Boris Bondarev, who resigned from Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations over the Ukraine conflict, told Beth Rigby that Vladimir Putin is “fortunate, not smart” and that his good fortune has run out.
An exiled Russian ambassador stated that Vladimir Putin will sacrifice 20 million Russian soldiers to win the conflict with Ukraine and preserve his political survival.
Boris Bondarev, who resigned from Russia’s permanent representation to the United Nations in Geneva due to the war, informed Vladimir Putin that his “luck has run out.”
He told Beth Rigby, “I believe his 20 years in power have been fortunate for him.
“He is not clever; he is simply fortunate. Now, I believe his luck has run out.”
Mr. Bondarev, who worked in nuclear disarmament, underlined the extent of Mr. Putin’s desperation, stating that he is willing to sacrifice more than a tenth of the population in the fight.
“After losing the war, he will have to explain to his elites and populace why it happened, and he may encounter some difficulties in doing so.
“After that, there may be resistance that attempts to remove him, or he may attempt to purge his subordinates to find those responsible for all these difficulties. There will be an internal disturbance.
“There should be no mistake about it; he may sacrifice 10 or 20 million Russians to win this war to massacre all Ukrainians on principle. For him, it is a matter of political survival.
“You must realize that if he loses the battle, it will be the end of his life.
Mr. Putin’s plan to increase the size of the Russian military by 137,000 men the next year has prompted accusations that he is sending young, inexperienced conscripts to their lives.
Others have asserted that they are being duped and deceived.
Fear for two months before he could abandon his Russia mission.
Mr. Bondarev, who is located in Geneva, stated that he decided to resign in February when tanks stormed the Ukrainian border, but he was unable to depart until May.
He told Beth Rigby Interviews, “I had to resolve a few matters before quitting.” “My cat was in Moscow at the time, so it took three months to return him to Geneva.
“During these two months, I experienced extreme fear.
“After the conflict began, they [colleagues] all turned out to be warmongers and pleased with the current situation.”
He stated, however, that he could “no longer serve for this administration, this country”… “committing war crimes, awful errors, and crimes against our future generations.”
Before it occurred, he confessed he “did not believe President Putin would start the conflict seriously.”
Now, however, as intelligence authorities warn that the Kremlin may be contemplating a nuclear strike in the Black Sea, Mr. Bondarev asserts that this threat should not be underestimated.
“I believe there may be plans to deploy nuclear weapons during this Ukraine conflict,” he stated.
“The West must be constant in removing Putin, as long as he and his government are in power in Russia, the threat of nuclear war will persist.”
He added that the Russian leader uses the nuclear button to “compel other countries to do whatever he wants,” a “new level in the history of nuclear weapons” and a “very dangerous trend.”
Calls for NATO participation
Mr. Bondarev argued that NATO should consider participating in the battle because “Putin believes he is already waging the Third World War.
Mr. Putin highlighted NATO expansion in eastern Europe as one of the primary motivations for initiating the conflict.
Most intelligence officials concur that formal NATO intervention would result in a significant escalation.
However, Mr. Bondarev stated, “They [the Ukrainians] require offensive weapons, additional long-range missiles, and planes.
Therefore, I believe NATO must increase its efforts and assistance.
He noted that while Mr. Putin is adamantly anti-NATO, the Russian people hold diverse opinions.
“The Russian people, particularly the younger generations, do not view NATO as an existential threat, and they are completely fine with that, as NATO is a defense organization,” he stated.
He was skeptical that Chinese President Xi Jinping would assist defuse tensions with the Kremlin.
“The difficulty is that China has little interest in Putin’s loss, especially at the hands of Ukrainians and Westerners.
Because Putin is getting so much attention from the United States, they are refocusing their attention on China.
