I would like to return to the issue of whether or not Russia has turned to a ‘new hard line’ in response to the seeming assassination attempt on the life of Russian President Vladimir Putin represented by the December 28th massive drone strike on Putin’s residence in Valdai, Novgorod. There has been some back and forth on this issue between Aleksandr Mercouris on his superb podcast, myself, and the excellent analyst, long-time peace activist, and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. I am electronically or virtually acquainted with both of them and eagerly imbibe their work, but I have never met them in person. Initially, I responded to Alexander’s podcast, in which he proposed that there is such a new hard line based on his close and plausible reading of a statement by Putin and another by his foreign policy advisor Yurii Ushakov (https://gordonhahn.substack.com/p/putins-new-hardline-update?r=1qt5jg; https://gordonhahn.substack.com/p/putins-new-hard-line?r=1qt5jg; and ). Ray McGovern chimed in that Alexander may be over interpreting the Russian statements he cites.
Although I saw Alexander’s original observation that a new, harder Russian line is being established as the result of a slight over-reading of the statements he cited, I thought his interpretation was reasonable, plausible and may turn out to be accurate, though I disagree with it (https://gordonhahn.substack.com/p/putins-new-hardline-update?r=1qt5jg). It certainly would be understandable if Moscow toughened its approach in the wake of such an attack, but stated intention to implement a harder line is not yet a new hard line policy.
On his February 3rd podcast, Alexander returned to the subject (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUZPSQw3cfA). …………….
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About the Author –
Gordon M. Hahn, Ph.D., is an Expert Analyst at Corr Analytics, www.canalyt.com. Websites: Russian and Eurasian Politics, gordonhahn.com and gordonhahn.academia.edu
Dr. Hahn is the author of the new book: Russian Tselostnost’: Wholeness in Russian Thought, Culture, History, and Politics (Europe Books, 2022). He has authored five previous, well-received books: The Russian Dilemma: Security, Vigilance, and Relations with the West from Ivan III to Putin (McFarland, 2021); Ukraine Over the Edge: Russia, the West, and the “New Cold War” (McFarland, 2018); The Caucasus Emirate Mujahedin: Global Jihadism in Russia’s North Caucasus and Beyond (McFarland, 2014), Russia’s Islamic Threat (Yale University Press, 2007), and Russia’s Revolution From Above: Reform, Transition and Revolution in the Fall of the Soviet Communist Regime, 1985-2000 (Transaction, 2002). He also has published numerous think tank reports, academic articles, analyses, and commentaries in both English and Russian language media.
Dr. Hahn taught at Boston, American, Stanford, San Jose State, and San Francisco State Universities and as a Fulbright Scholar at Saint Petersburg State University, Russia and was a senior associate and visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Kennan Institute in Washington DC, the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (CETIS), Akribis Group.