Mark Galeotti - The Russian Ways of War are as Likely to Bring Defeat as Victory History Suggests.

GUEST: Mark Galeotti - historian, author, security expert and academic.
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LINKS:
inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com/
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...
/ markgaleotti
www.rusi.org/people/galeotti
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Ga...
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SPEAKER:
Mark Galeotti is an author and academic - by training an historian - but in practice an interdisciplinary scholar with interests encompassing politics, criminology, security studies, international relations, and anthropology. He is a specialist in transnational and organized crime, security affairs, Russian Politics, Russian History, Intelligence and Security. Mark has a PhD in Government from LSE and has worked as a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of History at Keele University. He is a Principal Director at Mayak Intelligence, and is an Honorary Professor, SSEES at UCL. He is a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. He has also been Professor of Global Affairs at New York University from 2009 to 2016.
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BOOKS:
Mark Galeotti: Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine (2022)
Mark Galeotti: The Weaponisation of Everything: A Field Guide to the New Way of War (2022)
Mark Galeotti: A Short History of Russia: From the Pagans to Putin (2021)
Mark Galeotti: Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz seize Kabul, Soviet-Afghan War 1979 (2021)
Mark Galeotti: We Need to Talk About Putin: How the West gets him wrong (2019)
Mark Galeotti: Russian Political War: Moving Beyond the Hybrid (2019)
Mark Galeotti: The Vory: Russia's Super Mafia (2018)
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WAR STUDIES:
Putin Takes Crimea 2014: Grey-zone warfare opens the Russia-Ukraine conflict (2023)
Russia's Five-Day War: The invasion of Georgia, August 2008 (2023)
Afghanistan 1979-88: Soviet air power against the mujahideen (2023)
Teutonic Knight vs Lithuanian Warrior: The Lithuanian Crusade 1283-1435 (2023)
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#markgaleotti #ukraine #ukrainewar #russia #zelensky #putin #propaganda
#war #disinformation #hybridwarfare #foreignpolicy #communism #sovietunion #postsoviet
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[@esakoivuniemi]

Jonathan, you're spot on. I'm from Finland and listening to Mark really gets my blood boiling. Sure, he's knowledgeable, no doubt about it. But understanding Russia isn't just an intellectual exercise. Russian imperialism isn't solely motivated by geopolitics or historical events. Instead, it's fueled by deeply ingrained ideas, beliefs, and values within Russian culture, particularly among the elites. It seems to me that Mark does not take that side of things seriously enough. To be fair, Mark is far from the only Western expert who's well-versed in Russia but still somehow overlooks the most crucial aspects of it. Cultures change slowly. That's why Russia's behavior is unlikely to change anytime soon. It might take something as monumental as the transformations Germany and Japan underwent after World War II to shake things up in Russia. Until then, it'll likely continue to try and assert its dominance whenever it feels powerful enough to do so. Well, that's my two cents anyway.

[@timthetiny7538]

So it's just like the west. Lol

[@gerryhouska2859]

If only...@@timthetiny7538

[@alexanderpeskin7050]

Sometimes living closer to a subject of discussion helps. Rational way of thinking is not always enough to understand Russia. Anyway Finland move to join NATO is wise.

[@murphy7801]

Not to reduce your post down too much. But I would summarise as the cultural arrogance of Russification.

[@chrystya]

Spot on

[@krikkenstein]

If we would accept that Russia would be able to keep some of its gains, what would assure us that Russia would not take the time to rearm and retry some time later? I think all options where Russia is given something it did not have before is just the best way to ensure that Russia is embolden and will start a new and than probably a much bigger war. All other appeasement arguments seem naive to me…

[@Ivan_the_Ripper]

We need Russian land. Ukraine land is russian. Stay away of Russia

[@thearpox7873]

He is not arguing for those gains, he is giving predictions. Reality is, tired people make bad decisions, and this might be what happens.

[@Grundewalt]

i wonder how low the critical thinking is in the comments, not a lot have caught the subtle push of MG for Ukraine to lose what Putin has gained, AND consider it a victory ("some might call it a victory" he said) as if in 2014 this idea was not tried. Look what have that gave us. I had a lot of expectation for personalities like the Pope, Galeotti, Stotkin but somehow all want putin to incrementally slug his way to validate russian empire existance, instead of actively working to denounce it and advocate for its dissolution. And that not doing that in 1991 was the real mistake.

[@PKowalski2009]

First of all, who should let Russia? Russia did not invade me or you, it invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainians are the only ones who have the right to decide whether they will cede any lands to Russia in peace. The mistake of Munich and 1938 should not be repeated, when the West talked to a dictator over the heads of Czechs and Slovaks. Secondly, in order to talk about giving up land at all, there must be a plan to do so. So far it has been Russia that has torpedoed the peace talks. If you listen to Putin, he wants all of Ukraine. Not necessarily all incorporated into Russia, but at least vassalised, where Ukrainians won't have the right to decide for themselves, they will come from Moscow for orders. Until this approach changes, no one is likely to trust that there is anyone to sit down at the negotiating table with. Thirdly, what you write about. Modern Russia is notorious for breaking signed agreements as soon as it sees it can get more. You can't buy peace with the current Russian leadership -- you can only buy a truce for a few years.

[@davidgraham4807]

⁠@@Grundewalt I believe those predictions to be premature. Warfare and dynamic diplomacy is extremely variable to say the least. It requires one to know the thought and analytical process of the players. I think many fail to realize that these factors can change, even in the most dogmatic of states or individuals. By far, predictably of leaders or systems is the hardest of all things. Leaders seldom fall into a pattern of action that are concrete and non-changing. Throw in ego, narcissistic behavior and nebulous goals and that model is useless.

[@markb8468]

Great guest Mr Fink. Thank you and thank you Mr Galeotti.

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍👍

[@janewiltshire3597]

❤❤❤❤❤❤​@@SiliconCurtain

[@simonbowden8408]

Incredible to hear Mark Galleotti talk about the registration of photocopiers and the ledgers required to prevent the distribution of information, and the cookery book at the time of Tsar Nicholas mentioning the 'free flow of air' being censored. Mark Galleotti is so interesting to listen to on Russia & on life in general

[@peteraschubert]

Galeotti is a clear and insightful thinker. Excellent guest.

[@tetianavarvynska2125]

except that he seems to miss the critical part of Ukrainian history and is conflating russia and Rus. For someone who is supposed to be an expert and a historian this is just unacceptable.

[@oeokosko]

@@tetianavarvynska2125 Maybe you have a skewed perspective?

[@TaiChor5Gates]

​@@tetianavarvynska2125 why is Russia not direct result of Rus conquests?? Last time I checked Rus rulers had children who then went into what is modern day Russia and conquered modern day Russian lands and established city states that later became modern day Russia??

[@spudwesth]

Not too bright

[@lynnfern2116]

Many thanks for inviting Mark Galleotti. He is a superb analyst, & explains everything in a very straightforward manner.

[@SiliconCurtain]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jrpitcherjr]

When the collapse of the Soviet Union occurred in 1991, there was no threat by any nation to try and advance over their borders and take over their government. We left them to solve their problems internally for the most part as well as assisting them benevolently to help without any political commitments. Does this not negate their insistence and paranoia over other nations trying to take them over?

[@SiliconCurtain]

Well exactly! But the elite don’t see it that way, and it doesn’t serve their interests to paint us as friends. Paranoia and exceptionalism run deep unfortunately throughout Russian history.

[@user-tq9dr7so4c]

​@@SiliconCurtain паранойя слишком глубоко проникла в сознание европейцев. Вы всегда не понимали Россию и боялись её и завидовали тому, что у неё есть. Все эти чувства рождают в вас хроническую неприязнь к России, как бы она ни называлась: Российская империя, СССР, РФ, какой бы политический строй в ней ни был, кто бы ей ни правил. Вы боитесь сильную и непонятную вам Россию находящуюся рядом. Большое и непонятное рядом - всегда вызывает у человека чувства страха, дискомфорта, неприязни. Время расцвета Европы - эпоха колониализма, вы привыкли распоряжаться чужими ресурсами как своей собственностью. И наличие России, у которой много ресурсов, но распоряжаться которыми вы не имеете возможности, не даёт вам спать спокойно. Вы можете сколько угодно искать красивые оправдания своей неприязни к России, но реальность такова как я написал.

[@catc8927]

⁠​⁠@@user-tq9dr7so4cAn exercise in projection at its finest. Europe has moved to post colonialism and was never going to invade a nuclear power. Germany welcomed Russian gas imports and helped build NordStream.

[@DarrenGiddins]

​@@SiliconCurtaindemocracy is probably Putin's greatest threat. He has linked democracy with cultural depravity (or diversity) and then thrown in Denazification in for good measure to top up the reasons for invading as this is one big Cultural cleansing process. I think Putin is addicted to invasion...

[@DarrenGiddins]

​@@user-tq9dr7so4cwhat bunkum. Successful countries do not need to look at Russia that is very poor when you get out of the big cities. Colonialism gave western countries more wealth and impact but is not a sustainable strategy for a rules-based world order. Russia are stuck in the past. Putin wants the Baltic nations back, Poland, Georgia and Moldova. Ukraine will never return to Russian rule!

[@rebeccabennett4344]

So many people I have not heard of before your interviews. I have learned so much and enjoyed them throughly. I don’t miss your videos and thank you very much!

[@American-In-Mykolaiv]

Listen to his weekly "In Moscow's Shadows"

[@rebeccabennett4344]

@@American-In-Mykolaiv Thank you, I will.

[@richardbrine4206]

Bloody Hell Jonathan, you do pose some great on the money questions. Thoroughly engaging, and essential discourse, thank you. .

[@SiliconCurtain]

Much appreciated! 👍👍👍🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

[@normandduern2413]

Personally, I especially love the broad and fuzzy questions, and positively savour the long answers. No need to apologize for either. Great episode.

[@andyreznick]

Agreed.

[@michaelpierson1534]

Mark Galeotti has set a laser intellect into my understanding of the Russian geopolitical psyche. One of the best Q&A I've heard in years.

[@treesetc3305]

Fantastic interview with excellent questions. I always enjoy listening to Mark G. and yourself speak. Well done on procuring such quality guests.

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍👍 I’m always honoured and surprised that they agree to come on repeatedly!

[@marcm.]

​​@@SiliconCurtain there is quality, and a seriousness, in your podcasts that allow guests to feel they are being heard. Your questions are insightful and well thought out, and it's pretty obvious that your guests enjoy that. As a listener so do I

[@nnsnumbersandnotesunlimite7368]

Russia should be very worried of China not Europe or the United States !

[@briandbeaudin9166]

Putin is basically selling Russia to China. But a war between Russia and China... Russian meat waves against Chinese meat waves... Either way that goes, there'll be plenty of humanburger!

[@alexanderpepkin4110]

Don’t worry. With Chinese we coexisted for centuries next to each other… it’s the anglosaxons that have urge to control with force and destroy others not the wise cooperative Chinese

[@anonymousperson8317]

Oh? And what is the name of that far eastern Russian city, Vladivostok? Or was it Haishenwai?

[@nnsnumbersandnotesunlimite7368]

​@alexanderpepkin4110 A few dates with regard to the territorial wars 1857, 1929, 1969. Xi is waiting patiently the exhaustion of the Russian army on the Western border. Manchuria is much bigger and easier to take than Taiwan...

[@alexanderpepkin4110]

Was hainshewai became Vladivostok… not the other way around. Following?

[@jed4119]

This channel is so under subscribed - you have the best guests, great insight and humanity.

[@carolwilliams8511]

Perhaps it is too intelligent and insightful for many people to take. Trivia is the level of interest of a vast chunk of humanity.

[@spudwesth]

Oversubscribedf.

[@eliseleonard3477]

I’m a psychiatrist, not an historian. I would love to hear a conversation about Russia’s relationship to Europe. Since Peter the Great, Russia adopted huge chunks of European culture in an aspirational way, and went on to make brilliant cultural contributions in literature and music, but for a long time Russians were still viewed by Europe as sort of backward hicks (true early on in the case of technology and political organization). So there’s this huge ambivalence, of wanting to be accepted as fully European while also retreating into a wounded pride. I think this drives a lot of the love/envy/hate dynamic. When Putin asserts Russia’s identity even today it’s always in contrast with European identity.

[@stephenhill545]

Tschaikovski was LGBTQ.

[@catc8927]

I’m totally blanking on the source, but I recently watched a great lecture where the expert laid out a case that USSR/Russia acting out was out of a desire to be recognized as the peer of the West, a worthy and equal adversary. That’s why Putin felt extraordinarily insulted when Obama called Russia a “regional power,” for instance, or why Putin wanted to “join NATO” in the sense of becoming co-rulers of the world with the U.S. It strongly reminded me of the (probably wrongly cited) “African proverb” that a child rejected by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth, or something like that.

[@StepDub]

I probably don’t reflect the views of many Europeans, but till recently I thought of them as a populace that had been badly treated by its communist rulers that disregarded their welfare in order to fanatically pursue political ideals. I believed that once free of that yoke, they would embrace the modern Western democratic ideals and cooperative values. And after the Soviet fall, this indeed seemed to be the case. But it appears to have taken very little effort on the part of the new ruling class to snatch the national wealth and revert to a system of control much closer to the old czarist regime of a hundred years ago, with little complaints from the populace. I am extremely disappointed that they should value their new freedom so little. Now, when I see the appalling conduct of their disastrous Ukrainian campaign, and the contempt they have for the lives of their own soldiers who are coerced and flung into battle with no regard for their lives or paltry benefits gained from these routine mass sacrifices, I certainly don’t regard them anything like as cultivated and civilised as backward hicks.

[@dmitryfedorov114]

@@StepDub When becoming disappointed you should consider how roughly two thirds of exUSSR population (just shy of 200 million people, from total of almost 300) gained nothing or lost severely in their welfare from free market reforms, which all happened at the same time as deeply kleptocratic privatization of state's property (which was probably the largest privatization/theft in the history of mankind, and Mark would agree here) and that both also coincided with having "democracy" proclaimed to be in effect, itself quickly followed by parliament being shot up with tanks in 1993 and Yeltsin leveraging everything the state had including foreign advisors in 1996 to stay in power. What value the word "democracy" held to them as the result I leave for you to imagine.

[@StepDub]

@@dmitryfedorov114 thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. I hope that future Russian people will find some sense of responsibility for what goes on in the country, and move away from the simple idea that government is someone else’s job. This is the only way some of the nation’s stolen wealth can ever be restored. I could be wrong, but it is my understanding that most Russians received some kind of share allocation, which they quickly sold for a fraction of its value. I don’t blame them for this, life under communism was probably a day to day experience for most, at best, and they were not conditioned to planning for the future. It looks like the current generation is in for tough times, and possibly the next, what with the economic and demographic damage that has been caused, but maybe some of their children will be able to learn from it all and make some changes.

[@alexeyladokhin4633]

Mr. Galeotti should really stick to the subjects within his substantial expertise (Putin's regime, XX-XXI century military etc) rather than go into history deeper then XIX century. This way he will avoid produce appalling statements like, Russ being "russia" or Ukraine being associated with russian state for most of it's history. russia hijacked name of Russ from Kyiv and Ukrainians spent more time in Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth than in russian state. Hence the differences in many aspects of the two societies. It's a general problem of Westerners consuming russian version of the history. I strongly encourage everyone to listen to Timothy Snyder's Yale course on Ukrainian identity.

[@W_Bin]

It's not that he doesn't know. He's a shill. I was intrigued by his statement that "Rus" came from rowers ie vikings... is that correct?

[@evank8459]

I look forward to the day where having that conversation with the American public doesn't seem so simply impossible. They don't even understand where the russian views came from, but fwiw 2 years ago I never would've known any of this. It's a good conversation to have. My family even came from Poland 5 generations ago, and no one will talk about it

[@azamatbagatov7161]

Quoting right out of Snyder's BS playbook, huh? How can Russia have "hijacked" the name that originated in Novgorod (before Kyïv even belonged to the Slavs or the Rus')? The Rus' was associated first and foremost with the Rurikids, who moved their seat from Novgorod to Kyïv to Vladimir and finally to Moscow. The last direct-line Rurikids ruled from Moscow, which btw was originally founded by and associated with the Novgorodians. The Ukrainians have the right to the name as well, but Russia "hijacking" the name is laughable revisionism.

[@alexeyladokhin4633]

Moscow has nothing to do with Novgorod. The power source for Moscow was the Golden Horde. Moscow conducted imperial raids and destroyed free cities like Pskov and Novgorod. @@azamatbagatov7161

[@briseboy]

So much of their conversation would benefit from clarification, exposition, and correction, that one must limit oneself: 1. The Donetsk Basin, Donbas, is where much of Ukraine's mineral and fuel extraction, raw materials for its industries lies, that stripping of Donbas to russia cedes Ukraine sovereignty. 2. The Black Sea coast is also the export route, as the "nudged", inflamed Polish and other adjacent farmers - agricultural elements of sometimes tiny states, clearly shows. 3. Crimea, ethnically heritor to one of the Khanates mentioned, is significant in the modern period genocide through which russian empire imposed its colonialization, its empire. The forced diaspora of Crimean Tatars was also the Tsarist and Soviet policy for Ukraine as a whole. Notice how Crimea contains both 1. and 2. with its offshore gasfields. Ukraine in reality formed both intermediate export passage for russia, and competitor. 4. Contrary to the assertion made of Ukraine was most of its existence russia, the FACT that languages form and exist allopatrically, argues for the cognitive error of that assertion. Even though Ukrainian was marginalized and efforts were made to stamp it out from Tsarist through Soviet, and now russian occupation, it exists, more than 85% similar to Polish and Belarusain, and only 60% similar to Russian language. Ukraine west of Dnipr was part of Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth, with only its Cyrillic seeming to separate it. Zaporizhzhia was essentially territory of Cossacks, mobile tribal people whose hetman[s] were involved enough in internecine dispute, that some Cossacks used their military horse tech and fighting skills for the highest bidder or aligned against their Cossack opponents. Thus they became mercenaries, for both LPC and Muscovy, with some holding to their own Dniepr-Don freedom. Validity, dear scholars, is not derived solely or in reality at all, from national identity, another obfuscating issue, which is best addressed by anthropologists, psychology, neuroscience, biology and evolutionarygenomics, all inextricably linked sufficiently enough to preclude informed discussion without some background in those disciplines. (National identity being a rather modern concept, a discussion that might be relevant in the obvious Putin struggle for identity!) 5. We really cannot effectively meet, or engage in human speech without identifying rhetoric, which is the use of language to persuade, distinguishing it from factual words, and avoiding it to what extent it is possible. Strategic thinking does include paranoiac pre-emption, which happens to be why the [pre]occupations of military, intelligence, and governance spheres show such increased incidence of paranoid ideation. Conspiracy, meaning "breathing together" is an ubiquitous human trait, from momentary acquiescences of choice to long-term recognition of mutually beneficial or at least commensal goals. It is more basic to cognition than is symbolic verbal language, as brains associate sensory and motor information ion order to predict relative likelihoods. We are by no means the only strategic or tactical animals, nor are Primates. Howevermuch the interlocutors above imagine consistent specific age-related onset of mental deterioration of elders, that varies enormously, with scholars passing 102 sometimes adding to relevant discourse, while others either due to substance abuse (and some substances, like alcohol, confer greater deterioration than is commonly recognized, FAR earlier in life than the ages i mention) or other environmental or heritable stress, by mid 50s, half-a lifetime earlier. The skills which one cultivates, can, if contributing to optimal ranges of individual arousal, can persist, even as unused skills diminish or vanish. While Putin's entire developmental past involves paranoiac pre-emption, he has successfully managed the information/deceit skills of counterespionage in which he was trained. The simple leverage of influence and power his tactics share with mob bosses, autocrats, and other Dark Triad/Tetrad pathological minds is basic to survival from infancy and sibling manipulativeness for survival and both covert or overt dominance. This evolved trait complex is likely to persist. OK. Too much. But merely a minor observation of a few of the elements discussed.

[@user-sm4lp9mo2l]

Russia is capital R!

[@davidgraham4807]

@@user-sm4lp9mo2l There’s that russian insecurity. Point proven.

[@VoidAspect]

Heck yeah, a Mark Galeotti interview with Jonathan Fink. A great Saturday evening

[@neilclay5835]

"The singularity of power" - that's an excellent metaphor. An almost infinite density of wealth at a single small location .

[@SiliconCurtain]

An event horizon that bends and distorts truth, even reality…

[@American-In-Mykolaiv]

Thanks Johnathon for bringing us a historical expert! Slava Ukraini!

[@maxotbekessov2225]

Geroyam Slava!!

[@davidsmith-ef3rr]

Cope harder ukie 😂

[@oldowleye3161]

@@davidsmith-ef3rr ...cope with what?... with the fact that russia is being crushed by the poorest country in Europe, that a few yars ago had almost no army?... can understand your dispair!... after all russia as been preparing for this war for 70 years and failed miserably and now is beging for weapons to other terrorist states like china, iran and north korea!... miserable indeed for the russian failed nation!...

[@American-In-Mykolaiv]

@@davidsmith-ef3rrCrawl out of the sphincter and catch a breath of fresh air, you need it! Slava Ukraini, all you bots and trolls!

[@mariarucci78]

Slava Ukraine ❤

[@ahartify]

Galeotti seems to understand Russia rather well (although his theory that put-upon Russia feels constantly threatened by any number of smaller states is dodgy, to say the least) but he doesn't seem to understand Ukraine or be particularly interested in Ukraine as a serious force to be reckoned with. It's as though Ukraine was an unforeseen side issue for him, an annoying enigma, and only the health of Russia matters in the final analysis.

[@W_Bin]

He's actually pro russian clothed in gentility. And you are one of only a handful who have seen it. I wonder if the others are hired trolls (they're cheap) or useful idiots?

[@msmaryna961]

Indeed. His casual dismissal of Ukrainian history and identity was shocking, he usually tries to hide his bias. Ukrainians and Russians are different in head and heart, the past 2 -years have made that crystal-clear.

[@davidcerutti8795]

Wow, what a treat!

[@DarkestAlice]

Thank you, Jonathan, for this conversation with Mark Galeotti. I always enjoy the nuanced expertise that he offers. 🇺🇦 Заради життя кожного українця! 🇺🇦

[@mariarucci78]

Always a pleasure to listen to Galeotti, greetings from London

[@patobrien6364]

Monsieur Fink I have been listening 🎧 to your broadcasting for many months. Thank you for your informative guest list, your intelligent commentary, the information,context and understanding we gain from your journalism. Chapeau Monsieur (a pre-Brexit salutation. 😂😂)

[@hybridarmyoffreeworld]

... "Let us begin with this evident fact: Muscovy does not belong at all to Europe, but to Asia. It follows that judging Muscovy and the Muscovites by our European standards is a mistake to be avoided."-gonzague de reynold, 19501 In methodological terms, one should de-Europeanise any analysis of Muscovy policy.- thomas gomart, 20062 "

[@laurie9557]

Saying that russians think the Crimea is theirs does NOT mean that Crimea is theirs. After the USSR fell, the majority of Crimeans votes to be with Ukraine.

[@azamatbagatov7161]

That's incorrect. The bare majority of Crimea did vote for Ukrainian independence. However, Crimea subsequently voted for Independence from Ukraine on three separate occasions, including 1992 and 1994, not to mention the overwhelming majority of Crimea voting to keep the USSR in 1991 (prior to the Ukrainian independence referendum).

[@sspacegunn21]

Mark has such a unique knowledge and insight of the russian killer regime. Always enjoy his interviews. Johnathan, thank you for bringing us these super guests!

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍👍

[@SimonGardiner-bj3pq]

While Putin has something in common with Stalin - who was not a common thief, but a legitate ruler of the USSR. Like Stalin, Putin has created a powerful rule of terror around himself - even the oligarchs are terrified of him. At Stalins' death, the USSR recreated a rule of law that was not based on the personal power of an individual - deStalinisation. Geolotti is very informative because - unlike most commentators - he assents to the real role of corruption. He also assents to the overwhelming power and influence his old KGB - morphed into the FSB, and controlled by himself. What could have been mentioned was the ability of the FSB to penetrate, not just Western military command, but also Western politics. It should be noted that the US, once avid supporters of Ukraine, are now about to abandon Ukraine to Putin's mercy. It only takes a small number of Senators and Congressment to vote against the President's Aid to Ukraine Bill, for all aid to Ukraine to stop - SO EASY FOR RUSSIA that it does not even bear thinking about. Putin (personally) is very rich and politicians ARE VERY CHEAP! There, I did not need many University Degrees to work that out!!

[@stephenhill545]

How was stalin a legitimate ruler? The bolsheviks carried out a coup detat in 1917.

[@W_Bin]

_"the ability of the FSB to penetrate ...Western politics."_ That might be a bit close to home for Galeotti, who urges to give up and human traffic Ukrainians and their homes.

[@bobouzala]

Thank you Mr Galeotti and Thank you Silicon Curtain! Outstanding conversation Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦🌞💙🇺🇦

[@hrvojesvetec3058]

Ty Mark,Jonathan👍intresting interview..praying for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters🙏stay strong and united!🇸🇪🇺🇦👍❤️

[@Wonders_of_Reality]

Send donates instead of prayers.

[@JamesMcGillis]

Fantastic insights is a correct statement. We, in the U.S. do not hear such in-depth analysis in our media... ever.

[@W_Bin]

Yes you do. Scott Ritter, Mearsheimer, dozens say Ukraine can't win and should human traffick it's citizens. Galeotti is just a bit more gentille about it.

[@Marc-vc1wo]

I'm glad Mr Galiotti addressed the nuclear weapons aspect - frankly, I'd been of the mindset that the whole, "boo hoo we are vulnerable and must have buffers" was a worn out trope at this point. However he made me realize that not just the hybrid war is a concern, but also the real fear of Russians seeing their neighbors with successful democracies; how does one 'nuke' an ideology, especially one your own citizens wish to embrace? For that kind of 'war', there is no nuclear option.

[@EugeneMuratov]

Taras Shevchenko wrote about learning from others while keeping own identity, it’s basically a commandment: …Study, read and learn Thoroughly the foreign things- But do not shun your own: For he who forgets his mother, He by God is smitten, His children shun him, in their homes They will not permit him. Strangers drive him from their doors; For this evil one Nowhere in the boundless earth Is a joyful home.

[@ah5555]

Great conversation! I think helping Ukraine to fully get its territory back could also have a therapeutic effect on Russia's feeling of borderlessness. Russia recognised these borders no less than three times. Maybe Russia can get used to recognising the borders it recognised.

[@pomkomakyx]

to quote German Chancellor Hindenburg: a treaty with russia isn't worth the paper it's written on. It was true then and it's true now

[@W_Bin]

@@pomkomakyxIt's only true when treaties aren't enforced.

[@pomkomakyx]

@@W_Bin and how do you enforce a treaty? russia signed 2 treaties concerning Ukrainian borders and sovereignty. Neither meant much when russia invaded in 2014

[@simapark]

Sounds like the treaty between James Baker and Gorby about not expanding eastwards.

[@W_Bin]

@@simapark _"treaty between James Baker and Gorby"_ 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@peterdobson3347]

As a narcissist, Putin will not agree to anything like the Finland war conclusion, unfortunately.

[@SiliconCurtain]

No, in some ways the psychotic murderer Stalin was more of a pragmatist than Putin. Unfortunately, I think Putin is not very clever, or at all imaginative.

[@carolwilliams8511]

​@@SiliconCurtainI concur. Nothing I see leads me to the conclusion that he is politically astute.

[@onerva0001]

​@@SiliconCurtainI would rather use the word "fortunately", wouldn't you agree? 😊

[@zaporizhzhya1036]

The whole argument that Russia has been invaded before is bullshit. Many countries in Europe have been invaded throughout the ages. How many times has Poland been invaded? What about France?

[@cruise_missile8387]

And both France and Poland have in times past invaded or otherwise intentionally gone to war with neighbors. In particular France (Poland has never been powerful enough to do it consistently or they would have). lol Don't white wash history and pretend like Russians are the only aggressive people. No major power is innocent, accept it. Those that CAN invade and take more do.

[@stephenhill545]

True. The main problem is that their rulers make the people scared to control them, using this issue.

[@njswampfox474]

Unlike most Poles, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Romanians, and other Russian neighbors, Mark doesn't understand Russia and Russians in his bones. Makes him susceptible to absurd Russian talking points that are used to justify an ignoble imperialist history of unprovoked invasions, aggressions, atrocities and war crimes.

[@Muddy283]

That's a good point. Thank you for mentioning those nations, which I will cite when rebutting this argument. You can also add to that list the country in which I reside, Belgium. The times it has been invaded, invariably to get to and attack other countries, are too numerous to count. It's also worth looking at @esakoivuniemi's post (s/he is from Finland), which makes an equally pertinent point regarding the "Russia problem" (my turn of phrase).

[@ajez597]

Im half Czech, we've been invaded at least once every century or so for like ever.

[@johnwalsh4857]

The USSR in WW2 won due to its main enemy the Germans fighting a two front war and the AMericans and British not only distracting the Germans in the west, but also bombing the crap out of Germany, it greatly helped ease up the German pressure on the Soviets when the Luftwaffe was very much slaughtered during the American and British round the clock bombing runs over Germany , also massively helped was the aid the USA and British gave to the Soviets in terms of weapons and food. most importantly was the thousands of US made trucks which modernized Soviet logsitics which at the start of the war mainly relied on horse and cart transport. those thousands of US made trucks made possible the Soviet 1944 to 1945. offensives into Germany and Eastern Europe and later the final act vs. Japan in Manchuria.

[@rg-cc5kg]

Do not forget american locomotives, american canned meat, american sugar and wheat, american telephones and american radios. Without the US the USSR would have been lost. The economic power and industrial cababilities of the US in the 40s was truly terrifying.

[@HaukeLaging]

The USSR would not have been in such a bad position compared to the German Wehrmacht if Stalin (this insane idiot) had not prevented his armed forces from making preparations for the German attack they expected. The Russian air force was superior to the German one at the beginning of Germany's invasion of the USSR. The "surprise" attack allowed the Germans to destroy a huge part of the Russian air force within the first days. Under more "realistic" circumstances the USSR would not have needed that (much) help from the West. The Wehrmacht would have moved into Russian territory very slowly (if at all) against air superiority.

[@gerryhouska2859]

Agree 100 percent. ruSSia is a malevolent belligerent brutal barbaric backward empire and rarely won a war. Before Hitler there was Napoleon, whose army was defeated not by the ruSSian army, not the ruSSian winter, but primarily by typhus and dysentery in primitive ruSSian conditions.

[@philipmain5701]

@@HaukeLaging From 1939 until Operation Barbarossa, the Russians were actively countering the British Navy's blockade of Germany by delivering much needed war material to that Nazi State. What a corrupt and short sighted State Russia was and still is.

[@murphy7801]

Also USA could deliver 20 Sherman's to every tiger per week.

[@KeithSheppard]

Excellent analysis. Thank you

[@soicosoirav9174]

Thanks for interviewing Mark!

[@johntait491]

Thank you for a most informative and insightful interview with Mark Galeotti. First class..!! 👍

[@matsfrommusic]

Yes!

[@bryonyallan2202]

Thank you Johnathon for all you do. Subscribed and shared.

[@oeokosko]

Very good discussion. Thank you both.

[@laurie9557]

This guy presents russian rationalizations for its agression as valid reasons.

[@allopahoma60]

Thx Jonathan! Great as usual!

[@roelpiepenbrink700]

Very informative conversation, really !!! 🌈

[@karenjanusch7978]

I never miss In Moscow 's Shadows pod. Ty Mark!

[@stmaui6973]

Silicon Curtain continues to evolve and get better and better. Thank you ☺️☺️☺️

[@KTOMbI]

,my kudos for the brilliant talk

[@alejandrowohlers9834]

Great guest Mr Fink. Thank you and thank you Mr Galeotti.. Greetings from Argentina.

[@chrismackenzie4789]

The quality of guests and in depth analysis is truly impressive.

[@MattttG3]

*Merican here* and mark was awesomely refreshing to hear!

[@NyPer920]

Thank you for all your sterling efforts!

[@Lewis_Clark]

Great podcast.

[@larr5e]

Loved this one. Galeotti finally had an interviewer very nearly as erudite as he is. 🙂👍👌✌️

[@carlosv2156]

Great guest! Thank you for the incredible insight!

[@user-ve1zf6fh4d]

Great vids and guests ❤

[@peterdobson3347]

Jonathan, you are the tops. Great questions.

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍

[@indeed596]

Go Jonathan! Love your work

[@tamarasidlartchouk3138]

Thank you , Jonathan for inviting Mark Galeotti again. Absolutely agree that modus operandi of russians hasn’t changed much since the WW 2: only the Battle of Rzhev Salient (ржевский вал) caused the death of almost 1 million of soviet soldiers . Interesting detail: no monument etc has been built to commemorate those who perished.

[@willdean-stobie5730]

It would argue it predates even that war. It was the same mentality in WW1 and the Crimean War. As in human losses don't matter. It may go back further I just don't personally know so I don't want to speak on it.

[@harleyquinn8202]

"only the Battle of Rzhev Salient (ржевский вал) caused the death of almost 1 million of soviet soldiers" - even California-based Wikipedia states that the total number of Soviet troops involved in the Battle of Rzhev in the summer of 1942 was 486,000. How could 1 million Soviet soldiers be killed when there were less than half a million of them? This is similar to the Ukrainian media claiming that 500 thousand Russian soldiers were killed when the Russian army that entered Ukraine had only 180 thousand troops. Or why does Ukraine need an additional 500 thousand soldiers if the comedian said that only 31 thousand Ukrainian soldiers died?

[@off6848]

@@harleyquinn8202ssshhh let the war investors talk their propaganda It’s so wrong that even western sources can debunk it. They don’t care about reality anymore

[@vilandar]

​@@harleyquinn8202Because injury is more prevalent then death and Russia keeps mobilizing. Also POW's that are executed by Russians might not be counted yet.

[@harleyquinn8202]

@@vilandar "Also POW's that are executed by Russians" - that is questionable. The videos that I saw can be interpreted as Ukrainians refusing to surrender. Russia has 27 thousands of Ukrainian POW, way more that Russian POW held by Ukraine. It proves that if any POW are executed then it would be by Ukrainians.

[@morgan9hough]

Thank you for the charity recommendations

[@kellychuba]

liked shared subscribed!

[@jornzander1285]

What a highlight that was! Thank you.

[@madstrsleff2958]

Wonderfully insightful talk between two experts on the subject. And with room for serious debate on the matter, not just superficial reporting. Great in-depth analysis. Love it ❤

[@3Mwalker]

Thank you 💙💛🤍

[@tractorpoodle]

Thanks to both of you

[@Chruff]

On the one hand, Dr Galeotti is clear, insightful and devastatingly knowledgeable about the subject matter. On the other hand, he once told me my essay, and I quote, “oils have been perfect if I had just mentioned Napoleon”, then gave me 68%. 68%?! What the fuck, Mark?! It’s been 18 years and I’m still so angry I haven’t slept!

[@draganjagodic4056]

As usual, first like and than watch. This time, even more so. Sincere regards to You dear Jonathan and to all honest people in these troubled times.

[@dankelly2147]

Excellent discussion.

[@mryouben]

Tx Mr. Galeoti

[@sumiland6445]

💛💙💜💙💛 Here I am, a little early, but ready to listen uninterrupted 😁 Excellent guest! As always 🤗💖 🇺🇦 🌏 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

[@krastsjanis]

Very insightful interview. Thank you.

[@johnwalsh4857]

Also the Russians never evolved from that Soviet war doctrine of complete disregard of human lives . Heck the Russian Ukraine strategy of this Ukraine war 2022 to present is pretty much similiar to the Soviet combat tactics in 1940 to 43, which means unimgainative clumsy brutal frontal assaults with complete disregard for human lives and losses. The Russian army has pretty much devolved and did not learn the lessons from its past wars.

[@slavakotelnikov2440]

The Russian army is so devolved it continues to kick as* having lowest casualty rates 😊 Stop watching CNN for a change, you've been brainwashed.

[@ACD54]

England has been invaded loads of times since 1066. How about 1216, when Louis of France was proclaimed King in London, and got as far as Lincoln; or 1545, when the Mary Rose was sunk in the Solent fighting off the French; or most famously in 1688, when William of Orange drove out King James II. There are plenty of other examples too. Moreover, other countries have been invaded as frequently as Russia and don’t resort to genocide against their neighbours.

[@cruise_missile8387]

lol What?? The UK had a long history of imperial expansion and war that only stopped because it became weak and fell apart. And my country is arguably even MORE aggressive about it, we just dress it up better. Same old shit with a different veneer. Don't whitewash England's violent history.

[@johnathanh2660]

William of Orange was invited in, as he was a protestant.

[@ACD54]

@@johnathanh2660 Not by the government. You could, for example, find any number of Putin apologists who "invited" him to invade Ukraine, or Georgia, or wherever. Don't misunderstand - I think the Glorious Revolution was a good thing - but then that's 20/20 hindsight for you.

[@johnathanh2660]

@@ACD54 "Not by the government." You do understand how anti-Catholic England was, right? William of Orange wasn't Catholic, and that was the main consideration.

[@ACD54]

@@johnathanh2660 Are you saying the government was anti-Catholic? For sure, the ruling class was divided just as it had been during the Civil War, but the King was the Catholic and insensitive James II. Anyway, it doesn't negate the point that it was an invasion - just a rather successful one. We might of course think differently if Sedgemoor had gone the other way.

[@jonstates6053]

Watch you religiously, great work!

[@louisnaidu9140]

Thanks Jonathan for your very interesting discussions and interviews.

[@PriceTag5447]

This dude’s focus on Russia made him view Ukrainian history from Russia’s perspective. He needs to study Ukrainian and other sources. And the thought that Russia became an empire out of fear is laughable. It’s the same as Britain conquered India because India was a threat to Britain.

[@SiliconCurtain]

I tend to agree. The aggression is expansionist, not defensive. The paranoia comes from the mindset of a bully and killer, not the victim.

[@slimski]

@@SiliconCurtainI appreciate you’re unable to push back on several statements as the guest is valuable and needs to return. But sheesh some of the stuff here is so off..

[@W_Bin]

​@@SiliconCurtainGaleotti is a shill. You are making people question your sincerity when you invite shills on and do not challenge them. So you agree Ukraine has no choice but to human traffic it's citizens and their homes, to Putin, in violation of their guaranteed rights, then?

[@agentstevehaines9164]

An exceptionally daft and ignorant way of viewing things. Russia has been invaded by a European power many, MANY times throughout history. How many times has Britain been attacked by india?... ZERO. This is the very definition of comparing apples and oranges to put it politely

[@alexandergolovastikov4272]

The 2 pages of Ukrainian history, that is…

[@chrisperrins8082]

Irrespective of what the Russian people thinks, Crimea was and is part of Ukraine.

[@CollectiveDefence]

That’s recognized internationally. In Europe, only the gremlins in the Kremlin want to redraw borders.

[@user-tq9dr7so4c]

Независимо от того, что думают европейцы, Крым это Россия. Жители Крыма свой выбор сделали и не французам с англичанами за них решать.

[@slimski]

@@user-tq9dr7so4creply vatnik is full of 💩

[@onerva0001]

​@@user-tq9dr7so4c yes, voting in front of occupiers holding guns is "making a choice" to you russians, isn't it?

[@pomkomakyx]

you're a russian troll. The people didn't make any choice. When the voting results in ballots numbers equal to over 110% of the total population.

[@jojoandroses]

Thank you so much for all you do to support Ukraine.

[@cmi78]

Excellent 👍🏽

[@flipw3605]

I heard from the channel 'Inside Russia' that he feels that Russia is in and will be in a worse situation than the Soviet Union, which has got to be saying something.

[@seanpatrick1243]

Aside from talking as if he were an expert in psychology, sociology and economics, I lost count of the times I wanted to correct what this guest has said. He is correct by accident on some occasions, as long as you ignore the details of what he has said.

[@W_Bin]

Makes you wonder what's Fink's game having him on his channel. He's an obvious shill.

[@judithbarton9410]

Thank you most sincerely. Your show is so informative and helpful.

[@localbiztoweb]

Well said by Mark Galeotti. “It sucks to have a border with Russia”. Soviet Russians did not stay in their skin, or inside their 1917 Russian borders.

[@maxsher2736]

Fascinating but still... As a person who was born and lived almost my entire life in Russia (not being ethnically Russian though) I can say that none of that arguments citing historical 'strategic Russian feeling of vulnerability' is in fact valid when it comes to the current ruling clique that consists mostly of petty late-Soviet KGB crooks. Yes, Russia was invaded many times in the past but that was in the pre-nuclear era when everything was decided by how much land one can grab militarily. Not a single time was it invaded since the USSR obtained nukes. This argument does not stand the test of reality. The current war in Ukraine is a personal Putin's war for power and influence in the former Soviet/Russian imperial territory, it's a way for Putin to keep power indefinitely in a declining empire and a sort of a personal obsession for him which he managed to impose on his kleptocratic elites (through fear) and wider populace (through fear and propaganda).

[@rafaelsanz3441]

It´s a pity that Galeotti tries, at the bottom , to understand or justify. Of course the deportation of 100.000 Latvian civilians and the execution of 70.000 was deprived of any geoestrategical justification. The tiny Baltic countries were not at all a danger for Russia. No, geography doesn’t justify the imperialism, I don t understand why Sillicon Curtain is now almost trying to justify and understand Russian imperialism. Maybe as Russia is not advancing, the support to Ukraine is faltering.

[@W_Bin]

I've seen other guests the same on this channel. Makes you wonder what fink's end game really is. He never challenges them. One classic troll technique is to build trust by an appearance of veritude then use that trust to manipulate opinion.

[@rafaelsanz3441]

@@W_Bin I unsuscribed to this channel, now I realized you are right, Fink is just the cleverest Russian troll . We have been manipulated !!!

[@W_Bin]

@@rafaelsanz3441I have not reached that conclusion. But eyes always wide open.

[@juliechristianson8009]

Love Mark Geolotti. Always enjoy his input.

[@stevenjohns-savage7024]

Great work guys 😊. What your doing is working. So keep it up. Your here now and will be later to tell the younger generations😊. Go Hard and keep it up 😃. Stand strong 🔱💪😡

[@marna7325]

Love your program, but I'd love to hear more about Uktainian -kozak history. What made Ukrainians such good fighters? How Ukrainians dealt with being berween the Ottoman Turks, Moscovian Duchy & the Polish Kingdom? Why is surrendering to Moscow isn't realistic to Ukrainians?

[@user-fz7zt6cw6f]

I wonder what the situation is with Putin s yachts. He has one called Graceful . Is that in Kaliningrad ? The SCHEHEREZADE has been in IMarina di Carrera ,Italy and has had a 32 million dollar refit apparently with a new dive platform.

[@carlosv2156]

Wow, thank you for this detailed insight!

[@jberkeley1195]

Thanks Jonathan this was a great guest and interview 👍 slava ukraini 🔱💪🇺🇦🇬🇧✌️

[@TheMarlinspike]

That was highly enjoyable.

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍

[@gr12751]

Ukraine territorial sovereignty is not negotiable under any circumstances. Any relaxation of international law is fatal to the security of democratic nations who just desire to live in peaceful co-existence. Mark is great but .......

[@GarrFagen-zc3em]

@@VisiblyJacked Steroids affecting the cranium, clearly.

[@slimski]

@@VisiblyJackeddebunked ruzzian propaganda nonsense

[@carolwilliams8511]

​@@VisiblyJackedThat is a just kremlin propaganda. No sensible and intelligent person buys that 💩. But thanks for helping the channel with a comment🍻

[@NotOfWomanBorn]

@@VisiblyJacked And on the other hand again, you must run along and spend your paycheck of a couple of hundred rubles before they lose what little value they had when you got them. Your work is low effort, please do better. Or you know, just quit and get a real job.

[@VisiblyJacked]

@@NotOfWomanBorn I brought facts, you did not because you can't. I accept your concession.

[@Nikola_C]

Phenomenal interview. Mark is always on point when it comes to Russia.

[@andrewfarrington2193]

Excellent! Many thanks!

[@kierfm957]

Thanks

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍👍

[@vitoroliveirajorge368]

Slava Ukraini!

[@TenaciousDmitchell]

Thanks for the info gentlemen. Cheers🎉

[@DavidAllison-qs8wn]

Mark is an excellent and knowledgeable source of information.