The Shadow of Revenge: Putin's Inevitable Turn Toward Britain

[Social Media]

 

In the stillness of an October night in 2022, a covert operation unfolded within the sacred confines of St Catherine’s Cathedral in Kherson. Russian specialist troops and officials, acting under orders from Vladimir Putin, exhumed the remains of Grigory Potemkin, a revered 18th-century Russian commander closely associated with Empress Catherine the Great. Potemkin's legacy is deeply intertwined with the annexation of Crimea in 1783, and his remains were spirited away to an undisclosed location—perhaps Moscow or Crimea. This seemingly symbolic act reveals a profound insight into the motivations of the Russian president. It is a stark reminder that Putin’s actions are deeply rooted in history and in Russia’s perceived place within it.

 

Throughout the years leading up to the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, I found myself repeatedly challenging the national security establishment’s understanding of Putin. Despite the intelligence reports and the assurances of seasoned experts, I argued that Putin was not guided by rationality or a desire to transform Russia into a modern, outward-looking nation. Instead, he is driven by a complex blend of revenge, legacy, and romanticism. The former KGB officer, along with his inner circle of Siloviki—comprising current and former members of Russia’s security services—harbors a deep-seated belief that the West is responsible for the Soviet Union's downfall.

 

In their view, they are not the architects of the Soviet Union’s demise but rather its victims, ensnared by a Western conspiracy. This belief distorts their perception of history, leading them to assert that, if not for the West's influence, Russia would have emerged as the sole victor of World War II. Moreover, they contend that the Cold War need never have occurred because Eastern Europe, including East Germany and Poland, would have willingly remained under Moscow’s control.

 

This revisionist narrative is prominently featured in a peculiar essay penned by Putin in June 2021, titled *The Real Lessons of the 75th Anniversary of World War II*. The essay is a masterclass in historical distortion, presenting a version of events that glorifies Russia as the world’s savior. Putin goes so far as to claim that the Nazi-Soviet pact, which facilitated the invasion and partition of Poland, somehow benefited the United Kingdom. In his attempt to recast Russia's role in the Second World War, Putin places the blame squarely on Britain and France, while conveniently ignoring the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact’s true implications.

 

He omits crucial historical atrocities, such as the 1940 Katyn massacre, in which the Red Army and Soviet secret police executed approximately 20,000 Polish nationals. Furthermore, he glosses over the fact that, prior to the invasion of Poland, the Soviet Union had engaged in joint military exercises with the Wehrmacht and supplied tanks to Nazi Germany. This essay, while offering little in terms of factual accuracy, provides invaluable insight into Putin’s worldview and the historical grievances that fuel his actions.

 

Almost a year later, in July 2022, Putin authored another essay, *On the Historical Unity of Russia and Ukrainians*. This piece combines elements of ethnic nationalism and historical romanticism, reminiscent of both *Mein Kampf* and a Walter Scott novel. It would be easy to dismiss this essay as the ravings of a leader disconnected from reality, but to do so would be to overlook its significance. Within its pages lie the clues to Putin’s next moves and the ideological underpinnings of his aggressive foreign policy.

 

Unfortunately, many so-called “Russian experts” within the Foreign Office, the Quai d’Orsay, and the US State Department failed to grasp the importance of these writings. The shadow of the Iraq War had rendered intelligence services overly cautious, with analysis often diluted by bureaucratic processes that removed the crucial “human factor.” As a result, key insights from mid-level intelligence officers, those who had spent decades studying the enemy, were often sidelined, depriving decision-makers of the nuanced understanding needed to anticipate Putin’s actions.

 

The 2016 Chilcot Report on the Iraq War highlighted the pitfalls of over-reliance on sanitized intelligence, warning of the dangers of assessing adversaries through a lens shaped by our own motivations rather than theirs. But it is not just the job of intelligence analysts to understand the adversary; politicians, too, must possess the ability to read people and comprehend their motives. Leaders who fail to “feel” the currents of international relations are ill-suited for the responsibilities they bear.

 

My own experience meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov in the days leading up to the invasion of Ukraine reaffirmed the importance of this human understanding. I did not go to Moscow to merely deliver a prepared script; I went to gauge the character and intentions of my adversaries. I sought to uncover the extent of their deceptions, the size of their egos, and the dynamics within their inner circle.

 

As I departed, I remarked to General Gerasimov that I had noticed a shift in Russian military doctrine, one that prioritized readiness and mobilization over sheer numbers. In response, another Russian general leaned in and added, “and ruthless intimidation.” In that moment, the mask slipped, revealing the true nature of the regime I was dealing with. The most telling exchange occurred as General Gerasimov walked me to the hallway and remarked, “Never again will we be humiliated. We used to be the fourth army in the world, now we are the first or second. It is us and the Americans.”

 

These words encapsulate the mindset of Russia’s leadership—a leadership intent on rewriting history to erase the humiliations they associate with the end of the Cold War. For them, settling scores that have festered for centuries is not just a matter of national pride but a mission to restore Russia’s rightful place in the world. Yet, as Russia’s ongoing actions continue to isolate and degrade it on the international stage, it is clear that the regime’s efforts are only serving to further humiliate itself.

 

However, in Putin’s distorted worldview, Britain, not the United States, stands at the heart of Russia’s perceived failures. From the Crimean War to the defeat of the Czars, from the rise of Hitler to the end of the Soviet Union, Britain is seen as the architect of Russia’s misfortunes. A senior member of the Russian Siloviki even went so far as to claim that “we know Britain is behind the invasion of Kursk”—a baseless assertion that nonetheless illustrates the extent of the paranoia that pervades the Kremlin.

 

Make no mistake: Putin has set his sights on Britain. His belief that we are responsible for Russia’s historical grievances places us squarely in his crosshairs. The Kremlin’s war machine, driven by a desire for revenge and a twisted interpretation of history, will eventually turn its focus on us. We must be prepared for the inevitable. The signs are all there, and it would be a grave mistake to ignore them. As Putin continues to rewrite history, we must remain vigilant, ready to counter his moves and protect our nation from the threats that lie ahead.

 

Rt Hon Ben Wallace is a former UK secretary of state for defence

 

Credit: Daily Telegraph 2024-08-28

 

 

 

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[thaibeachlovers]

A good story.

 

[AndreasHG]

Great insight into the deluded minds of the Russian leadership.

[thesetat2013]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

A good story.

 

Best to just skip to the last paragraph. The rest seemed a waste of time reading. 

[spidermike007]

Putin is likely insane, he is a homicidal maniac, he is totally without anything resembling a moral compass, and his thirst for power and wealth knows no limits. His intentions are heinous. 

 

Fortunately, other than their nuclear arsenal, their armed forces are broken down and outdated. 

 

The war has inflicted heavy losses on Russia’s military. By the end of 2023, nearly 90% of the pre-war troops had been lost, with estimates of 120,000 killed and 200,000 wounded. Equipment losses have been equally severe, with thousands of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery pieces destroyed. In response, Russia has reactivated many outdated Soviet-era tanks and artillery pieces, highlighting the desperate need to replenish its arsenal.

 

Predictions suggest that by 2026, Russia may face severe challenges in maintaining its combat power and effectiveness due to resource depletion and unsustainable practices.

 

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/the-troubled-russian-military/

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

23 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Predictions suggest that by 2026, Russia may face severe challenges in maintaining its combat power and effectiveness due to resource depletion and unsustainable practices.

You think the war in Ukraine will still be going on in 2026?

[MicroB]

One interesting aspect I follow is Russian Healthcare. Russian healthcare is nowhere like what it was during Soviet times. Russian hospitals are full of modern equipment, and there is good access to drugs. But 90% of medical devices are imported, mostly from Germany and the US . 80% of drugs are imported. Sanctions do not include humanitarian devices. But healthcare has now gotten much more expensive, as the price of imports has dramatically increased (most medtech is moved by air. During COVID, the air indistry was more or less saved by the need for air transport of PPE, drugs etc, plus a weakened ruble has pushed up prices). The Russian healthcare budget has increased, but not by enough to cover cost increases. Russian patients will experience shortages, delays, and Russian doctors really don't like to have to use substandard alternatives. The Russian government identified about 3000 types of medical equipment, such as ultrasound, with no domestic capabilities, and put out a call to encourage more domestic innovation. It failed, and as a result, Russia is increasingly purchasing cheap devices from China and India. Chinese and Indian medical devices can be fine, the ones exported to the West that is. But there is much substandard kit being made in China and India that ordinarily never makes it out. Now they are going to Russia to substitute for the devices previously supply by Medtronic, Abbott, Siemens, Sysmex, JnJ and others. To make it worse, hospitals are now being "instructed" to provide staff to support front line troops, leading to staffing shortages.

 

Russia right now seems superficially ok; the shops are open, they have Russian cococola and Russian smartpones, and Russian Youtube. But it will corrode, and Russians won't go back to the days of breadlines, decrepit public facilties etc.

[CharlieKo]

What a load of propaganda rubbish. Britain can''t get over the fact that they lost the charge of the light brigade in Crimea, even though it was their own blundering that caused it. But most of all they don't forgive the murder of the Tzar and his family during the Russian revolution. 

 

Not to mention that Russia was part of the allied forces during the second world war. Who were largely responsible for the defeat of the Nazi's. But America wants to insist it was they who won the war. Wonder why they left it to the Russians to enter Berlin for the Victory!  

[MicroB]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You think the war in Ukraine will still be going on in 2026?

 

I used think it was the Generals who would put a stop to this; that they had their own comfortable fiefdoms which is now being chewed up on the front, and increasingly replaced by sustandard DPRK kit. I think the Russian infrastructure will give  up.

 

Their aviation industry, dependant on Boeings and Airbuses, must being taking a hit. Just before the war, Siemens was supposed to embarking on a major upgrade to the rail network signalling, They weren't doing that for the hell of it, but because it was needed to be done.  That's all stopped now, and engineering resource is being deployed to armament factories on double shifts. I read that the rail system is incredibly important to Russia as a country; without that link between Moscow and the Far East, it ceases to be a country, and the Far East increasingly looks elsewhere.

 

Also, apparently conscripts are not on the front line, officially, only those on "contracts". They are being paid increasingly large bonuses to sign a contract (and some are being tricked). The pool of volunteers from prison is drying up; they had a major riot the other day, so I'm not sure the Russians would be keen to give that mob an AK and 30 rounds.  So they will need to switch to Conscripts. What did it for the USSR were Mother's Committees; women pressing the government about their kids getting killed and maimed in Afghanistan. That might come to bare more.

 

Will they still be fighting in 2026. Possibly, but much different from now. Western armies are entirely dependant on PMCs to go to war; mainly to keep sophisticated kit serviceable, but also to maintain new equipment that is being deployed faster than the military's own logistics could keep up. We called this Urgent Operational Requirements, with more and more kit undergoing field testing on the front line.

 

Ukraine, with offshore Western maintenance, has half a shot of keeping their externally supplied kit going, and we are seeing the power of the market result in Western munitions manufacturers actually investing and constructing new production facilties in Ukraine. That means brand new state of the art tooling, better and better quality ammunition.  In Russia, they are opening up long mothballed and derelict facilities manned by old boys who worked there 30 years ago, using a mixture of old Soviet era tooling, with more recent Western equipment which can brick at any time for want of a software update that will never happen. And you are scared connecting it externally anyhow, incase outside forces can damage your tooling, in the same way Iranian German made centrifuges were hacked and destroyed. It smacks of a regressing military, but they have still got plenty to fight with, but higher losses.

[herfiehandbag]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

A good story.

 

I would take Ben Wallace's analaysis over your frothy mouthed enthusiasms any time.

[Presnock]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Putin is likely insane, he is a homicidal maniac, he is totally without anything resembling a moral compass, and his thirst for power and wealth knows no limits. His intentions are heinous. 

 

Fortunately, other than their nuclear arsenal, their armed forces are broken down and outdated. 

 

The war has inflicted heavy losses on Russia’s military. By the end of 2023, nearly 90% of the pre-war troops had been lost, with estimates of 120,000 killed and 200,000 wounded. Equipment losses have been equally severe, with thousands of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery pieces destroyed. In response, Russia has reactivated many outdated Soviet-era tanks and artillery pieces, highlighting the desperate need to replenish its arsenal.

 

Predictions suggest that by 2026, Russia may face severe challenges in maintaining its combat power and effectiveness due to resource depletion and unsustainable practices.

 

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/the-troubled-russian-military/

 

 

Yessir, and guess where he is looking for future soldiers - the 200K or more children kidnapped by the Russains and orphaned into Russian families.  He is definitely a maniac!

[MicroB]

8 minutes ago, CharlieKo said:

What a load of propaganda rubbish. Britain can''t get over the fact that they lost the charge of the light brigade in Crimea, even though it was their own blundering that caused it. But most of all they don't forgive the murder of the Tzar and his family during the Russian revolution. 

 

Not to mention that Russia was part of the allied forces during the second world war. Who were largely responsible for the defeat of the Nazi's. But America wants to insist it was they who won the war. Wonder why they left it to the Russians to enter Berlin for the Victory!  

 

 

In WW2, it was mostly the Ukrainians and Belarusans who did the dying for the Russians. Russian tanks were built from US steel. Russian trucks wre mostly Fords and Chevrolets. Britain started supplymtanks to Russia in June 1941, weeks after the Russian invasion. By December, 25% of Russian medium and heavy tanks were British supplied, 40% of the heavy tanks defending Moscow, when it nearly fell, were British. 30% if the Sviet Aurforce was British and American. Without the British, there would have been no Soviet army entering Berlin, and Stalin would have been hanging from a lamp post.

 

The US supplied over 4000 Shermans, representing nearly 20% of Lend Lease, to the USSR. In today;s money, the US supplied $180bn in goods to the USSR, essential to keep it fighting and to keep it from starving. Remember, for much of the war, the Russians could not access their main source of food, Ukraine. They lost 40% of their arable land. And in fact, it was the Ukrainian and Belarussians who did most of the dying for the Russians.

 

For the first 2 years of the war, the USSR was on the German side.

 

This is what Kruschev said about Lend lease:

 

Quote

I would like to express my candid opinion about Stalin's views on whether the Red Army and the Soviet Union could have coped with Nazi Germany and survived the war without aid from the United States and Britain. First, I would like to tell about some remarks Stalin made and repeated several times when we were "discussing freely" among ourselves. He stated bluntly that if the United States had not helped us, we would not have won the war. If we had had to fight Nazi Germany one on one, we could not have stood up against Germany's pressure, and we would have lost the war.....When I listened to his remarks, I was fully in agreement with him, and today I am even more so

 

Marshal Zhukov said
 

Quote

Today some say the Allies didn't really help us ... But listen, one cannot deny that the Americans shipped over to us material without which we could not have equipped our armies held in reserve or been able to continue the war.

 

 

 

I had a relative at the Charge of the Light Brigade, one Captain Nolan. Historians know him.

 

You bizarrely claim the British never got over the Crimean War (trust me, we did), but you omit to mention the more relevant point that the poison dwarf, Vladimir Putin, has never gotten over the sweet gig he had in eliminating opposition to the DDR government.

[mfd101]

In the broad I think Wallace is on the right track in thinking that The West tends to understand everyone else in the world - including the Chinese, Middle East and black Africa - as though they were just Westerners in disguise.

 

Understanding the underlying motivators of political and military action in other cultures is fundamental to our security.

[JonnyF]

Putin should be very careful.

 

If he puts any of that on FaceBook Starmer will have him locked up on a 3 stretch before his feet touch the ground. 

[Chomper Higgot]

29 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Putin should be very careful.

 

If he puts any of that on FaceBook Starmer will have him locked up on a 3 stretch before his feet touch the ground. 

Nah, he just needs to bide his time.

 

Send a few oligarchs who owe him big over to the UK and wait for a Tory Government to appoint them to the House of Lords.

[Dcheech]

Putin will just send in "tourists", like he has done before.

[JonnyF]

9 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Nah, he just needs to bide his time.

 

Send a few oligarchs who owe him big over to the UK and wait for a Tory Government to appoint them to the House of Lords.

 

Quite the imagination. 😃

[marquess]

The West and their globalist cohorts are in for a loss over this Ukrainian affair. Putin isn't mad as some commentators have remarked, he is caluculating and methodical and looks out for the interests of his country; something that can't be said for the majority of western 'leaders'. I would suggest checking out the Duran on Rumbe and Youtube to get an accurate unbiased analysis of events. 

[Chomper Higgot]

3 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Quite the imagination. 😃

An imagination with links Jonny:

 

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/channel-4-ex-pm-overruled-security-concerns-over-nominee-to-house-of-lords

[Will B Good]

1 hour ago, CharlieKo said:

What a load of propaganda rubbish. Britain can''t get over the fact that they lost the charge of the light brigade in Crimea, even though it was their own blundering that caused it. But most of all they don't forgive the murder of the Tzar and his family during the Russian revolution. 

 

Not to mention that Russia was part of the allied forces during the second world war. Who were largely responsible for the defeat of the Nazi's. But America wants to insist it was they who won the war. Wonder why they left it to the Russians to enter Berlin for the Victory!  

 

 

You could have been a script writer for Fawlty Towers....except for the fact you're not funny.

 

 

 

[JonnyF]

15 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

An imagination with links Jonny:

 

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/channel-4-ex-pm-overruled-security-concerns-over-nominee-to-house-of-lords

 

A link to a Channel 4 documentary with zero evidence to back it up. 😃

 

Seems you are not the only one with a vivid imagination.

[Chomper Higgot]

5 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

A link to a Channel 4 documentary with zero evidence to back it up. 😃

 

Seems you are not the only one with a vivid imagination.

Is that you withdrawing your accusation that I imagined Tories appointing to the House of Lords Russian Oligarchs with connections to Putin?

[newbee2022]

It's a story.

And you can believe or not.

Many assumptions and conclusions.

Isn't there a scent of conspiracy?

We all know that Putin is not a Saint. He's slaughtering Ukrainians as well as his own people. 

The invincible Russia? 

Isn't that similar to Maga-culture? Or the Vietnam Desaster?

Instead of continuing on the way to WW3 we should do all to prove that the West is a reliable partner, which it wasn't in the past (breaking contracts, agreements, concessions aso)

War is never a solution but peace with understanding, respect and reliability. That was the base drive for creating the European Union btw.

 

 

 

[JonnyF]

5 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Is that you withdrawing your accusation that I imagined Tories appointing to the House of Lords Russian Oligarchs with connections to Putin?

 

No.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, MicroB said:

 

 

In WW2, it was mostly the Ukrainians and Belarusans who did the dying for the Russians. Russian tanks were built from US steel. Russian trucks wre mostly Fords and Chevrolets. Britain started supplymtanks to Russia in June 1941, weeks after the Russian invasion. By December, 25% of Russian medium and heavy tanks were British supplied, 40% of the heavy tanks defending Moscow, when it nearly fell, were British. 30% if the Sviet Aurforce was British and American. Without the British, there would have been no Soviet army entering Berlin, and Stalin would have been hanging from a lamp post.

 

The US supplied over 4000 Shermans, representing nearly 20% of Lend Lease, to the USSR. In today;s money, the US supplied $180bn in goods to the USSR, essential to keep it fighting and to keep it from starving. Remember, for much of the war, the Russians could not access their main source of food, Ukraine. They lost 40% of their arable land. And in fact, it was the Ukrainian and Belarussians who did most of the dying for the Russians.

 

For the first 2 years of the war, the USSR was on the German side.

 

This is what Kruschev said about Lend lease:

 

 

Marshal Zhukov said
 

 

 

I had a relative at the Charge of the Light Brigade, one Captain Nolan. Historians know him.

 

You bizarrely claim the British never got over the Crimean War (trust me, we did), but you omit to mention the more relevant point that the poison dwarf, Vladimir Putin, has never gotten over the sweet gig he had in eliminating opposition to the DDR government.

No one is denying that the USSR depended on Allied tanks and weaponry, but an awful lot of Soviets died to defeat the Germans. Had the Soviets not born the brunt of the German army, which was mostly, IMO, destroyed in the USSR, the allies may not even have won their part. Had the Germans been at full strength It's probable, IMO, that they would never have got off the beaches. Perhaps the atomic bomb would have got it's first outing over Germany.

 

IMO the Soviet vs Germany war was the first US proxy war in that region. All that's changed now are the main players.

[Will B Good]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No one is denying that the USSR depended on Allied tanks and weaponry, but an awful lot of Soviets died to defeat the Germans. Had the Soviets not born the brunt of the German army, which was mostly, IMO, destroyed in the USSR, the allies may not even have won their part. Had the Germans been at full strength It's probable, IMO, that they would never have got off the beaches. Perhaps the atomic bomb would have got it's first outing over Germany.

 

IMO the Soviet vs Germany war was the first US proxy war in that region. All that's changed now are the main players.

 

 

Just to clarify....all of that is just in your opinion?

[frank83628]

what a load of nonsense!

[animalmagic]

2 hours ago, CharlieKo said:

What a load of propaganda rubbish. Britain can''t get over the fact that they lost the charge of the light brigade in Crimea, even though it was their own blundering that caused it. But most of all they don't forgive the murder of the Tzar and his family during the Russian revolution. 

 

Not to mention that Russia was part of the allied forces during the second world war. Who were largely responsible for the defeat of the Nazi's. But America wants to insist it was they who won the war. Wonder why they left it to the Russians to enter Berlin for the Victory!  

What a hilariously selective historical analogy.  On the same basis the American war of Independence, the Boer war and various other conflicts involving the British military where they lost would be cause for Britain to be at odds with most of their current allies!

The Charge of the Light Brigade was part of the Crimean War which Britain, and its then allies won!

[CharlieKo]

6 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

What a hilariously selective historical analogy.  On the same basis the American war of Independence, the Boer war and various other conflicts involving the British military where they lost would be cause for Britain to be at odds with most of their current allies!

The Charge of the Light Brigade was part of the Crimean War which Britain, and its then allies won!

Apart from the American war of independence, name one other war since WW11, That America won. And left that country in better condition than before America bombed the sh..te out of it. The Answer is None.

[thaibeachlovers]

15 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

Just to clarify....all of that is just in your opinion?

Of course, just like everything you write without a link.