Strelkov: People in the Kremlin, close to the Kremlin, believe that they successfully pulled off in Donbass their Vietnam-like defeat without having even to fight and thus losing much more cleverly and smartly than the US did in Vietnam

Igor Strelkov shares his recent conversation with someone evidently high or higher in the Russian security structures, who explained or tried to explain to Strelkov the existing "internal" view on Donbass and on the essence of Putin's policies rather stripped of its usual make-up meant for the public. Thus, according to the officer, the view from within on what Putin and the Kremlin has been doing, which still carries a lot of rationalization, but is closer to the truth, is that Putin looked and decided that today's Russia is just to weak to defend its interests and the Russians in Donbass and Ukraine. The ruling elite sees Donbass much like Russia's new Vietnam, and Putin sees himself like US President Richard Nixon, but overall much smarter--he decided to quit and get out of the fight before the fight even started in earnest. His comprador oligarchic buddies and his mirror congratulate him for it and call him great and wise for that. The Kremlin has thus decided a long time ago what Minsk 1 already stated back in September of 2014--that Donbass and its people must go back to the fascists sooner (or later). According to this Russian officer who tried to persuade Strelkov to come to his senses, this betrayal does not mean that the Kremlin is throwing the Russians in Ukraine and the people of Donbass overboard or under the bus. For, as he put it, even the soldiers would have eventually a chance to flee to Russia and, perhaps, they might even be given--maybe--a share in the Russian unlivable, slave-lake pensions.

Thus, as this Russian officer tried to argue: Donbass is for the Kremlin--its new Vietnam, a strategic defeat and loss--but supposedly much less costly and much smarter than the one which the US suffered.

This makes Putin a genius of the Vietnam-like defeat. But not like the US, but as if North Vietnam decided to lose and abandon their own people.