Deadly lie Putin sold to Russia about Ukraine invasion

Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine under the guise of a reunifying, peacekeeping mission. Slowly, the Russian President’s delusions are coming undone.

When Vladimir Putin declared Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, he used a host of excuses to justify his military action.

Using words like “peacekeeping,” “demilitarisation and de-Nazification,” central to his argument was the fact he doesn’t see Ukraine as its own country. This is despite the fact its been independent from the Soviet Union since 1991.

Analysing Putin’s speech, soviet history expert and Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, William Partlett, says it’s clear Putin and his supporters are “caught up in their own fantasy of Ukraine”.

Vladimir Putin visits the National Space Centre construction site in Moscow on February 27, 2022. Picture: Sergei Guneyev/ AFP.

“They believe this completely falsified conception of history that Ukraine has no historical basis,” he told news.com.au.

He says Putin’s choice words of “demilitarisation and de-Nazification” are a slight towards Americanised NATO powers, with “de-Nazification” an obvious reference to WWII, where Russia suffered 26.6 million casualties.

“Interestingly both [these words] appeal to a strong sense of Russian victimhood – that Russia is under siege or attacked.”

However, nearly a week into Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, it’s clear Putin’s delusions have carried deadly consequences.

Putin’s deadly ‘miscalculation’

Like Prof Partlett, Professor Stephan Fruehling – a strategic and defence studies expert from the Australian National University – questions Putin’s perception of reality.

Looking at the ultimate goal of Ukraine, Ukrainian invasion, he says Putin wants to see the country “return to the Russian homeland”. A view that “obviously doesn’t match reality”.

“The [invasion] seems to have been operating on the assumption that the Ukrainians would kind of welcome the Russian army as liberators, which Putin has often talked about,” he said.

Prof Fruehling says that Putin underestimating Ukraine’s resistance has also raised “serious questions” about his hold on reality.

“To what extent does he still get advice that actually matches reality? Or to what extent does he just get the advice that he wants to hear?” he said.

Since Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, millions of people across the world have come out in protest of Putin’s actions. Picture: Gabriel Bouys /AFP.

While Prof Partlett is adamant that Putin “strongly believes” in his fantasy of Ukraine, it’s also become a “miscalculation” that could lead to his demise.

“He’s caught up [in this belief] that this country is dominated by Neo Nazis and the NATO American spy but now the Russians are losing this and what comes next is the question,” he said.

“I do think in the long term, this is this is probably the beginning of the end for Putin and his government, at least for his leadership.”

‘We were told that they would welcome us’

As the world watched Russia’s invasion in Ukraine with horror, the chasm between Putin’s claims of reunification and the reality of Ukraine, Ukrainian invasion has increasingly become apparent.

On Tuesday, a text message exchange between a now-deceased Russian soldier and his mother, clearly highlighted the disconnect.

Speaking to the UN Assembly, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya read out the reported text messages: “Mama, I’m in Ukraine. There is a real war raging here. I’m afraid,” he said

“We are bombing all of the cities together, even targeting civilians. We were told that they would welcome us. They are falling under our armoured vehicles, throwing themselves under the wheels and not allowing us to pass. They call us fascists. Mama, this is so hard.”

“I just want to hang myself now.. there is real war raging here… Mama, this is so hard” —
Texts from a Russian soldier to his mom shortly before he was killed in Ukraine, read out at the UN by the Ukrainian ambassador today h/t @VeraMBergenpic.twitter.com/MjVO14X5mv

— Annie Gowen (@anniegowen) February 28, 2022

Prof Partlett notes that the soldier’s mistaken sentiment can be traced to Putin’s genuine belief that Ukrainians want to be liberated their government. Something Putin believes is an “neo-Nazi, American sponsored project,” he says.

“He doesn’t refer to the current government as legitimate in any way.

“They (the soldiers) were told that ‘you’re going to roll in and you’re going to be greeted with flowers because the average Ukrainian would love to see us’. But of course that’s not happening.

“The average Ukrainians are literally linking arms and trying to block tanks. They don’t want Russia governing their country.”

The messages were reportedly recovered from the dead soldier’s smartphone.

An angry dictator with his hand on the nuclear trigger

While it’s tempting to paint Putin as an out-of-touch dictator, it would also be dangerous to underestimate his potential to escalate the current conflict.

Prof Fruehling says the unpredictability of his action are a valid concerns, especially given Russia’s inventory of nuclear warheads, which have been placed on high alert.

“To what extent can we assume he will behave responsibly even if the crisis further escalates? And given that he does have the hand on the nuclear trigger?” he asks.

Commentators who’ve closely observed Putin’s actions have also noticed a change in the President’s demeanour. Prof Partlett notes that his normally “incredibly dispassionate, very rational” attitude has been replaced by a man who truly believes in his claim to Ukraine, as the leader of Russia.

“All you have to do is watch his speech and see his face,” he adds. “He is angry.”

“I think it’s all personal. It has nothing to do with the future of Russia. It’s all about how he will be remembered.

“Putin has drank his own history ‘kool aid’ and now the world is suffering.”

Originally published as Deadly lie Putin sold to Russia about Ukraine invasion