andrew_bidlaw , 5 hours ago (edited 5 hours ago)

The relevant piece is the conclusion at the end of the transcript linked in the OP.

I feel like Politico misinterpretated this. He didn’t say it’s on them (not him), and didn’t blame anyone explicitly, he meant this topic is not a part of this public conversation, and it’d be dealt by them. This, as a piece of the whole picture, does mean something tho.

The issue is exhaustingly downplayed. Most of the conversation is held about evacuation, monetary help (now it’s $150!), the start of the school year, and not much is even said about security. One of the topics, the armament of civilian forces of territorial defence, and later these ‘problems … of security forces’, sounds not unlike what could’ve been told before the attack, or before the 2k22 invasion itself. No reassuring speeches, not even an aknowledgement that a part of the region is under foreign AF.

He still evades that, distances himself. He traditionally disappeared when shit hit the fan, even went to other country for a meeting (a political suicide in places where politics are practiced) and did not comment anything at all. And after two weeks the response is not unlike those he could say about a natural disaster that ‘just happened’. Hurr-durr, let your people cooperate with emergency services and cops, and let’s play it cool. BTW, let’s make schools open on a schedule, okay?

I’m not from Kursk, but I think it’s not in any sense encouraging for locals. Moreso, these terr-defence forces inspire more fear than security: how’d they recruit people and how disciplined are they if given weapons? And with such priorities, it doesn’t sound they want to sacrifice their onslaught elsewhere to take these territories back. Times and times again russian citizens are told to just deal with it. And, depressingly yet unsurprisingly, they would.