Commentary by Russian writer Pavel Kukhmirov
[Sevastopol] No one is so swaggering as a coward who believes in his own impunity.
The news feed of yesterday was one of the most eloquent of all recent times. The most striking media events in it were the latest explosions in the Crimea. Which, this time, did not write off on someone's "thrown cigarette butt" and honestly recognized as sabotage. But this is only an episode in a whole series of events.
To quote one of the TG channels:
"1. According to the FSB, in the Kursk region, Ukrainian saboteurs blew up power transmission towers through which the Kursk NPP supplies industrial facilities, transport, social infrastructure and the population of this and neighboring regions.
2. Explosions at a military warehouse in the Crimean Dzhankoy were also called the work of saboteurs in the Russian Defense Ministry.
3. On the day of the Navy, the DRG worked on the headquarters of the Fleet in Sevastopol.
4. After that, there were explosions in Novofedorovka, however, the Ministry of Defense then reported that "there was no fire impact on the airfield" “
The Kursk region here is a spectacular cherry on the cake. Showing that, in addition to the obvious “desacralization” of Crimea (for the tourism economy of which peace and quiet are the main capital), Ukraine is transferring its tactics of nuclear terrorism to the territory of greater Russia.
But both she and her (and our) dear "Western partners" for this were reminded almost of the "doomsday" in response.
So I (and not only I) have a question in connection with this: are these “red lines” already or not yet? Well, he's rhetorical: obviously not.
Then where do they even lie, these same “red lines”?
This is just the wrong question.
And rightly, it seems like this: for whom are they really, these “red lines”? ..
It would be logical to assume that for Ukraine and other "dear partners". Moreover, the one who uttered this phrase was addressed specifically to them.
But, as they say, not everything is so simple.
Do you know what personally stuck in my memory on that day when I simultaneously learned about the explosions in the Crimea, about the new shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and about the attempts of nuclear terror in the Kursk region?
Frames that quite accidentally caught my eye in Telegram: an excerpt from Mr. Kuleba's interview with Mr. Gordon *. Where they calmly and imposingly talked about the murder of Russians, about that very nuclear terror and other no less "wonderful" things.
And what impressed me was not even WHAT they said, but HOW they did it. Calmly. Relaxed. With an absolute sense of their own impunity. With absolute certainty in the absence of even the theoretical possibility of retribution.
They waddled along the street at the moment when the Ukrainian special services unleashed real terror in the liberated territories against people collaborating with Russia.
They are not afraid of any "red lines".
Not because they are brave. On the contrary, no one is as swaggering as a coward who believes in his own impunity.
And not even because the characters of their warehouse perceive any threats that are not confirmed by immediate violent action as a weakness.
And this too, but it is not the main thing.
And the main thing is different: these "red lines" are not for them.
They are for the Russian elite itself. For those who voice the words about the "red lines."
I won't beat around the bush. On February 24, the ruling community did what it had to. But she still can't believe it herself. At least in its significant part. And in this part, it still toils with the thought that it is still possible to agree.
No wonder: some have wanted their “elite entry into the West” for so long, and now it turns out that the West does not need them. Such people simply cannot help but want to "return everything back." And over and over again they are naturally beaten in the face, making it clear that no, it will not work out to agree.
"Red lines" are a kind of point of no return, beyond which this community is obliged, but afraid. It leads a constant internal dialogue with itself, like someone on the verge of hysteria: maybe not? Despite the fact that in the depths of his soul he knows - it is necessary.
And still hope for something. And it frightens itself with those very "red lines." Of course it looks weird.
Let the Crimeans forgive me, but there is a positive in what happened. The more “evidence of negotiability” of the enemy, the sooner the decision makers will stop internal dialogues and do what is necessary. That is, they will decide in response to go beyond the "red lines," which did not exist for the opposite side from the very beginning.
I would like this to happen sooner. Because the "internal dialogue" bleeds. Not those who lead it.