“God has put you in power”, Russian patriarch begins for Putin’s 70th birthday

Vladimir Putin Celebrating his 70th birthday Friday under a shower of praise from Russian officials, the Orthodox patriarch went so far as to see Russia as a gift from God despite its isolation and its setbacks in Ukraine.

Coincidence of the calendar or not, the Nobel Peace Prize on the same day the committee awarded a Russian NGO to jailed Belarusian activist Ales Belyatsky, has the semblance of being staunchly critical of Putin’s organization, its Belarusian ally, and attacks in Ukraine. Human Rights Memorial and Ukrainian Center for Civil Rights.

“Purpose of Specific Importance”

In Russia, the Russian elite has multiplied laudatory and bipartisan statements about Vladimir Putin, never mentioning recent military defeats on the Ukrainian front or Moscow’s growing isolation as the target of a barrage of economic sanctions.

Read more“Shards of the World” N°1: List of Putin’s Mistakes

“God has placed you in power so that you can exercise particular importance and great responsibility for the destiny of the country and its people.“, Patriarch Kirill enthused, calling for prayers for the Russian president’s health. Kirill wished the Russian president, who has been in power for more than 22 years, a long term and may it last until 2036.Physical and moral strength over the years“.

Birthday at work

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a key ally of Vladimir Putin, saw fit to present him with a tractor for his birthday, of which Minsk is a renowned producer, according to his unofficial Telegram channel Pool Pervoko. Vladimir Putin has alternated in the Taiga with his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for years, without public celebrations, often visiting St. Petersburg on his birthday.

He was there on Friday to gather the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which unites several countries of the former Soviet Union.Informal Summit“. Vladimir Putin appeared in front of a carpet of watermelons and all kinds of fruits surrounded by other leaders in a photo broadcast by Pool Pervoco. Before this meeting, several leaders of the CIS countries have already sent him congratulatory messages, Tajik leader Emomali Rakhman welcomed.A strong and intelligent leader“.

Read moreRenaud Girard: “Cracks in Putin’s Power”

Russian officials also rushed to congratulate the Kremlin master. Authoritarian Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov hailed “One of the most influential and exceptional personalities of our time“. Ramzan Kadyrov, close to Vladimir Putin, accused of numerous abuses in Chechnya, was promoted to the rank of colonel general by Vladimir Putin on Wednesday on his own birthday.

Assassination of Politkovskaya

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house of parliament, posted a drawn portrait of the Russian president on Telegram: “If there is Putin, there is Russia“. Leaders of Ukrainian regions annexed by Moscow were also there with their compliments, separatist leader Denis Bushilin in his “Thank you very muchFor the attack against Ukraine.

While Russian officials have not criticized Vladimir Putin in principle, signs of discontent within the Russian elite over the failures in Ukraine have recently emerged, according to them, without questioning the merits of the attack. Ramzan Kadyrov criticized the military command after losing the Lyman logistics hub in the east and senior parliamentarian Andriy Kartabolov publicly called the military “Stop lyingin his lap.

Read moreJonathan Littell: “Standing Up to Putin’s Lying Poker”

Many officials and campaigners have criticized the chaotic implementation of the mobilization ordered by Vladimir Putin without attacking the head of state. The mobilization forced tens of thousands of Russians into exile. Vladimir Putin’s birthday on Friday marks the 2006 murder of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politskovskaya, whose masterminds have so far not been brought to justice. Anna Politkovskaya would have been 64 years old, just like Vladimir Putin.

See more – Death in Ukraine, says the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.Wash away all sins»