Developing
Due to rapidly-breaking developments and in order to facilitate readers’ access to the latest dispatches, we are publishing this article as it is being written. please check back for updates and additions.
To see a list of previous articles, enter “Ukraine” in the Search Box on the upper right, on The Trenchant Observer web site, and you will see a list in chronological order.
Dispatches
1) Brendan Cole, “Russia Finally Rules Out Using Nuclear Weapons Over Ukraine War,” Newsweek, March 29, 2022 (@04:30 a.m EST);
2) Quint Forgey, “Trump calls on Putin to release dirt on Hunter Biden; It’s the latest example of the former president soliciting foreign governments to intervene to damage his domestic political rivals,” Politico, March 29, 2022 (12:20 PM EDT)
Commentary
Putin’s press spokesman downplays nuclear threats
Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitri Peskov, has declared that Russia is not even thinking about the idea of using nuclear weapons in the present Ukraine conflict. Earlier, Christina Amanpour had pushed him quite hard on the issue, leading him to cite Russian doctrine that such weapons would not be used unless there were an existential threat to Russia.
The statements illustrate how reporters can generate comments that confuse the situation.
Still, Peskov’s latest statements may be highly significant, as they seem to indicate the Kremlin has had second thoughts about continuing to make nuclear threats as it has in the past.
The Observer suspects there may have been some forceful communications through private channels or other actions on the part of the U.S. and NATO, which contributed to this latest clarification by Peskov.
On the other hand, the Kremlin lies about everything, and Peskov’s statements may simply be part of Putin’s strategic deception.
Either way, Peskov’s comments raise serious questions. Why? With what intent?
Given Putin’s record of strategic deception, one possible intention could be to defuse the issue of nuclear threats publicly, in order to give such threats even more power over Biden if communicated privately, at some critical decision point in the future.
Trump asks Putin to release data on Biden and family
With Putin and Russia bombarding cities and killing thousands of civilians in Ukraine, former President Donald Trump has seized the opportunity to ask Vladimir Putin, once again, to release information he may have on Biden and his son Hunter relating to alleged corrupt business deals.
This statement reveals, once again, the character and qualities of the man who was almost re-elected President of the United States in 2020.
It is frightening to contemplate the fact that Trump still holds enormous sway over the Republican Party.
It is utterly depressing to reflect on the fact that the Biden administration is too afraid of Trump and his followers to indict him for any of the numerous felonies he very clearly appears to have committed.
The Trenchant Observer
