During an appearance in Kazakhstan today, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a press conference with Russian journalists who asked questions about the current conflict with Ukraine.

Before getting to the video, it is worth mentioning that our western viewpoint of Russia respecting strength; is not entirely accurate. There is something Russians respect more than strength, brutal honesty.

One of the things that separates Russians from their eastern European counterparts, is their keen ability to detect and dismiss bullshit. If you watch Russian engagement, from either inside or outside of Russia, their non pretending is truly an artform. Even the silent space between their words is something remarkable to watch.

In this first video segment, Russian President Putin is asked about the motives of outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden to escalate the NATO conflict with Russia. President Putin responds by outlining genuine, factual and honest motives that political pundits in the USA pretend not to know.  It’s fascinating to watch:

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Why the presser? Why the questions? Why the willingness? Look, I’m no Putin whisperer, but I can see a brutally obvious motive of Vladimir Putin speaking directly to President Trump, through the media. For a myriad of reasons, including the honesty of his responses and statements, this approach seems completely logical and practical.

This next segment is even more interesting.

In this segment, Vladimir Putin is describing his views on President Trump and the status of his perspective toward Donald Trump against the backdrop of what Putin witnessed. Of course, the opportunity for passive aggressive snark is available, and Putin would not be Russian if he did not take the opportunity troll the U.S. government at the same time. WATCH:

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I’ll look for the full video of the presser to share and update with it below if I can find a good version.

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