Arrr, me hearties! Putin be fightin' hunger, but 'tis just a trick, fer he be plannin' mass starvation!
2023-09-05
Arr, me hearty, this scurvy dog, Vladimir Putin, be wieldin' the power o' food to force the West to abandon Ukraine! 'Tis part o' his wicked plan to starve 'em all!
Last week, it was confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Russia to discuss the new framework for a grain deal. This deal, which was originally brokered by Erdogan in July 2022, was terminated by Putin almost a year later. The deal allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea using Odesa's seaports, which is crucial for food supply to developing nations. However, Putin's decision to terminate the deal is part of his strategy of mass starvation, using food security as a weapon to coerce Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and compel the West to abandon Ukraine in its war against Russia. This strategy of indirect action, conceptualized by the Russian General Staff, aims to offset Western superiority in conventional warfare by targeting the adversary's mind rather than military hardware.Psychological warfare is a critical component of Russia's asymmetric strategy, targeting not only Ukraine but also Western audiences. The goal is to change the opponent's calculus about fighting by demonstrating that the cost of fighting Russia far outweighs the benefits, as Russia is prepared to sustain unthinkable casualties and inflict unconscionable atrocities. Economic coercion, diplomatic pressure, subversive activities, and sabotage are tactics employed in this strategy. Russia has used these tactics in Ukraine, including industrial sabotage, targeting of nuclear plants, striking storage facilities and ports, capturing Americans for hostage diplomacy, and more, with the aim of splitting Ukraine from the West politically.
Russia's strategy of indirect action, influenced by British strategist B.H. Liddell Hart, elevates strategy over brute force in warfighting. However, Russia incorporates brutality as an integral part of this strategy, disregarding the West's conception of warfare known as "Just War Theory." Putin's decision-making is not driven by compassion, but rather by his view of the outcome in Ukraine as existential for Russia and himself. Starving the world to enforce his red line on Ukraine is justified in Putin's mindset and according to Russia's way of war.