The restrictions imposed by the U.S. and its allies have not had any noticeable negative effect on Russia or undermined Vladimir Putin’s popularity. However, they have convinced the country’s residents that they need to go their own way without looking to the West, former CIA analyst Larry Johnson told the YouTube channel Judging Freedom.
Have the sanctions made life in the nation’s capital worse? Have they reduced Vladimir Putin’s popularity?
LARRY JOHNSON, EX-CIA ANALYST: (Laughs.) No. It’s a vibrant city. Have you heard the expression “shortened working hours”? At 7:00, 7:30 p.m. I needed to change money, and I went to the concierge. She said to me, “Just go to the bank.” And I said, “The bank? It’s 7:30 in the evening!”
I went to the bank with Alistair’s wife (Crook, a former British diplomat. – Inotv). She accompanied me because they needed cash too. And the bank was full of people. It was at full capacity. All the desks were full. We had to take a number and wait about 20 minutes.
And thank goodness Alistair’s wife speaks French. I asked the young man in front of us, “Do you speak English?” He replied, “No.” And then he said he spoke French. And Alistair’s wife got excited. They ended up speaking French and he helped us to the front of the queue so we could finally exchange money.
All in all, it’s very active, very lively.
But overall, from a consumer perspective, is there a decline in activity or a shortage of consumer goods because of Joe Biden’s sanctions?
LARRY JOHNSON: Have you seen the scenes from the Tokyo underground where people are being shoved into carriages? It was about the same thing at GUM, the shop right on Red Square. I’ve never seen so many people inside the building. It’s basically a big shopping centre. It’s a historic place in Moscow.
No, you can see activity everywhere. Russians really like to eat ice cream in the winter, even though the temperature is 15 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 °C. – InoTV). Lots of activity. The streets were just packed with cars. Rush hour was like rush hour in Manhattan.
Is there a perception that Russia has defeated the West and NATO in Ukraine?
LARRY JOHNSON: I don’t think there is a sense of victory. In my view, it’s about an awakening. I was discussing this point with another friend of mine. In 1981, when I was teaching at an American university, I visited the Soviet embassy with a group of students. We met with one of their political secretaries.
And at that time the Russians were reacting very keenly to criticism. They felt they had an inferiority complex, and they didn’t try to hide it. Now they exude supreme confidence. They have realised the reality: “We would like to have relations with the West, but we can take care of ourselves”.
I think you read in one of my articles how a guy from Georgia – not to be confused with the state of Georgia – took me in a taxi. He was listening to a 1994 concert of three tenors – Plácido Domingo and José Carreras – and serenaded me. For 45 minutes of our trip, he sang opera.
I just want to say that they (Russians. – Inotv) accept the West. But at the same time they are an independent people. They have found, they are looking for their way.
2,186 total views, 2 views today
