Watch as retired Russian military leader says the ‘Kremlin is in total geopolitical isolation and the whole world is against us’
A retired Russian military leader has said the Kremlin is in “total geopolitical isolation and the whole world is against us”, speaking on state television.
Military analyst and retired colonel Mikhail Khodarenok made his comments on the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, during an interview with anchor Olga Skabeyeva, known as the “Iron Doll of Putin TV”.
When asked about Russia’s war against Ukraine, he dismissed “reports about a moral psychological breakdown..That their mood is allegedly close to a crisis.
“To put it mildly this not true”, he said.
He told the host, the “biggest problem with our military and political situation is that we are in total geopolitical isolation and the whole world is against us, even if we don’t want to admit it.”
“We need to resolve this situation”.
This comes after Ukraine’s forces managed to push Russia back from the second city of Kharkiv, back to within a few kilometres of its border.
Despite being challenged by Skabeyeva, the former military top brass warned Ukraine can “arm a million people” and they are getting specialist equipment and support from the US and Europe.
“We need to treat this million Ukrainian soldiers as a reality in the nearest future”, adding that “the situation for us will clearly get worse.”
On Sweden and Finland joining Nato, he said “the most important thing is to remain realistic from a political and military standpoint. If you don’t, then sooner or later reality will hit you so hard you won’t know what’s hit you”.
“The most important thing here.. from the general strategic standpoint, is not to brandish missiles, for goodness sake, in the direction of Finland. This looks comical.”
The former Russian leader’s remarks were posted on Twitter by BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg.