Putin Publicly Lambasts PM for Correcting Him During Briefing

President Putin publicly reprimanded Denis Manturov yesterday over the Deputy Prime Minister’s failure to secure more military aircraft. The enraged Russian President even went so far as to call him a ‘fool.’

Footage from the released video shows Putin questioning the Trade and Industry Minister on the lack of “investment projects” in place for the aircraft’s construction. Three times, Manturov insisted that they were in fact underway at which point the Russian leader finally snapped.

Putin publicly reprimands Manturov

If the relationship between Russia’s President and Deputy Prime Minister seemed strained at the meeting, then there the reason appears to be the war. In particular, it is the result of the country’s failing economy due to its high military expenditures as well as the latest series of setbacks Putin’s military efforts have recently suffered.

The consequences of the fallout were clear when President Putin began to castigate Manturov for what he perceived as the latter’s foot-dragging in the fulfillment of his duties.

The dressing down began when Putin expressed his displeasure at Mandurov’s failure to secure orders for new aircraft.

“There are no contracts,” he can be heard saying. “What are you going to tell me? I know there are no contracts at the companies, the directors told me.”

The Trade and Industry Minister quickly quipped that the “investment projects” were actively being handled.

Putin nonetheless insisted Mandurov was wrong. When the Deputy PM tried to advise him of his ongoing efforts once again, Russia’s President could no longer hold back: “Let’s finish this, what’s the point of sparring here with you?…Really, why are you playing the fool?”

He followed up his criticism by demanding Mandurov fulfill his duties by the end of the month and not a moment after.

War cabinet shake up

Denis Mandurov was not the one targeted. The Russian leader also demoted Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon.” General Valery Gerasimov, sanctioned in 2014 for failing to respect the sovereignty of the Ukraine, will now assume his responsibilities.

Surovikin had also come under fire for the brutal tactics he employed to quell opposition during Russia’s invasion of Syria.

Putin does not often lose control and certainly not publicly. Hence, the moment caught on camera during the video call was rare. Russia’s official state media soon spun the incident, however, by cutting out Mandurov’s replies. The reason, apparently, was to make the country’s President appear cool and collected. An iron-fisted leader in other words, rather than one desperate to recoup the losses suffered during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A show of power

After the altercation, the former KGB officer, who rose to the ranks to become Russia’s highest leader, also attempted to solidify that image by stating that any “problems” they faced would soon be sorted out and that Russia had not been defeated in the war.

“None of what our enemy predicted for us happened…this is, of course, thanks primarily to the citizens of Russia, their composure, all of our composure, readiness to face challenges and to work in difficult conditions,” he said.

Putin is well known for such displays. Yet a little over a year ago, he was the target of public mockery himself for attempting to flex his muscles during a tête-à-tête with France’s President Emmanuel Macron at a biblically long dinner table. Furthermore, nothing to this date has occurred to force Ukraine to concede nor successfully seize the salt-mining town Soledar, despite the bravado of his words.