THREAD: Want to know how we got to this latest Putin crisis? The West profits from Kremlin-linked money while relying on Ukrainians to sacrifice in Putin's global war on democracy. It's time for the West to make "sacrifices" by cleaning up its corruption. patreon.com/posts/61991932
Ahead of a meeting w/Putin, Germany let Russia know Merkel is afraid of dogs. Why reveal this to a former KGB agent? They expected Putin to keep his dog away. He brings it to the meeting. It captures perfectly how the West keeps giving Putin leverage. patreon.com/posts/61991932
On his way out after losing power, Chancellor Schröder approves Nordstream 2, gas pipeline btwn Russia/Germany. He joins the project & continues to profit from entrenching German dependence on Russian gas. Putin cuts/limits gas for Ukraine/EU as leverage patreon.com/posts/61991932
For years, despite protests from US/Eastern European nations that Nordstream 2 is Putin's geopolitical weapon to blackmail EU, Merkel supported the project. As predicted, Putin's currently limiting Russian gas to Europe, driving up prices in the winter. patreon.com/posts/61991932
A Russian activist forced to live abroad instead of face prison told me the US must sanction Nordstream 2. That option is finally on the table. Nordstream 2 should never have happened in the first place. Giving Putin leverage is dumb. Why is this hard? patreon.com/posts/61991932
UK is a safe haven for Kremlin $. Putin's oligarchs spread his influence abroad through "golden handcuffs" like he does in Ukraine: buying off elites to avoid accountability. It works. Russia tipped Brexit vote, got away w/killing several on UK soil patreon.com/posts/61991932
Boris Johnson/Tories, facing self-made crisis at home over partying while people followed rules at great personal sacrifice, are awash w/Russian money. Makes UK unreliable ally. They're finally pledging to pass laws going after Putin's oligarchs in the UK. patreon.com/posts/61991932
Navalny said sanctions have not gone far enough and its time for the West to go after Putin's stolen wealth hidden abroad in his oligarchs. If anyone dismisses tougher sanctions, remind them Russian activists demand them. patreon.com/posts/61991932
Putin, a conspiracy theorist, is surrounded by conspiracy theorists. His foreign intelligence chief rewrites history. His Defense Minister calls Ukrainians non-humans. They will never act in good faith. Diplomacy alone won't work. Target their corruption. patreon.com/posts/61991932
US should release a report exposing the corruption of Putin and his court of oligarchs. Russian oligarchs/their families should lose their residency visas abroad and be forced to live in Russia to witness poverty and corruption their stolen wealth created. patreon.com/posts/61991932
If the US/Europe had cleaned up its corruption years ago and stopped giving Putin leverage, we would have never gotten to this latest crisis. The war against Putin is a war against global corruption which harms democracy and empowers authoritarianism. patreon.com/posts/61991932
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