An editorial masquerading as a “news article” in the Sept. 1 edition of London’s Economist claimed that Russian President Putin is “cornered” and “plans to escalate” in Ukraine, without offering any substantiation for either claim, other than an occasional indication that “an insider said,” etc. Recall the “Russian insiders” that the since-discredited intelligence agent Christopher Steele cited so plentifully in the very dodgy dossier of Russiagate a few years ago, to get an idea of the quality of UK public claims about Russia.
So, if you are a person in the British/colonial elite who reads The Economist, and firmly believes that Russian culture is dominated by “gangster mentality,” as this editorial/article puts the matter, it will probably convince you that Putin is cornered and ready to escalate, as the piece repeatedly “worries.” Strangely, though, the piece itself backs out of its headline’s claim in the end: “Russia is likely to intensify hybrid warfare and sabotage against Ukraine’s allies and target supply routes from Europe to Ukraine. Western intelligence agencies worry that Russia might target factories in Europe that make materiel for Ukraine’s war effort. But they think Mr. Putin does not want a direct military confrontation with NATO.”
