Russia knows that if it wants to win in Ukraine, it must utilise its proxies and sympathisers among the Western political class and influencers. They would have to convince the West that it is in its best interest to stop assisting Ukraine and allow Russia to keep occupied Ukrainian territories.
Russia is currently dramatically losing the war in Ukraine. First, because it has not been able to achieve any of its original goals and because it has revealed its utter incompetence.
Second, Russia is losing in Ukraine because it annexed Ukrainian territory on paper only, without physical control over those territories.
That is why the Kremlin needs the influence of its proxies in the Western political capitals.
Their loyalty is tested in the Kremlin to enable Putin to declare a partial victory over Ukraine and NATO.
Putin loves it when the West fears WW3
Putin loves the fact that American politicians are afraid of WW3. He also loves that MAGA Republicans have been helping him stop military and financial aid to Ukraine.
Putin is not afraid of WW3 because he is not suicidal and loves his lavish lifestyle. He is confident that if things go bad, he could always negotiate a comfortable exile, perhaps even to Western Europe or, at the very least, China.
US Senator Mike Lee has recently made 2 comments on "X" (formerly Twitter) that were undoubtedly well-received by the Kremlin.
"Putin is evil. And he has nukes. So, let's not go to war with him - either directly or through a proxy - if we can possibly avoid it. We can. #NotOurWar", wrote Senator Lee.
Russian intelligence manoeuvres
No one should be distracted by Lee's opening statement describing Putin as evil. The Kremlin and Russian intelligence services allow similar but not humiliating and diminishing criticism of Putin, provided that the succeeding theses or agendas are beneficial to Russia.
Senator Lee tried to spook everyone with the possibility of WW3 and proposed to end the war, which is precisely something that Moscow wanted and tried to achieve.
Not to mention that Mike Lee repeated the Kremlin's mantra regarding Ukraine being a proxy of the USA:
Someone's behind the pro-Ukraine troll campaign known as "NAFO". Who is it? A few possible candidates have been suggested. Which one seems most likely to you?
Mike Lee therefore suggested the Pentagon and even the CIA to be among those behind NAFO.
NAFO is an initiative with the aim of ridiculing and countering Russian propaganda. It has no impact on America and should not concern American politicians. However, NAFO has a devastating influence on the Kremlin and its propaganda, which cannot stand the mockery of their "historic task".
What are the contents of the Russian propaganda manual?
Senator Lee willingly advances the Kremlin's sentiments and plays by its playbook. If not a post by the US senator but some journalist, the most logical explanation would have been that the Kremlin's "metodichka" (manuals) inspired these posts.
Putin's administration sends these instructions to Russian media outlets and Kremlin agents around the globe through a chain of trusted people to inject the Kremlin's agenda and talking points into the public domain.
Democratic liberties, like freedom of speech, enable people like Mike Lee to exercise loyalty to Putin and Russia while camouflaging it with fake attempts to avoid WW3.
Western indecisiveness provoked Putin to engage in the subject of WW3 because it convinced him that Western politicians were afraid to respond.
Putin believes he could get away with any atrocity and aggression, even against the West, as he thinks he got away with US 2016 election meddling.
The US elections are the main battleground
Russia will exploit and spin apocalyptical threats through Western proxies like Mike Lee because these threats work as anticipated.
The West must be ready to endure the same threats from Russia in the future regarding any other crisis issue if it reveals its fear of starting WW3 with Russia because of Ukraine.
The Russian nuclear threat will be constant, as propaganda compensation to the domestic public for unrealised objectives in Ukraine.
Putin will not stop nuclear blackmail if this helps his aggression against Ukraine. His current hopes for a favourable outcome of the war are somewhat understandable and perhaps logical, since the two leading Republican frontrunners have been openly sceptical about the provision of much-needed assistance to Ukraine because of their fear of WW3.
That is why the Russian principal battlefront, besides Ukraine, is the 2024 US elections. Only Western delusional isolationists could save Putin and today's imperial Russia from capitulation.
