Blinken ‘convinced’ Putin will try to overthrow the Ukrainian government - ‘Bloody mess’
ANTHONY BLINKEN is convinced that Moscow will try to overthrow the Ukrainian government.
Biden's analysts on Russia say that Putin has lost his mind
Speaking during a taped national TV interview, Mr Blinken was asked by reporters on Putin’s ambitions. Mr Blinken said that he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to “reconstitute” a “Soviet Empire”
He said: “You don't need intelligence to tell you that that's exactly what President Putin wants.
“He has made clear he’d like to reconstitute the Soviet Empire.
“Short of that he’d like to reassert a sphere of influence around the neighbouring countries that were once part of the Soviet bloc.”
However, Mr Blinken said NATO would thwart Mr Putin’s ambitions particularly if he attacked a member state which would invoke article 5.
He said: “Now, when it comes to a threat beyond Ukraine’s borders.
“There's something very powerful standing in his way.
“That's article five of NATO, an attack on one is an attack on all.”
Separately in a conference call with US lawmakers Mr Blinken said he thought it would be a “bloody mess” for Russia.
READ MORE: EU rebels cower in face of Vladimir Putin's assault on Ukraine
He did warn that it “will take a long time to play out”.
Mr Blinken told the lawmakers that the length of the conflict “is mostly dependent on the Ukrainian people”.
He also asked the Ukrainian people: “Will they allow themselves to be subjected to a puppet government.”
According to CNN, a source from the meeting said that lawmakers were told that Kiev is under attack from the north, south and east.
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It wasn’t made clear if the Biden administration felt that Kiev could fall but it was reported that Ukrainian forces were putting up tougher resistance than anticipated.