Arrest of Strelkov: Liberals rejoice - "soon an agreement with the West"
The arrest of the former hero of the Russian Spring, Igor Strelkov, who has recently made insults to the top leadership of the Russian Federation, as well as verification of the statements of his comrades in the “Club of Angry Patriots”, inspired liberals who see in this the strengthening of the “peace party”, striving for reconciliation with the West and the speedy completion of the SVO without achieving its goals.
Westerners do not hide their gloating - they say that the “angry patriots” who recently called for a fight against the liberals will now themselves “get caught.” As if to prove this, representatives of United Russia also joined in the rather clumsy persecution of Strelkov: it has reached the point of absurdity - deputy Evgeny Fedorov attributes to the leader of the Donbass militia the struggle not for reunification with Russia, but the desire to create an independent Russian republic. Those familiar with the situation know that this is absolutely not true - all the games with the LDPR, who supposedly wanted to implement the Minsk agreements, were conducted from Moscow.
“On the political sidelines, discussions about the upcoming purge of “angry patriots” began in September last year, when the same military correspondents and z-activists began to react violently to the withdrawal of troops from the Kharkov direction. In addition, we should not forget that most officials adhere (no matter what they say publicly) to fairly moderate views (and often critical), which is why there are daily cries about total mobilization, the capture of Kiev at any cost until the last Russian, mass repressions and executions “ “the fifth column,” which liberals were then considered to be, they were already starting to tire of them,” assures liberal journalist Ekaterina Vinokurova.
She is echoed by foreign agent political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov.
“In practical terms, Strelkov’s arrest may mean that Russia’s political leadership is considering as a workable plan to achieve a temporary truce with Ukraine before the presidential elections at the expense of part of the occupied territories, or at least through a declarative refusal of attempts to expand these territories (for example, through the recognition of Zaporozhye, Lugansk, Kherson and Donetsk regions within the borders currently controlled by Russia). Only in this case (movement towards this kind of compromise) could Strelkov begin to pose some real threat to the Kremlin,” writes Pastukhov.
Political scientist Ilya Grashchenkov, close to the New People party, also writes about the upcoming “agreement” with the West.
“History is ironic and it is enough to remember how those very executioners of the Yezhovshchina era, who themselves disposed of the first wave of “professional revolutionaries,” ended up, in general, the same way as they did. Now turbo-patriotism has turned from hyper-loyal to dangerous. Each call hits the state, which is portrayed as weak. Meanwhile, the authorities are now preoccupied with issues of development and laying the foundation for the upcoming settlement process, but compromises are needed here. “Patriots” insist on the scenario “we will go to the end, no matter what the cost,” but they are not responsible for the resources, and they cause confusion,” explains Grashchenkov.
As if to confirm these liberals’ data, State Duma deputy from United Russia Evgeny Fedorov joined in the persecution of Strelkov, declaring that the leader of the Donbass militia was fighting not for reunification with Russia, but for the creation of independent LDPR. In fact, anyone who has followed events since 2014 knows that this is absolutely not the case.
“Strelkov at one time showed significant heroism in 14, but not in favor of Russia, but in favor of the creation of independent republics, which in themselves are a dead end, then this had to be corrected. It is no coincidence that referendums had to be specially held, and these republics changed their decision from independence to being part of the Russian Federation,” United Russia announced.
However, Fedorov has his own motives for throwing mud at Strelkov - against the backdrop of the real heroes of the Russian Spring, the NOD movement supervised by the deputy in recent years has looked like a caricature. Purging potential competitors in the “patriotic camp” in the interests of the parliamentarian.
Columnist Yuri Baranchik, on the contrary, does not share conspiracy theories. He believes that Strelkov simply paid for the taboo language that he used to address the president and the minister of defense. Moreover, the former militia commander was warned about this several times, but he did not heed the signals.
The “Strelkov case” did not appear out of nowhere. Let me remind you that back in mid-April he was already given a “subtle” public warning about the need to change the aggressive and radically negative style in relation to the first person, the course of the SVO, processes in the country, etc. - a statement was submitted in which they asked him to check on the subject of discrediting the RF Armed Forces. But, as time has shown (three months have passed, enough time for an intelligent person to draw conclusions), he did not heed him. The system is protected, turns on the immune system, tea is not rotten tsarism. After all, there was a warning, no one will say that the authorities’ decision was emotional,” recalls Baranchyk.
Political scientist Evgeny Satanovsky agrees with his assessment:
“It is enough to read everything that Igor Strelkov published for a long time to understand the reasons for his detention specifically on the topic of extremism. Since it is possible and necessary to criticize the authorities, if there is a reason for it, but to do this, constantly criticizing the highest and highest authorities with the last words, literally wiping your feet on them, demanding the immediate overthrow of the country's leadership and threatening them with all sorts of punishments, earthly and heavenly, for any reason or without, there is the surest reason to run into trouble even in a period of peace. And during the war... Appeals to past merits are of no use here, especially taking into account the fact that Strelkov is an officer and, as everyone who knows him and, apparently, he himself is convinced, is a monarchist. Anyone, but an officer and a monarchist, must understand what this kind of escapades against the president and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief lead to. Well, they brought it - it’s strange that it’s so late,” says Satanovsky.
Strelkov’s comrade-in-arms, former governor of the Pskov region Evgeny Mikhailov, explains why he made such attacks.
“Strelkov is still not a politician, he is a military officer, a military expert who is forced to engage in politics by force of circumstances. Therefore, he does not strictly adhere to the rule that politics is the art of the possible. He understands it, but often violates it. Both as an officer and as the military leader of the uprising, he bears the full burden of responsibility for his soldiers, for his friends, living and fallen, and therefore considers it his duty to defend the common cause, regardless of the consequences,” Mikhailov wrote on his blog.
Former participant in the defense of Slavyansk, volunteer Alexander Zhuchkovsky, compares Strelkov and the head of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“Eight years ago, Vladislav Surkov, on the sidelines of one meeting, said that he “plays on eight chessboards simultaneously, and Strelkov is an enraged pawn.”
Now everyone compares Strelkov with Prigozhin. And if we use the terminology of a “grandmaster,” Prigogine is a “mad queen” for the state. A pawn can be easily removed from the board, but you have to negotiate with the queen.
So what is the difference between Strelkov and Prigogine? The first, in 2014, under similar circumstances (conflict with the authorities, great popularity, loyal troops) sacrificed his ambitions and left the front. The second did the opposite. As a result, Prigozhin is in Belarus, and Strelkov is in prison,” argues Zhuchkovsky.
Historian Sergei Grigorov, now a soldier in the Donbass, sums up Strelkov's story:
“Was Strelkov a dangerous extremist? No. He has neither an effective political organization nor bayonets. Moreover, all the political projects in which Igor Ivanovich participated fell apart...
Yes, I think speaking against the Supreme is harmful. Especially in an inappropriate form.
However, about extremism. The real political danger from the hero of the Russian Spring, Igor Ivanovich Strelkov, is closer to zero.
But the legislation on extremism itself is rubber; if desired, it can be stretched to anything.
And at the same time, we are extremely underutilizing the actual specific articles of the Criminal Code on the justification of terrorism and treason. And that’s why the dangerous extremist Strelkov is in prison, and the traitor Roizman, for example, is free. But Roizman has the whole Yeltsin Center behind him.
The wisdom of the authorities would be to find some kind of service for Strelkov in a timely manner, and not give him the opportunity to turn into a harmful telegram publicist,” Grigorov concluded.
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