by Richard A » Thu Aug 24, 2023 5:35 pm
Only one thing is even more astonishing: the way that Volodya (and hence his people) keep holding to the line. A former Kremlin adviser was on the BBC news at lunchtime and it was put to him that those who defy Putin tend not to live very long. His response: "This is true, but you must not forget: Putin promised, very publicly, that he would not go after Prigozhin." And? So he lied - it's not like he spent January 2022 saying he had no intention of invading Ukraine. Or that he had anything to do with the Litvinenko and Skripal affairs. (Although some who know of what they speak have suggested that the poisoning of Skripal was such a monumental cock-up that while GRU operatives no doubt carried it out, it quite possibly wasn't a state-planned operation.)
Which leads on to another question. You challenge Putin, you die. This is how many dictators operate and contributes to their projection of strength. Putin included. So what, from Putin's perspective, is to be gained from denying he did it? Had he done it in foreign airspace, hmmm, various repercussions. But firmly within Russia, not even close to a border? Why even the pretence of a denial?
Though Arneb is right. What possessed Prigozhin and his mate to set foot in Russia, never mind get on a plane that took off from a Russian airfield, is a mystery.