The Putin Files: Celeste Wallander

[pennylane]

Very interesting interview. Celeste Wallander is amazing: her knowledge and insight is stunning.

[Mark-okss]

Here we are on 19th of March 2022, Russian troops into their fourth week of the invasion of Ukraine. Her insight on Putin from her position from 10 years ago is rather interesting, paints her advice as spot We should learn from history

[MrWolfriver]

This whole series has been fascinating. Such an excellent interview!

[SuperTonyony]

Has appeasement ever worked out in the end?

[enochbrown]

It is very reassuring to have people like Celeste Wallender advising our admiinistration. What an asset she is to the U.S.

[nancyjay]

Lots of first hand information that you don’t have a chance to get from big media sources, more worried about ratings these days. We might not agreed to the entire facts, but I greatly appreciate PBS efforts to keep public updated in such a profound way.👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍.

[ailleananaithnid]

I think she’s right… Better weaponry to the Ukrainians when Putin invaded Crimea (or the Donbas) wouldn’t have stopped this. Unfortunately the options are limited when you’re dealing with a mad man with chemical & nuclear capability. The rumors of Syrians appearing to do the dirty work are very worrying.

[solo.solito]

I love this series of talks! The insight is so deep.

[JaySmurkzTV]

PBS is one of the best American media organisations. About one of a few in the US beyond political divides etc. Much respect and may they continue bringing great content and documentaries.

[garymingy]

Wow - something hit a bot nerve ! Dear Soviets get a cover story ! Remember your scenarios! Keep it consistent! Plz plz plz, !

[peterh]

Good video! Interesting to hear her take about the issues at play at that time. She is very professional and knowledgeable (I have to believe she has given scores of briefings for her job). Looking back at this video five years later, obviously some of the is material is off.

[williamsibree]

Clever, dispassionate and humble enough to admit mistakes. An extremely imressive woman.

[benedictcowell]

Not exclusively on account of these interviews, but in no small measure, as a result of them I feel under some obligation to offer the USA, and the Americans, a massive apology. Sadly, too late in the day, or almost, I have been weaned off my ideology and my latent anti-American attitudes. It is not only these interviews however but the candour of the interviews on the last days of Trump that, I came to the realisation that the world cannot afford to lose the USA, and how dangerous Trump was not only for USA Democracy but for the sake of sanity, Truth, and integrity. They are not always right, and some of the attitudes of the Old South leave a lot to be desired, as does Neo-Con and the hysterical confusion of Communism with any burgeoning movement of reform, but sane, democratic USA is something no person who believes in Liberty we cannot do without, and the best of the USA is very attractive.

[johngalt]

Putin gave world his Mein Kampf… nobody listened; just kicked the can down the road. “Looked into his eyes & saw his soul”— now there’s a fool, but not the 1st time or last one.

[terencewinters]

So what does she think of nordstream 1 and 2 since shes a german russia expert as per her book?

[ginaferreira]

Highly intelligent woman ! fascinating interview

[blairhakamies]

Celeste nailed it. Ukraine is crucial for EuroAsian Union' vision of the College that runs Russia. Congratulations 🌹

[Prototheria]

24:11 Boy, she really nailed it back then.

[yvonnefarrell]

This is fascinating both because of the prescient nature of the narrative but how much the emphasis on economic so-called competitiveness sounds like the US.

[cydoman]

No one can look at the mansions, superyachts, car collections and high end real estate purchases Russian kleptocrats routinely add to their possessions (mostly to live and party outside Russia) and think Russia is not totally controlled as tightly and as corruptly now as it was under the Czarist years or the Soviet monopoly.

It is not hard to understand why so many of the countries like the Baltics, Polish, Czeck, Slovak, Slovinia, Romanian, Bulgaria, Hungary and all the rest wanted to tie themselves to an EU trading agreement and a NATO mutual defense alliance. They picked up early that Russia is incapable of sustaining self rule by the people. Its history will not allow it and its governments cannot grow the necessary underpinnings of democracy because democracy requires citizens to wage war on those internal forces wishing to substitute dominance by a few over rule by the many.

People who think democracy does not require commitment, hard work, constant vigilance over government and lots of time fighting the black arts of mind and narrative control by the favored elite are due a rude shock. Russia is ignored by the world because it will not allow its own people to be great. As long as the Russian people allow small greedy men to send armed thugs into civilian areas of neighboring nations and shoot, bomb and rape innocent citizens, Russia will continue to be a frozen "banana Republic", full of meaningless bluster, hated (and ostracized) by the rest of the world.

The Russian people should exile the whole collection of kleptocrats to shacks on the frozen tundra, sell their palatial residences, yachts and cars and seize their stashed money and use it to restart their government with clear laws that ensure personal freedoms for eternity and spell out exactly how the powers of government are to be limited.

A responsible government answerable to the governed never blames others when the authority and means to make the necessary corrections is there but they choose to not use it. The minute people in government choose to put their wellbeing above the wellbeing of the governed and try to convince the governed it is for their own good sit up, take notice and vow to kick the bums out.