MOSCOW (Reuters) – Seated at a big white desk in an echoing Kremlin corridor, Vladimir Putin summoned his high safety officers one after the other on Monday to offer him their recommendation at a possible turning level within the disaster round Ukraine.
In a prolonged assembly of his Security Council, broadcast on state tv in what a presenter referred to as “unprecedented footage”, Putin cross-examined ministers and spy chiefs on the query of whether or not to recognise the 2 breakaway Donbass areas of jap Ukraine as unbiased states.
One after one other, they walked to a white lectern within the column-lined corridor to color a relentlessly grim image of the scenario in Donbass.
Looking pale and drained, Putin drummed together with his fingers every so often as he listened.
His particular consultant on Ukraine, Dmitry Kozak, stated Kyiv and the West had no real interest in implementing a 2015 peace deal to finish the battle in jap Ukraine, the place pro-Russian separatists have been preventing Ukrainian authorities forces for the previous eight years.
The head of the FSB safety service, Alexander Bortnikov, advised Putin the safety scenario within the two breakaway areas was deteriorating, and that almost 70,000 individuals had thus far fled to Russia.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu accused Ukraine of stepping up shelling of the separatist areas – which Kyiv has strongly denied – and stated some residents had been left with out gasoline or water.
Much was driving on the president’s decision. Recognition of the separatist areas may present Russia with a pretext to overtly ship its army forces into the Donbass and justify that by arguing that it was defending residents there from Ukraine.
It would additionally successfully kill off the Minsk peace agreements that each one sides, together with Russia, have till now referred to as the one potential route out of the disaster.
But Putin was taking his time.
SHOW OF AUTHORITY
At one level he intervened to emphasize that he had not mentioned upfront what the officers have been going to inform him, as if to dispel the impression that the proceedings had been choreographed.
In actuality, the televised assembly appeared calculated to convey the impression of a frontrunner fastidiously arriving at an essential decision after weighing all of the proof from his subordinates.
It additionally gave Putin the possibility to reveal his authority over essentially the most highly effective individuals within the land, placing them of their place in the event that they slipped up.
He jumped in to chastise international intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin when the latter stated he “will assist” recognition of the Donbass areas.
“Will assist, or do assist? Tell me straight, Sergei Yevgenievich,” Putin stated.
When Naryshkin then stated he supported the breakaway areas turning into half of Russia, Putin upbraided him once more: “We’re not speaking about that… We’re speaking about whether or not to recognise their independence or not.”
Naryshkin: “Yes, I assist the proposal to recognise their independence.”
Putin: “Ok, please sit down, thanks.”
With all of the studies delivered, all eyes turned to Putin to pronounce his verdict – however he was not but prepared to finish the suspense.
“A decision shall be taken right now,” he stated – and with that, the cameras stopped rolling.
(Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow and Mark Trevelyan in London; Editing by Alex Richardson)
