Taras Byk - Is Putin’s Endless Aggression Exhausting Russia’s Military, Social and Economic Reserves
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- Taras Byk's special mission is the breakup of the Russian Federation, a project that doesn't seem so far-fetched after the Prigozhin mutiny, and Putin’s endless aggression that is exhausting Russia’s military and economic reserves. Taras is a civil society activist and political strategist, who believes that Ukraine's Maidan Revolution, in which he participated, saved not only Ukraine but also Europe. Today we will be discussing the threat from a resurgent Russia, and the history of imperial expansion that sits behind it. Can Ukraine's stand for freedom and struggle against renewed Russification of its peoples hold the line in Europe between freedom and authoritarianism, between the rule of law and unimaginable barbarism. Can Ukraine's experience even help revitalise the idea of democracy and help us to become more resilience in the face of creeping nepotism, corruption, oligarchy, and aggressive autocrats?
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Taras Byk is a manager at Wooden Horse Strategies, LLC, a governmental-relations, and strategic communications firm based in Kyiv.
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I am a Finn. 75 years of age. In our culture it is and since my childhood always was self-evident thst Russia is a colonisl power. The only
Oopsss.... colonial power. The prison of nations.
Dumb comment. You had peace with Russia for the entirety of your life time...
Indeed, the Russians decimated the Finns as they expanded to the north and west, just as they repeatedly decimated the Ukrainian people. That is why I as a Ukrainian-American admire the Finn's fighting spirit.
@@lauriveikkokahanpaa2747 Prison of Nations while its run by heaviest criminals of this planet.
I know. As an American, with our democracy being rocked hard right now by MAGA/Trump, it’s refreshing and inspiring. I hope Europeans realize their democracies are only as good as they make them and THEY TAKE WORK! Ukraine is doing their work 👍
We are not a Democracy. We are a Constitutional Republic.
Alan Dershowitz, who's only voted his 80+ years for Democrats said about Democrat lawfare against Trump, that if 5 was the US is a Banana Republic, Democrats have brought the US to 4.
Dershowitz has his newest book, Get Trump. About how corrupt the party is.
I think they know very well.
You Americans have some serious issues going on in your country, and more concerning is the rise of the far right support that has been gained under dictator Trump. If you people don't wake up and smell the coffee, then you are going to see serious negative changes to your country. Trump is only as powerful as the support he is getting, and that is seriously baffling to most people outside of America regarding the high level of support he is getting. Are Americans so gullible that they believe all his BS lies ?
I would argue that the coordinated legal persecution of a major presidential candidate by Democrat partisans in multiple jurisdictions during an election year is the *real* threat to American democracy. It's the sort of political theater that you would expect to see in a Banana republic or a Communist regime, not in a Western democracy.
@@glynnec2008Absolutely, along the way it has taken actual state Supreme Court Justices suspending their duty to defend the Constitution in order to try to have Trump removed from the ballots of those states. Having been convicted of nothing these jurists ordered him removed which amounts to denying Trump due process, a CORE principle of our Constitution. That was a breathtaking and intentional attack on the Constitution that the US Supreme Court overturned, thank God. It's frightening to think that state justices would think it ok to remove a candidate from the ballot for no other reason than they don't like him. They tried to deny half the country their vote. We in the US are in no position to lecture anyone about protecting their democracy.
Thank you . Ukraine must win .
Heck yeah! Slava Ukraini!
Taras Byk's special mission is the breakup of the Russian Federation - what dedication, i'm impressed, ngl.
Thank you, Jonathan, for inviting Taras Byk, who reminded us that we need to defend our democracies. Thank you, Taras Byk, for speaking out on Silicon Curtain. I really hope that in elections around the globe, "we", the "small people" will chose wisely and only vote representatives into our governments who work together on a global level. Let's not fall for isolationists, who want to divide us.
🇺🇦 Перемоги і миру всім українцям! 🇺🇦
Fantastic guest... He makes total sense
Ukraine has a tremendous asset, in its respect for women, and full empowerment of them.
Thank you, Jonathan and Taras !
Slava Ukraini ❤🎉
I have been to Dnipro twice and I love the people, the food, the culture and everything about Ukraine. Our company has been working with Ukrainian software developers for almost ten years. I feel like they are part of my family. No more war.
beautiful city Dnipro, now many destroyed places
@@gregmchale5011 It`s the Russian way! Always has been.
Ukraine is saving the world.
For it to work we need much better leaders in western democracies. I’m concerned by what I’m seeing from Germany and a few others.
China is watching our lack of support.
How? By showing us what not to dò if you want to survive.
@@FrancoisMouton-iu7jt Whereas: to survive pretend to share Putin's high opinion of himself?? Is that your implication?
Francois the sheep is exactly the sort of person I DO NOT want by my side when the going gets tough.
@davidwright5094
Moscow horde´s war record :-
1856 defeated by Britain and France
1905 defeated by Japan
1917 defeated by Germany
1920 defeated by Poland, Finland, Estonia and all Baltic states
1939 defeated by Finland
1969 defeated by China
1989 defeated by Afghanistan
1989 defeated in the Cold War.
1996 defeated by Chechnya
2022 defeated by Ukraine
WW2 won USA/Britain , meanwhile Stalin's officers were shot or sent to the Gulags. Millions went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn
Moscow's only victories come from invading smaller countries :-
a) Hungary 1956
b) Czechoslovakia 1968
c) Moldova 1992
d) Georgia 2008
Russia did end up subjugating Chechnya in 2004 after three wars and eight wars. And technically Finland sued for peace at the end of The Winter War. It definitely didn’t feel like a win, though. Moscow gained a sliver of land in Finland scarcely large enough to bury its own dead.
@@GrahamCStrouse There is a reason why in Finnish verb "Ryssiä" (Muscovy ) , roughly meaning "to totally fail something".
Is this meat wave tactic the typical response of communist regimes?
2024?/2025? defeated by Ukraine
Q: 1939 defeated by Finland... 1996 defeated by Chechnya...
A: Muscovy eventually won both these wars, unfortunately.
What a brave, intelligent and articulate human being is Taras!! Such a pleasure to listen his truth and experience. Not to take our freedom for granted!! He is telling us not to be complacent, to understand that Russia is a big world in itself with different identities very hard to accept, but at the same time he express his hope and ideas to rebuilt again his country; some people loose their faith, but he is very wise in this moment in time in the History of Eastern Europe. All the best to him. Best interview in this podcast in a long time. Thank you!!
Thoroughly enjoy your program, indispensable to keep up with the war for me. GREAT guests, keep up the good work. Slava Ukraine!
👍👍👍🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
loved the interview. You know, its funny to feel such profound patriotism towards a country that im not from.
A rare and optimistic hope meets my ears today at Silicon Curtain! 😀
A brighter future is possible only in the light of such intelligence and work..I am most glad to have Taras Byk on my radar!
Thanks again to you Jonathan..insight, intelligence, humanity and humility define this channel! xxx
A big thank you to have invited to this fantastic guest !
Fascinating interview
I’m going to save this episode and rewatch it regularly.. it is that good. It explains a complex societal/cultural process in much more understandable terms. Thank you both for digging down to this level of detail on building democracy.
Well said Taras! Slava Ukraine
I think this has been the best articulation of what victory in Ukraine can look like that I have heard anywhere.
yea! Taras gets it.
Great interview, you both ! Slava Ukrainian !!!!
People who are willing to find out how the ordinary people in Ukraine are, will find out they're building a new and very active democracy.
They can disagree without being disagreeable. It's inspiring, it's refreshing to see them behave like people united in the understanding they're building a solid society.
If UKRAINE is truly DEMOCRATIC,as what YOU are inspiring that they are:
Then where are the elected OPPOSITION members of Parliament?
Why haven't up until today,PRESIDENTIAL elections held as Bob Hopes' " AKA Ukranian President" ,tenure will end 21/05/2024?
@@petehowett2854 Elections is against their constitution in wartime. Do you really think your / Putin is treating oppostion better? Food and shelter in prison or gulag? You dont need to talk to annoying doctors (or any doctor at all)
Or the secret police arrange meals with additional seasoning (poison), bungee jump out of windows is also an option, without elastic of course. You can also just flee the country if you want to keep your life. You want to see that in Ukraine too, my russian friend?
@@petehowett2854 The Ukrainian elected opposition People's Deputies are in the parliament where you'd expect.
If you'd like to see a resumption of democratic electoral processes in Ukraine, then you'd better try persuade Putin to stop expending hundreds of billions ₽ on the thousands of expensive weapons he continually launches in order to suppress them.
@@petehowett2854You sound like a totally Putin MAGA puppet. Ukraine is in the middle of a war. That's just the way it is. Get your facts straight. Troll
@@petehowett2854 good attempt, russian troll
Taras perspective is outstanding. A detailed and macro analysis of the situation.
Thank you both 🙏✊🏻💙💛💙💛💙💛💙
One of the best interviews ever.
PLEASE BRING TARAS BYK BACK!
Taras mission is dear to my heart!
Свободу колониям орды! Карелия, Саха, Татария, Калмыкия, Чечня и тд
будем надеяться, что империя зла рухнет
Сибирскую Республику не забудьте, ещё восстановление проекта Уральской Республики 1990-х годов
@@lordfoxquaad1611 yes indeed !
@@lordfoxquaad1611 Безопасность Европы и мира в целом это развал MOSCOW Horde (орды 🇷🇺 ) ...
🤘🏻👍🏻
Thank you for the videos. I appreciate them, learning from you is a pleasure. Carry On, Sir.
Thank you both! This was an absolute must watch. Very informative.
Thank you both.
Interesting to hear how democracy develops. Really great to hear how Ukraine tackling corruption and everything else you discussed.
In the first notes, I am fan of Moe Mope. Thank you for the interview with Taras Byk.
My sincerest wish as a Finnish-Karelian is to live to see the Finnish territories (Petsamo, Salla, the Finnish Karelia, and the Gulf of Finland Islands) returned to Finland, and for us to live next to independent, democratic (East) Karelia and Ingria.
Love the channel
This guy and his forum are working on exactly what needs to happen
Thank you!
I agree, he’s got his finger on the pulse of exactly what issues need to be discussed and his guests are really good!
Great channel ! Important and very educated !!!!
Thank you for another great interview. 💙💛
Great interview, you both. ! Slava Ukraine. !!!
I bet Russians call the 1939-1941 "a period of special military opetations". Different than war.
LOL
Their history books are biased and call that western propaganda.
Kremlin imperialists and chauvinists call the 1939-1941 invasions as "saving-nations-from-being-invaded-by-the-nazis gesture", "preparing-frontiers-for-the-inevitable-nazi-invasion gesture" and simply "return-of-the-lands gesture". Only the invasion of Finland is called "war", which according to the kremlin narratives was "provoked by Finland", the other acts of aggression of that time are never called wars or invasions in the kremlin narrative books. It's always and only called a war or an invasion as soon as russia itself gets invaded, but never when russia itself invades. But with how many conquests and invasions russia did throughout history, there's a strong narrative in kremin propaganda that "russia never invaded anyone in history", for as illogical as it sounds. It's like you always have to reverse the narratives when reading kremlin propaganda. Whenever they blame the West in something, it ALWAYS applies to kremlin itself. Whenever they claim that they never invaded anyone in history, then it should be read as that they had ALWAYS been invading nations throughout history. All of the kremlin propaganda is one of a hell projecting manipulation
Especially since the Soviet Union was on the side of the Nazis in these years…
From early 1920's, Communist Russia was mutually supportive of the German, and later Nazi military. Russia supported Hitler in the war. Only when Hitler turned on Russia did Moscow oppose Nazisum.
This is one of the best interviews about the last classical empire that exists in the world today. Please do not forget that much more must be done to create awareness about Russian colonisation in Africa. For example, in South Africa the political narrative is that Russia is an anti-imperialist power and fighting Western colonialisation.
...Right, even as ruzzia is stealing the natural resources of several sub-Saharan nations.
Russia is an imperial, colonial power that fights against Western imperialism in favour of Russian imperialism. Until African countries get their own taste of Russian imperialism they will sadly not understand. Their luck is that they are far away, no direct borders...
LITWIN > «…Браты мае, мужыкі родныя. З-пад шыбеніцы маскоўскай прыходзіць мне да вас пісаці, і, можа, раз астатні. Горка пакінуць зямельку родную і цябе, дарагі мой народзе. Грудзі застогнуць, забаліць сэрца, - но не жаль згінуць за тваю праўду… Няма ш, браткі, большага шчасця на гэтым свеце, як калі чалавек у галаве мае розум і науку… Но як дзень з ноччу не ходзіць разам, так не ідзе разам наука праўдзіва з няволяй маскоўскай. Дапокуль яна ў нас будзе, у нас нічога не будзе, не будзе праўды, багацтва і ніякай наукі, - адно намі, як скацінай, варочаць будуць не для дабра, но на пагібель нашу… Бо я табе з-пад шыбеніцы кажу, Народзе, што тагды толькі зажывеш шчасліва, калі над табою Маскаля ўжэ не будзе.
Твой слуга
Яська-гаспадар з-пад Вільні»
Thank you Jonathan. 🇬🇧🇺🇦
Absolutely BRILLIANT!!!! 🏴☠️🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦…. Slava Ukraini!
👍👍👍🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Excellent and very clear
Thank you, Jonathan.
Interesting discussion.
Yes freedom is not a free lunch. The UN must acknowledge its incompetent.
This is clearly the required forward direction, and it's a relief to hear it discussed. The mindless tribalism of Russia will doom its economy, and the West and NATO should be ready to pounce and reformat the region and bring it into the 21st century.
Keep up your great efforts to help us all be more aware of the world around us. Best wishes. DH Rhode Island, USA
Wow, Taras brought very important topics and fresh perspectives to the discussion! This was such a thought provoking episode. Thank you Jonathan!
Thank you, Jonathan. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
well Chechnya actually defeated the Russians in the 90s in the first war but Russia did not collapse since it was much supported by the west however coup attempts abounded for the Yeltsin gov. for years after that war.
The west obviously screwed up.
He is correct. After the war, sane Russians must be given a chance, just like Germans were given a chance after WW2 (and Nazi war criminals were judged)
Are there even any sane Russians left within the Muscovite empire?
The difference is that it worked with the Germans on the first attempt, whereas the Russians had already been given three chances in a row.
@@igoromelchenko3482 There was enough foreign involvement/ guidelines to make it happen in Germany. russia was left to it's own distorted devices too much. The whole culture is broken and it will take a lot to change it.
@@elysiumfields Exactly. They are living in Plato's Cave. It is not easy to escape from ignorance when chained watching propaganda wall. Just like North Korea Sure, there are some who realize what is happening, but majority matters.
Agreed, to do otherwise is to repeat this horrible war in Ukraine, ensure another Putler comes to power, or BOTH.
Thank you for this interview Jonathan. Very interesting.
Yes corruption in Russia is something that appears to have spurred the Ukrainian people to fight with such passion. A young Ukrainian woman who is working in Ireland and I chatted and she said she is sick of the Russian corruption. It's in every area of life for Russians. I also have an artist friend from Ukraine and she paints a typical Ukrainian version of art . The ladies I meet from Ukraine are charming and fun. We discuss Ukraine and it breaks my heart to see the bombing of such a beautiful country.
My family fought hard from 1939 and it disgust s me that Russians don't recognise what they did in 1939.
It breaks my heart,to see such a wonderful country being bombed?
I bet,that YOU are one of the people,cheering every time,that the West sends more weapons.Can't help STUPIDITY.
🇬🇧❤🇺🇦
💙💛
slava ukraine🔱💙💛✌😊
Australia// Thank you to both you good gentlement.
I accept Mr Taras Byk's point that a nonexpansionist autocracy is indeed preferable to an expansionist autocracy. I would even go further, and say that a nonexpansionist autocracy is preferable to an expansionist *democracy* as well. However, Azerbaijan is a bad example of a nonexpansionist autocracy, considering its conflicts with Armenia.
Problem is, there's no such thing as a nonexpansionist autocracy. Sooner or later, the dictator needs to point the people towards an outside enemy to stop them turning on him. Dictators can never last long without enemies, real or created.
Thank you for another thought provoking, inspiring conversation.
I seriously have zero sympathy for the Russians suffering under the economic mess Putin has created for them. They all loved him and supported him, and now they are reaping the rewards for their support. In fact there are still millions of Russian people who still love him and support his attack on Ukraine, but that's ok, because now they can honor him by living in economic misery for him. I seriously hope the sanctions against Russia are never lifted, regardless if Putin is still in power or not.
Thank you both, very much! ❤❤❤ for 🇺🇦 & 🇬🇧from 🇺🇸‼️
Kiitos!
The prison of nations. What an apt term.
BTW, it was coined by Lenin speaking about czarist ruzzia. So, vampires in ruzzia fight each other and still remain vampires.
I do agree with Taras regarding the win-win scenario. The problem is the Putins in this world and not the people in general. RF-Russian Fed- is not workable as a democratic federation of nations if the autocracy is still in power. The people of Russia and the other nations within the Federation must rise up at the same time and take a stand against all autocracies.
They’re so far gone I’m not sure they can be saved.
My favorite story about the Euromaidan movement was the way in which it spread. Initially, it was a small protest against Yushenko pulling out of an association agreement with the EU. When Yushenko reacted with violence against the (mostly) student protesters, their parents joined the protest. This caused it to greatly expand the size of the crowd. A phrase used to drive the expansion was "you will not hurt our children."
A fitting epitaph for the prison of nations.
Russia will never be forgiven for what it does.
EXCELLENT interview!
Soviet Union Andre Amalrik wrote "Will the USSR survive 1984" in the 1970s was only 7 years off in his prophetic book.
His technique was to look at ideological dynamics of Russian history, shifting from nationalism, Communism, Pan Slavic fervor, xenophobia, Orthodox Christianity, internationalism, pro-Westernism, etc.
So, the gentleman might be onto something.
Kotkin points out that 😊history isn't predictable, but the main trends can't be ignored.
Thank you both!
Great conversation, thank you. Greetings and support from Czechia.
Absolutely! He is correct. A food for thought for you, Jonathan, and for Taras Byk. The appointment of Shoigu as head of the Russian Security Council, a Uighur Russian, indicates a move is in the offing by CSTO to enter into Kazakhstan, then into Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to come down to the Indian Ocean - to be the “sole superpower”. All in the name of Fighting Terrorism and ISIS-K.
I can't imagine that Ruzzia (pop. 143 million) could success in invading Afghanistan where the USSR (then population 287 million) failed. And even assuming arguendo that ruzzia did push its way across Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, cross the mountains and manage a takeover of Afghanistan this time around, how would ruzzia overrun either Iran or Pakistan so as to reach the Indian Ocean?
Presumably they would go against Pakistan in view of Iran being a ruzzian ally. However, Pakistan cannot be thought of as some pushover. The population of Pakistan, at 246 million and growing rapidly, is closing in on double that of ruzzia. The Pakistanis are no slouches at things military, as then have been on edge in respect of a possible war with India over Kashmir and other issues for 75 years.
🇺🇦🦁💪🇺🇦🦁💪
Very insightful interview! Learning more with every video, keep them coming!
Another great discussion, Jonathon. Always raising new aspects to consider; and different angles and perspectives.
Top New 👍🇦🇺
That’s like UK. There is the Cornish identity, Celtic Scottish Welsh Irish. We can be any of these or more than one and still be British. I think most western countries have that
Of course it is!
If course it is falling apart. I can feel the tremble even from here
It will happen this decade. More sooner then later I expect. Sanctions will rise more each year. And the war will be lost for russia before 2025.
Excellent!
Excellent interview
The more I see how this war is developing... However much I feel like it is difficult to blame all Russians for the atrocities of Stalin, I am increasingly feeling like the general population of Russia holds some responsibility for Putin. .. the propaganda might be as it is, but there is no real reason the past 20 years can be seen as inevitable, even to the average Russian..
Not inevitable, but hard to perceive. It´s often compared to the slow boiling of the frog. Some nations are better at perceving the slow boiling, but some have only become good at it now, when they see the result of those 20 years in Russia. You shouldn´t forget that Russians don´t have almost ANY experience with democracy. It´s slightly easier to maintain democracy in my country Czechia because even in the feudal Middle Ages, we had some elected kings, a sort of parliament and very active artisan unions. We´re used to public complaining and brainstorming. Russians don´t have that experience and those tools.
Daniil Orbain's 1420 interviews reveal a depressing level of brainwashing among a very large part of the ruzzian population; maybe even an majority. The babushkas say "America has always been against us," lacking any knowledge of the US aid that saved ruzzia from mass starvation in the 1920s or of the Lend Lease aid that allowed the USSR to come back from Operation Barbarossa.
my old dad was in WW2 and know about the war through his experiences
I have been in other conflicts since then.... in ireland , middle east, west africa ...and have listened to some people who speak as though they were there . my conclusion is that re-writing history always says more about the person and the regime than any historical fact .... fear of the TRUTH ..is like fear of the LIGHT.....cockroaches
Great discussion.
Great
Too many educators and students of History have usually relied on the Russian twisted view of History and Russian propaganda. The truth still desperately needs to get out there.
Thanks for another interesting one. A few thoughts:
The main dividing lines in Russia may not be, as previously thought, between different ethnic groups but between Moscow and the remainder of the country.
Radical decentralization would be very welcome. It might not mean that Russia would collapse, especially along some ethnic lines, seeing as few republics and krais have indigenous nations as the majority.
It would simply mean that Russia would become what it claims to be:
A federation.
Did the Revolution of Dignity have a leader? Is a leader needed? Some say the Georgians will never overcome their government - because they have no leader. But a leader would be immediately arrested. Or can a civil society overthrow a government by group action concerted through Whatsapp?
Decentralised, almost leaderless- or rather thousands of people acting like leaders - is what’s needed.
The revolution of 2014 was supported by the Ukrainian parliamentary opposition and would never succeed otherwise. There was no particular political leader, but the political opposition is a prerequisite to any successful revolution.
будем надеяться, что империя зла рухнет
Будемо 👍
33:30 "They are united around past and they can't unite around future"
This is absolutely true about Russian society. And this is at the absolute core of all their problems and the problems they are causing to the rest of the world.
A question 🙋🏻♂️:
Do you think that this is the most we have ever truly publicly explored & understood Russian world given how social media and technology has connected us globally?
Amen brother! Don’t make those same,absolutely stupid mistakes again.
❤ Slava Ukraini!
Ukraine is a fantastic country, I feel so badly for them.
It would surprise me if there was peace between Armenia and Aserbaidschan soon.
Thanks for your interesting discussions and interviews
Amen
Great subject thanks 😊
Love your bat cave analogy, Jonathan!
Until and unless Nato member states fully commit to supporting Ukraine in timely deliveries of massive amounts of lethal aid, as well as lifting all restrictions of using such aid on sovereign Russian territory, then Russia will continue to hold the strategic initiative.
And the UKRAINIAN diaspora must push for lethal aid, not humanitarian aid, just because they are religious. The most fanatical patriotic Ukrainians outside Ukraine are of the Greek Catholic (Western region Ukraine) and they are just sending care packages. It is ridiculous. They are a potentially large political force.
God willing
Perfidious Albion.
In describing Russian imperialism as very different from British imperialism Silicon Curtain would be wise to remember the Irish situation which has history all too similar to the Ukraine situation
Asking this channel to be wise is asking way too much unfortunately
The "Irish situation" was resolved over 100 years ago. Ruzzian imperialism, in contrast, is in full bloom again.
YO🔱⭐....
Those who live with these people in their parallel reality here’s a theoretical question. Suppose the Russians withdrew under the understanding and agreement that there would be referenda in Crimea, Donbas, Odessa etc organised and run by a neutral commission asking people just the one question: “Should_________ be part of Russia?” yes or no. Would you be in favour of these referenda? Would you willingly accept the outcome of the vote and move forward into that future?
That question was already decided in the 1991 referendum. There is no need to reward Putler's aggression by revisiting the matter now.
Russia sent its piece 🧩 keepers in. It would be wonderful to see a breakup, but reform and a federation respectful of all of its members would be a healthy start, provided Russia can reform itself. Short of that, independent free democratic neighbors would be nice and might spur the Russian people into action. 🗽🥁🇪🇺