Russian President Vladimir Putin Threatens “Scum” at Home and Abroad

In the latest in a series of erratic moves by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a new wave of less-than-veiled threats was made to the West and pro-western and Pro-NATO oligarchs and dissidents within the Russian Federation.

This move by Putin explicitly acknowledges the degree of dissent not just among average Russians but also among oligarchs and tycoons within Russia. These oligarchs, along with all of Russia, are beginning to feel the strain of economic and commercial sanctions which have piled up. The threat by Putin comes only a week after Putin lays out demands which he claimed ‘would end the war in a moment.’

Daily Mail reports that Vladimir Putin today sent a chilling warning to the West and oligarchs telling “scum” traitors that Russians will “spit them out like a midge that flew into their mouths” – as he claimed Western ‘attempts to have global dominance” is coming to an end.

He claimed that the conflict was merely a pretext for the West to impose sanctions because ‘they just don’t want a strong and sovereign Russia’ and insisted the ‘military operation’ in Ukraine is going to plan despite his troops’ advance remaining largely stalled on the outskirts of Kyiv. But he also told Russians, in words ironically reminiscent of Zelensky’s speeches, that “we are fighting for our sovereignty and the future of our children.”

Additionally, in recent sanctions, hundreds of Russian oligarchs, organizations, and individuals are set to be hit with sanctions from the Government after a fast-tracked bill to target “dirty money” in the UK is passed. Several oligarchs, including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovitch, have already been targeted with sanctions.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has seen economic strain and soaring inflation, especially on gas prices, around the world. However, private Russian citizens have perhaps been the most economically affected due to the heavy sanctioning, such as being kicked off the SWIFT system, by the global economic powers. For NATO nations, except Poland, these economic measures have been the primary way of punishing Russia since the 2014 annexation of Crimea and have evolved into the greatest economic sanction regime seen this century. Given the fact that the Kremlin just formally acknowledged dissent from their elite class over the invasion, it is safe to say that the punitive measures are fulfilling their intended purpose.

While official Kremlin explanations behind the escalating conflict in Ukraine have ranged from defending Russian minorities from an alleged genocide to preserving Russian sovereignty in the face of a US-led NATO, it is clear that Russia has no intention of backing down before their goals are met, and that dissident behavior from Russians at home and overseas plants you firmly in the US-NATO category, in the mind of Putin. Putin consistently makes it clear that he will stop at nothing to see the end of the western world order.

Maybe it would have been simpler if he and Elon Musk really did duke it out.