Piontkovsky: Putin's visits to his allies only worsen his situation

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"The relationship between Putin and Lukashenko has always been complicated, quite tense. And Lukashenko always went to Beijing in difficult moments to show Putin that he had another sponsor. This annoyed Moscow terribly. And Beijing is also irritated by Putin's visits with North Korea. So all of these desperate steps by Putin only make his situation worse. But the worst thing is his emerging Z-patriotic community, the sentiment that "the tsar is not real." Z-patriots wonder why Putin does not punish France with the same nuclear strikes. It's because Macron reminded him quite firmly that France is also a nuclear power. This is what I've been saying for three years on all channels - Putin was never ready to use nuclear weapons, he knew perfectly well that this was just blackmail to intimidate the West," Piontkovsky explained.

According to the political scientist, Putin is trying to convince the Russian population that he is capable of winning a conventional war. He noted that the West no longer takes Putin's nuclear threats seriously.

"Now Putin is making other threats. After the strike on Sevastopol, they blamed the Americans and started threatening them quite specifically. The crazy Masha Zakharova (Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson  - ed.) said that the Americans would be very seriously retaliated against for their strikes on Sevastopol. Well, okay, the patriots were already outraged, where are the nuclear strikes, and now in a week the same Z-patriots will ask Putin: where is the retaliation against the U.S. He has found himself in a kind of funnel of not empty threats - he used to threaten with nuclear weapons, now he explains to his patriots that, yes, we are ready to use nuclear weapons, but not now, there is no need today, there is a conventional war going on, and we are winning it. Yes, okay, now they will wait and threaten to strike American satellites, American drones, Romanian and Polish airfields, where NATO planes are already arriving and will use them as base airfields for strikes on Crimea. But where are Putin's strikes?" he added.

• On June 19, Vladimir Putin visited the DPRK at the invitation of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that provides for mutual assistance in the event of an attack on one of the signatories. At the same time, the DPRK leader expressed "unconditional support" for Russia in the war with Ukraine.
• Later, the North Korean state agency published the clauses of the agreement between Russia and the DPRK on a comprehensive strategic partnership. In particular, it refers to cooperation in warfare, science, and the economy.
• On June 20, Vladimir Putin said that South Korea would face decisions that Seoul would not like if it supplied Ukraine with lethal weapons.
• In addition, Defense Express military expert Ivan Kyrychevskyi believes that North Korea may resort to sending its expeditionary corps to participate in the war on the side of Russia.