A venomous speech by Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that included talk of “cleansing” Russia of “scum and traitors” marked an escalation in his rhetoric that is being seen by some as a sign of his frustration with the invasion of Ukraine.
In a speech to government ministers, the Russian president sent a sinister warning to those in his own country questioning the war — saying they were being used by the West.
“The collective West is trying to split our society … to provoke a civil confrontation in Russia,” said Putin in his speech. “And the goal is … the destruction of Russia.”
“The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and simply spit them out like a fly that accidentally flew into the mouth.
“I am convinced that such a natural and necessary cleansing of society will only strengthen our country.”
That kind of speech, observers say, is a sign that Putin plans to crack down even more severely on those who disagree with him.
“Putin is acutely aware that calls for peace and criticisms of the war … could quickly turn into explicit criticisms of him as president,” said Ben Noble, associate professor of Russian politics at University College London in an email.
“There is an existential urgency, therefore, to his rhetoric framing critics as traitors.”
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada...peech-about-cleansing-russia-of-traitors.html
Thanks. Is it just me, or does this nationalist rhetoric sound very much what we heard a departed IMPOTUSx2 say, and what his Cult has repeated since?

