Vladimir Putin may have fired some advisers: US President Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin might have fired many of his advisors or put them under house arrest as Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

Commenting on US intelligence reports that Putin was not being given correct information about the ground reality of the war situation, Biden said, “He seems to be self-isolated and there’s some indication that he has fired or put under house arrest some of his advisers.”

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Amid many speculations over Putin’s wealth, mental state, a comment coming from the US President carries significance knowing that Biden said he did not want to “put too much stock in that” as there is not much evidence. 

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Meanwhile, US state department spokesperson Ned Price said there are reports on Russian officials being sidelined and the present status of the conflict is enough to prove that Biden misjudged and was misled.

“We have seen reports that various Russian officials have been sidelined, are estranged, have been essentially put on ice or, as the president alluded to, have even been placed under house arrest,” Ned Price said.

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“We have reason to believe that President Putin does feel misled. President Putin, if you look at the track record over the course of the past five or so weeks, clearly made several miscalculations,” Price said.

“Why else would he have undertaken an invasion that was quite clear and would precipitate a whole series of consequences that we laid out in advance? He clearly miscalculated if he thought his forces would be able to achieve a quick tactical victory,” Price added.

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It is reported that Kremlin officials are too afraid to tell him the truth about how Russia is bungling on the ground and how the country is in a major economic crisis owing to the sanctions imposed.