Advisor under house arrest?
Biden: “Putin seems to be isolating himself”
04/01/2022, 03:50 am
According to the US government, Russia’s president is being badly advised in the Ukraine war. That could be because nobody dares to speak honestly with Putin – and because he doesn’t even want to hear honest opinions. The White House believes advisors have been sidelined.
According to the US government, Russian President Vladimir Putin may have relieved some of his advisers from their duties in the Ukraine war and isolated himself. “There are indications that he has fired some of his advisers or placed them under house arrest,” US President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House. But there is “not that much solid evidence”. When asked if Putin was being misinformed by his advisers, Biden replied, “There’s a lot of speculation. But he seems — I’m not saying this with certainty — he seems to be isolating himself.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price later followed suit. “We have seen reports that various Russian officials have been sidelined, alienated, essentially sidelined or, as the President has mentioned, placed under house arrest,” Price said. “We have reason to believe that President Putin feels misled.”
In the weeks since the war began, the Kremlin chief had “clearly made a few miscalculations,” said the US State Department spokesman. “Why else would he launch an invasion when it was pretty clear it was going to have a whole host of consequences,” Price pointed out. Putin clearly misjudged the situation “if he believed his troops were capable of achieving a quick tactical victory.”
As early as Wednesday, the White House communications director reported mistrust between Putin and those closest to him: “We have information that Putin feels deceived by the Russian military,” she said. “Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian armed forces are doing and how sanctions are crippling the Russian economy because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth.” Kremlin spokesman Peskov rejected this.
FSB boss is said to be under house arrest
Latvia-based Russian news website Medusa, citing Russian intelligence experts, reported that both the head of a notorious branch of the Russian FSB, Sergei Beseda, and his deputy, Anatoly Boluch, have been placed under house arrest as part of an investigation .
US President Biden also commented on Russia’s announcement on Thursday that it would withdraw its troops around Kyiv. There is currently “no clear evidence” for this. On the other hand, there is evidence that Russia is increasing its troops in Donbass in eastern Ukraine. “I’m a little skeptical,” Biden said. It is “an open question” whether a withdrawal of Russian soldiers will take place.