Clinton warns Putin repeating mistakes of Moscow’s past ‘Didn’t end well for Russia’

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The former US presidential candidate said Vladimir Putin is on track to face the same obstacles his predecessors faced in both Afghanistan and Syria. Hillary Clinton said efforts to keep Ukraine’s defence forces and volunteers well supplied with weapons could “stymy” Russia’s ongoing attempts to take over the Eastern European nation. Speaking to MSNBC, Ms Clinton said: “Remember the Russians invaded Afghanistan in 1980 and although no country went in, they certainly had a lot of countries supplying arms and advice and even some advisors to those who were recruited to fight Russia.

“It didn’t end well for the Russians.

“There were other unintended consequences as we know but the fact is that a very motivated and then funded and armed insurgency basically drove the Russians out of Afghanistan.”

Moscow engaged in a nine-year guerrilla war against the US-funded Mujahideen, which included global terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

Russia has been warned its continued attempts to take over large swathes of Ukraine could leave Vladimir Putin facing similar conditions to the 1980s’ conflict due to fierce resistance from Ukrainian civilians as well as the Ukrainian military.

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Ms Clinton continued: “Obviously, the similarities are not ones that you should bank on because the terrain, the development of urban areas etcetera is so different.

“But I think that’s the model people are now looking toward.

“And if there can be sufficient armaments that get in, and they should be able to get in along some of the borders between other nations and Ukraine, and keep the Ukrainian both their military and citizens volunteer soldiers supplied, that can stymy Russia. Russia has overwhelming military force but, of course, they did in Afghanistan as well.

“They also brought a lot of airpower to Syria – it took years to finally defeat Syria in terms of the insurgency, the Democratic forces as well.

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“If you’re fighting for your homeland, you’re fighting for your family, you’re fighting for your ideals, that is far more powerful than sending in these poor, young Russian soldiers who didn’t even know where they were going until they crossed the border and people were screaming at them and they realised they were in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian defence officials have claimed Russia already lost over 10,000 soldiers in less than two weeks since the start of the conflict.

Russia so far confirmed only 500 losses.

The Chief Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s defence ministry claimed the first deputy commander of Russia’s 41st army, Major General Vitaly Gerasimov, was killed on Monday.

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Another Russian general, Andrei Sukhovetsky, also a deputy commander of the 41st army, was reported killed at the end of February.

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Tuesday said Putin is a spent force in the world whatever happens in Ukraine.

He told Times Radio: “The buck will eventually stop somewhere in the Kremlin …whether that happens next week or next year or next decade is obviously debatable.

“Whatever … happens, President Putin is a spent force in the world and he is done, his army is done…and he needs to recognise that.”

Mr Wallace added: “No one will be taking his phone calls in the long term. He has exhausted his army, he’s responsible for thousands of Russian soldiers being killed, responsible for innocent people being killed …

“He is reducing his economy to zero … he has to take responsibility for that.”

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