Vladimir Putin is in trouble. The war he expected to last a few days is now more than three weeks old and shows no signs of imminent victory being achieved. His economy is on life support, his subjects are restless, with some choosing open rebellion — despite the consequences.
So Putin did what any politician in trouble would do: He appealed directly to the Russian people in a nationwide address.
But this wasn’t the kind of speech “Uncle Joe” Biden would give. Joseph Stalin would have been very comfortable giving the speech Putin gave on Wednesday evening.
“The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and simply spit them out like a fly that accidentally flew into their mouths,” Putin said Wednesday, according to NBC. “I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion, and readiness to respond to any challenges.”
It was the latest speech to surprise and alarm many who study Putin. He has adopted what they say is an emotional, ranting tone since Russia invaded Ukraine three weeks ago, a departure from the calculating persona of a former KGB officer.
“He’s clearly angry, emotional and feels the need to speak in this very aggressive tone,” said John Lough, an associate fellow at London’s Chatham House think tank.
Lough said the speech was clearly aimed at Russia’s elites, some of whom he believes are privately dismayed about the failure of the war and the economic backlash it has inflicted at home.
“Self-purification” has an ominous sound to it. And it’s a clear warning that no one — no matter how rich or well connected — is above being “purified.”
According to Lough, Putin was saying to the elites: “Don’t think about having second thoughts. We’re all in this together, and if I go down, you go down.”
Putin touched on now-common themes, comparing the West to Nazi Germany and alleging, against all evidence, that Ukraine has been committing genocide against ethnic Russians. But he adopted even more hard-line rhetoric when he turned his attention to Russians themselves, whom he has subjected to a sweeping crackdown on anti-war dissent in recent weeks.
There is now an exodus underway in Russia. It’s happening under the radar but the brain drain is especially noticeable and is being felt in the highest government circles.
The Kremlin said Thursday that it was those people who were showing themselves to be “traitors.”
“They vanish from our lives,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Reuters. “Some people are leaving their posts. Some are leaving their active work life. Some leave the country and move to other countries. That is how this cleansing happens.
It’s difficult to discern how much trouble Vladimir Putin is in with the elites. This speech shows he thinks his erstwhile friends need a reminder every once in a while to stay the course, no matter the cost.
