The following article, CIA Warns Pouty Putin Could Turn Unpredictable in Coming Days, was first published on Flag And Cross.
As the invasion of Ukraine stretches well into the middle of its second week, the world seems a bit perplexed. We had long been led to believe that Vladimir Putin’s mighty military was among the elite fighting forces of the world. Trained killers ready to dismantle whatever lay in their path with speed, accuracy, and determination.
That idea now seems laughable.
Desertions are mounting, top generals are taking dirt naps, and teenage soldiers, still too young to grow facial hair, are explaining to the world that they were tricked into going to war.
All of this seems to be taking a toll on Putin, who’s long been a slave to appearances, and the CIA warns that these mounting maladies could see him lash out in ever-more pathetic and dangerous ways.
CIA Director William Burns said Tuesday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has fallen far short of Vladimir Putin’s expectations and that he believes the Russian president is likely to escalate military operations.
“I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now. He’s likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties,” Burns testified before the House Intelligence Committee. “His military planning and assumptions were based on a quick, decisive victory.”
And then…
The CIA director says he now expects Putin to escalate military operations while the Ukrainians will continue to resist fiercely. The likely result, he says, is “an ugly next few weeks” of fighting for control of Ukraine’s cities, including the capital, Kyiv.
“His own military’s performance has been largely ineffective,” Burns said of Putin. “Instead of seizing Kyiv within the first two days of the campaign, which is what his plan was premised upon, after nearly two full weeks they still have not been able to fully encircle the city.”
Compounding the issue are reports that Putin’s time on planet earth may be coming to a close on account of a bout with terminal bowel cancer, which could see the Russian dictator acting far more unpredictably than usual.
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