Graham Mitchell

Russian retired general Leonid Ivashov, after watching Putin’s New Year address, demonstrated a clear understanding of what is happening in Russia: “Listen, I am a professor, a general, and a geopolitical researcher with decades of experience. I watched this four-hour show and saw neither a leader, nor a commander, nor a defender of the people. I saw only a man living in a fairy tale, while the rest of the country is trying to survive on 16,000 rubles a month.” Ivashov opposed the idea of invading Ukraine from the very beginning, and in this interview he once again emphasized his disagreement with what is happening in his country. Here are some of his other notable statements: “Even before the so-called ‘special military operation,’ I warned about the consequences. The last four years have proven the correctness and seriousness of those assessments.” “We have not achieved a single success at the tactical or operational level, and at the strategic level we have suffered defeat on ALL fronts.” “All branches of industry have been destroyed.” “Science is in a critical condition, and education has completely collapsed.” “Rising prices are an alarming signal: the Russian people are becoming poorer and poorer.” “Healthcare is in ruins. All regions are cutting spending on medicine.” “The quality of food is deteriorating; palm oil is everywhere; food in Russia is becoming toxic.” “The only area in which Russia is a ‘leader’ in the world is demographic indicators. We are the leading nation in the rate of DISAPPEARANCE. Even without the war — and the war only accelerates the rapid decline in the number of men.” “We are left only with such allies as North Korea and Belarus, but they cannot help us: they can only siphon off our finances — and our finances are being exhausted…” “I worked with the Chinese for many years, and China is not our ally; that is an invention and propaganda of the Kremlin.” “A strategic failure (in the war with Ukraine) could very well lead to the collapse of Russia.”