Joni Askola Profile picture
Aug 31 7 tweets 3 min read Read on X
1/7 Trumpism is a cheap American copy of Putinism.

Both rely on spectacle, disinformation, and manufactured chaos—tools perfected by Vladislav Surkov, Putin’s shadowy strategist.

But while Putinism serves imperial goals, Trumpism is a reality show with authoritarian ambitions Image
2/7 Vladislav Surkov, Putin’s “grey cardinal,” pioneered the fusion of propaganda, theater, and post-truth politics.

He helped stage separatism in Ukraine—using paid actors, fake protests, and media manipulation to turn fiction into fact Image
3/7 In the Donbas region, russia didn’t just support separatists—it created them.

Actors were hired to play locals demanding independence.
russian media amplified the illusion.

Surkov’s doctrine: “Nothing is true and everything is possible” Image
4/7 Trumpism echoes this.
From “crisis actors” to “deep state” conspiracies, it thrives on unreality.

Even the deployment of the National Guard in Democrat-led cities was framed as theater—“law and order” optics for the base Image
5/7 Both systems weaponize distrust.
They flood the zone with noise, erode faith in institutions, and make truth feel irrelevant.

The goal isn’t persuasion—it’s confusion, division, and control Image
6/7 Putinism is the blueprint.
Trumpism is the knockoff.

Surkov wrote the script.

America just adapted it for Fox News.

And unless we recognize the playbook, we’ll keep falling for the show Image
7/7 Watch my new video on this subject:

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More from @joni_askola

Sep 1
1/7 The Trump admin’s plan to lure russia away from china by gifting Ukraine to russia is not just failing—it’s backfiring spectacularly.

Instead of isolating china, it’s fueling a deeper russia-china-india axis.

This thread breaks down the strategic disaster 👇 Image
2/7 This is textbook @USDPColby: sacrifice Ukraine to lure russia away from china.

But russia isn’t switching sides—and the cost is America’s global credibility, moral standing, and deterrence Image
3/7 Trump, Colby, Hegseth & others think appeasing Putin will fracture the russia-china alliance.

Instead, they’re handing Ukraine to russia and watching china, russia, and india grow closer.

Strategic failure. Even traitorous Image
Read 7 tweets
Sep 1
1/11 russia’s 2025 summer offensive failed spectacularly.

No major cities taken. Massive losses.

Still stuck fighting for towns it promised to capture YEARS AGO.

Another season, another disasterImage
2/11 russia paid a massive price:

Tens of thousands of casualties.

All for almost no territorial gain.

A brutal waste of lives and resources Image
3/11 In Zaporizhzhia, russia planned a major push. It failed.

In Sumy, it repeated its Kharkiv 2024 disaster.

No breakthroughs.

Just more dead soldiers and burned equipment Image
Read 11 tweets
Sep 1
1/5 Trump is a russian asset—unless he proves otherwise with his actions.

So far? He hasn’t.

Pressuring India over its ties to russia is fine.

But doing that without pressuring russia—or its main backer, china—makes it look like a useless political stunt Image
2/5 Let’s be clear: India deserves scrutiny for funding russia’s war.

But if Trump ignores russia itself—and gives china a pass—then this isn’t about principle.

It’s about picking a fight with India for show Image
3/5 Trump’s pattern is clear:
He talks tough on America’s allies, but never on Putin.

He praises Xi, but punishes democracies.

If he won’t confront russia and china directly, this is just theater Image
Read 5 tweets
Aug 30
1/8 Why is Putin just buying time instead of seeking peace?

Simple: russia is losing.

Any peace deal now would lock in failure.

russia hasn’t reached its goals—and is further from them than in March 2022 Image
2/8 russia wanted regime change and a demilitarized Ukraine under its thumb.

Instead, Ukraine is more sovereign, united, militarized, and Western-aligned than ever.

That’s not a win. That’s a strategic disaster Image
3/8 At its peak in March 2022, russia occupied ~30% of Ukraine.

Today? Just ~19%.

In 3.5 years, russia hasn’t captured or held a single regional capital.
0 out of 23. That’s a humiliating failure.

Map: @TheStudyofWar Image
Read 8 tweets
Aug 30
1/7 “Ukraine is just a small Soviet army fighting a bigger one.”

That analogy is lazy—and wrong.

Ukraine is not a mini-russia, militarily or otherwise.

It’s something very different. Let’s break it down 👇 Image
2/7 Yes, Ukraine inherited some Soviet habits.

But it’s modernizing faster than russia—in equipment, tactics, and command.

It’s moving to a corps-level structure and constantly innovating on the battlefield Image
3/7 russia clung to outdated doctrine and only adapted after massive losses.

Ukraine adapted faster. When Ukraine’s military screws up, public outrage forces change—sometimes real, sometimes just for show. At least something.

In russia? No feedback. No accountability Image
Read 7 tweets
Aug 29
1/5 Ukraine’s military casualties are far fewer than russia’s. But civilian deaths? Way higher.

russia: under 5,000.

Ukraine: 50,000–100,000.

Why? Ukraine targets military assets. russia targets civilians Image
2/5 russia has suffered over 1 million military casualties.

Ukraine’s military casualties are significantly lower—around 400,000.

But the civilian toll tells a different story Image
3/5 In Mariupol alone, Ukraine’s death toll is estimated between 27,000 and 88,000, mostly civilians, according to Uppsala researchers.

That’s just one city. And it happened in less than three months.

One city. Three months. One massive massacre Image
Read 5 tweets

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