Who is Sergei Karaganov?

His biography tells us he is a 72-year-old political scientist; a graduate of Moscow State University; head of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy; Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics; Presidential Advisor to both Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin; and considered “close” to Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

He has also served on David Rockefeller’s Trilateral Commission (Japan, Western Europe and North America) since 1998; on the International Advisory Board of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations; and as Deputy Director of the Institute of Europe at the USSR/Russian Academy of Sciences since 1983.

By any standard, an impressive resume. But is it possible that he is, after all, just a mad scientist on the loose?

And why is he suddenly in the news?

Because his voice is the latest to be heard among the several from Moscow who are proliferating such scare tactics as: “Russia should clearly state its willingness to use nuclear weapons against countries that ‘support NATO aggression in Ukraine.’” [Mark Trevelyan, Reuters, September 12, 2024.]

And he has the ear of Vladimir Putin.

He has been a driving force behind Putin’s decision to amend Russia’s nuclear doctrine, stating that its main goal “should be to ensure that all current and future enemies are sure that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons.” And: “It is time to declare that we have the right to respond to any massive strikes on our territory with a nuclear strike. This also applies to any seizure of our territory.” [Id.]

But that, believe it or not, appears to be his soft side. He has also claimed in the past that the use of nuclear weapons would “save humanity,” and that Putin needs to ensure that “the will of the west to incite and support the Kyiv junta is broken.” [Katie Boyden, Metro.co.uk, June 14, 2023.]

Then he got serious:

“It is necessary that the west simply ‘back off’ and not prevent Russia and the world from moving forward.”

“The enemy must know that we are ready to strike a preemptive retaliatory strike for all of his current and past aggressions in order to prevent a slide into a global thermonuclear war.”

“The fear of nuclear escalation must be restored. Otherwise humanity is doomed.”

“Then [Russia] will have to hit a group of targets in a number of countries in order to bring those who have lost their minds to their senses.”

“This is a morally terrible choice — we use the weapons of God, dooming ourselves to severe spiritual losses.”

“But if this is not done, not only Russia may perish, but, most likely, the entire human civilisation will end.”

“We will have to make this choice.” [Metro, id.]

And he goes on, but . . .

This man is Dr. Strangelove, come to life. And while he does not hold a government position, or (supposedly) have a voice in official government policy, he does have a measure of influence as advisor to Putin. Add him to a gathering that includes fellow whack jobs Dmitry Medvedev and Aleksandr Dugin, bring in Vladimir Putin as the guest of honor, and you have the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse . . . with nukes.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/14/24