some of whom have hundreds of thousands of followers and provide analysis of the conflict for large swaths of the Russian population - who have repeatedly criticized what they consider a "soft" approach on the battlefield by Putin's generals.
For many, the secure and skillfully executed visit of a US President was another symbol of a faltering campaign.
A Telegram account managed by Russian army and naval servicemembers, Zapiski michmana Ptichkina, noted ironically that Biden had reached Kyiv before Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Almost a year after the beginning of the Special military operation, we are waiting in the Russian city of [Kyiv] for the president of the Russian Federation, but not for the [President of the] United States," it said.
Putin will deliver a major speech on Tuesday, days before the one-year anniversary of his full-scale invasion. Contributor/Getty Images
Biden's visit was an unprecedented journey by a US leader into an active warzone where the US did not have a large military presence.
A few hours before he departed, the United States informed Russia of the plans to visit the Ukrainian capital for "deconfliction purposes," according to Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
CNN has reached out to the Kremlin, which has not yet publicly commented on Biden's trip. But Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the trip, accusing the US of warmongering support for Ukraine.
"Biden, having received security guarantees in advance, finally went to Kyiv," Medvedev said in a statement on Telegram. "And of course, there were mutual incantations about the victory that would come with new weapons and a courageous people. And here it is important to note that the West already delivers weapons and money to Kyiv quite regularly. In huge quantities, allowing the military-industrial complex of NATO countries to earn money and steal weapons to sell to terrorists around the world."
Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy head of Russia's Security Council, is known for making belligerent pronouncements in an apparent bid to shore up his nationalist credentials.
The debate over Biden's visit will be unwelcome to Putin, who will on Tuesday make a major speech to the Federal Assembly in which he will discuss the ongoing invasion.
Participants of what Russia refers to as its "special military operation" will be in attendance but foreign guests or representatives will not be invited, the Kremlin's spokesperson told reporters Monday.
Putin is expected to launch a renewed offensive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, more than one year after he began Europe's biggest land war since World War II with a failed assault on Kyiv and central Ukraine.
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Yet MAGA echoed the Kremlin's criticism of Biden's visit to Ukraine...
They did?
Yes, see below...
Only in the vivid imaginations of Get Trump groupies............................
You can see pyramids from that river in Egypt you're cruising!
The MAGA have been echoing Putin's propaganda releases...
And as usual there's nothing "below".
Brandon should renounce his US citizenship and run for the presidency of Ukraine.
He obviously cares far more about the people of Ukraine, their well being, and their border integrity; than he does about US citizens (Hey Brandon what about the people of Palestine, OH? Just because they are poor and white doesn't mean you can shit on them! Where is their federal aide? Why are you refusing them federal disaster relief funds? Siding with the NS over them shows how much you really don't give a damn.) and our borders (where illegals, drugs, firearms, gangs, and terrorists cross freely).
The Kremlin wasn't surprised by Biden's trip to Kiev. Russia was notified well in advance. The air raid sirens were a nice touch, though. The Soviets always did know how to put on a grand military show. Biden didn't lay out anything new. The whole show was just a grip 'n grin for the press.
Biden has to be worried about European countries becoming less dependent upon the United States. Europe has been focusing more attention on their own defense industries because of supply chain issues. Biden wanted a war as a political expedience to revive neoliberal interdependence in Europe. But it's looking like Trump's MAGA approach has been transformed from possibility to reality. Reality has a way of intruding upon make believe policy.
How many times has Ukraine defeated Russia over the last year? The reality of the battlefield suggests that we can look forward to Ukraine defeating Russia for a long time into the future. Just one more missile, just one more howitzer, just one more tank, just one more airplane, just one more US dollar will turn the tide. Biden may revel in what he sees as martial victory but out here, in the real world, Ukraine is just another quagmire. The war in Ukraine is certainly not making the United States any stronger.