<p>On Thursday night, in an surprising turn of events, two guests on a vastly popular Russian state TV show openly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.</p>
<p>Appearing on “An Evening with Vladimir Soloviev,” academic Semyon Bagdasarov and filmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov criticized the invasion.</p>
<p>“The pair spoke out despite the Russian government last week passing laws that threaten 15 years in jail for anyone publishing &#8216;fake news&#8217; about the war —though the definition of &#8216;fake&#8217; is set by the Russian government itself &#8230;” <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10600711/Ukraine-war-Guests-Russian-state-TV-invasion-like-Afghanistan-worse.html">The Daily Mail</a> reported.</p>
<p>Shakhnazarov said bluntly, “The Ukraine situation paints a horrifying picture and it needs to be understood that it&#8217;s playing a huge role on our collective morality. &#8230; It seems everything is now how we&#8217;d like to see it. Basically, in this instance the most important thing in this scenario is to stop our military action.”</p>
<p>Bagdasarov added, “Do we need to get into another Afghanistan, but even worse? There are more people and they’re more advanced in their handling of weapons.”</p>
<p>The Daily Mail offered a translation of the statements from both guests:</p>
<p>Shakhnazarov:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>The Ukraine situation paints a horrifying picture and it needs to be understood that it&#8217;s playing a huge role on our collective morality. Ukraine, which ever you look at it or how you feel, has tens of thousands of human links. This moment of suffering of innocent people is not compensated by the suffering of other innocent people&#8230;If we look at the situation practically, the way I see it — I may be wrong — but the way I see it there are three ways this could go. One, ideally, in the week our forces surround &#8230; they surrender, we take cities without huge losses for us and without big losses of civilians. Ukraine surrenders. This territory of east Ukraine self-governs independently, becomes independent and creates a new government. This is the ideal variant and it&#8217;s entirely possible this was the proposed initial one but as they, not everything went, it appears, to plan&#8230;</em></p>
<p><em>We accomplish those two goals, the way I understand — I&#8217;m no specialist but this is what the President talks about along with military specialists, if the figures really do align with the reality — the destruction of Ukraine&#8217;s structure, demilitarization, the liberation of Donbas, and after that, the end of the military operation, or the end of the military part of the operation &#8230; denazification doesn&#8217;t seem realistic here. I&#8217;m against Nazism with all my soul but I don&#8217;t see how it can happen here. It&#8217;s such a big country, you&#8217;d need 1.5 million soldiers to control everything. </em></p>
<p><em>Moreover, I don&#8217;t see a big political force which would consolidate Ukraine for Russia. I&#8217;m elderly, I remember Czechoslovakia, when we sent troops, I remember Afghanistan, I have to say in both those cases there was a strong force &#8230; Afghanistan — there was also a communist party. A relatively strong one which also became our ally. Today unfortunately I don&#8217;t see that kind of political force in Ukraine. And those in masses who are supportive of Russia — I don&#8217;t know. It seems everything is now how we&#8217;d like to see it. Basically, in this instance the most important thing in this scenario is to stop our military action. Others will say that sanctions will remain. Yes, they will remain, but in my opinion discontinuing the active phase of a military operation is very important.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Bagdasarov :</p>
<blockquote><p><em>May I remind you that Iran, until 1978, and before the Islamic Revolution, in one day delivered around six to seven barrels of oil in 24 hours. That&#8217;s the level they were at&#8230;All that oil will go to replace our oil. We by the way are delivering just about 10 million barrels per day, it&#8217;s not a huge difference. &#8230; Iran could replace us and Americans would gladly take it. Unlike Trump, Biden wouldn&#8217;t refuse trading with them. &#8230; That&#8217;s what could happen but we will suffer. We say China says everything is okay. . ..tomorrow they&#8217;ll put in a system which they had with Iran. </em><em>They&#8217;ll say, without question you&#8217;re an independent state, but between your companies and markets, which one will they choose. &#8230; </em></p>
<p><em>Now about Ukraine. I agree with Karen. &#8230; We had prior experiences of bringing in our troops, destroying the military infrastructure and leaving. I think that our army fulfilled their task of demilitarization of the country by destroying most of their military installations. &#8230; To restore their military they will need at least 10 years. &#8230; Let Ukrainians do this denazification on their own. We can’t do it for them. &#8230; As for their neutrality, yes, we should squeeze it out of them, and that’s it. We don’t need to stay there longer than necessary. &#8230; Do we need to get into another Afghanistan, but even worse? There are more people and they’re more advanced in their handling of weapons. We don’t need that. Enough already. &#8230; As for the sanctions, the world has never seen such massive sanctions.</em></p></blockquote>

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‘Another Afghanistan, But Even Worse’: Russian State-TV Ignores Putin’s Threat, Broadcasts Criticism Of Invasion