Putin Courts Global South With Peace Talks Proposal – Ex-CIA Analyst
Leaders of BRICS countries, from left, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and former Brazilian President Michel Temer, arrive for a group photo for media at the start of the summit in Goa, India, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016
Vladimir Putin’s call for peace talks with Ukraine isn’t aimed at Kiev—it’s aimed at the Global South. That’s the take from Larry Johnson, a retired CIA intelligence officer, who says the real shot-callers are in Washington and Brussels, not in Ukraine.“This threat doesn’t come from Kiev. It comes from the United States and NATO,” Johnson argues. “If Russia acted toward the West like the West acts toward Russia, we’d have declared war years ago.” Johnson believes Putin’s move is a message to BRICS nations—China, India, Brazil, South Africa: “Russia wants peace. The West wants war.” And mistaking Putin’s patience for weakness? “That’s a dangerous delusion.”RussiaPutin Proposes Peace Talks With Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul Without Any PreconditionsYesterday, 22:40 GMT