In a new interview with investigative journalist James Corbett, Russia-based journalist Riley Waggaman describes how Russian president Vladimir Putin is pushing for the same kind of globalist agenda now taking form in the West; including mandatory COVID “vaccinations” for citizens and the military, digital health passes, a central bank digital currency, and even a stronger, more encompassing NATO thanks to the reaction to his war in Ukraine.
In a new interview with award-winning investigative journalist James Corbett, Russia-based journalist Riley Waggaman describes how Vladimir Putin is—in effect—pushing the exact same kind of agenda being pushed by leaders of nations across Europe and North America. During the interview Waggaman touches on how Putin has pushed for forced COVID “vaccinations” for his citizens, as well as his military, a central bank digital currency (CBDC), and even digital health passes. Waggaman also discusses how Putin has bungled his handling of Ukraine, with the Russian president failing to achieve, to date, even a single one of his stated policy goals for his campaign.
“Putin’s positions on mandatory vaccination have been incredibly two-faced, where he will publicly state that he’s personally opposed to compulsory vaccination and then, at the same time, [be] totally fine with every region in the country introducing compulsory vaccination,” Waggaman tells Corbett in the interview. “In fact,” Waggaman adds, “[Dmitry Peskov, who is Putin’s press secretary], infamously said at one point that Russians just like people all around the world will have to get used to the fact that if you’re not vaccinated you’re going to be discriminated against.”
Indeed, Reuters reported on June 22, 2021 that Peskov told reporters “The reality is such that discrimination will inevitably set in. People without vaccination or immunity will not be able to work everywhere. It is not possible. It will pose a threat to those around them.”
“This [mandatory vaccination program] cannot be happening without the federal government’s explicit approval,” Waggaman adds. “That’s not how it works. In fact we have documentation [and] confirmation from the federal government talking about how all vaccination and COVID policies in Russia are coordinated very closely at the federal level.”
Waggaman highlights the fact that Putin’s government is not just making COVID “vaccination” mandatory only for the regular military either. An RBK News article from June 22, 2021 reported that “The [Russian] Ministry of Defense intends to vaccinate against COVID-19 all conscripts who entered the army as a result of the spring draft.” RBK News—the only 24-hour business news television channel in Russia—also noted in its article the vaccination campaign was to be completed as of July 15, 2021.
Critically, Waggaman helps to shed light on two excuses Corbett says Putin defenders usually offer to shut down criticism: One: That it’s not actually Putin himself calling for the vaccination campaign across the country, and Two: Sputnik-V, Russia’s own coronavirus “vaccine,” is especially safe, and therefore it doesn’t even matter if it’s mandated.
“Putin publicly supported a nationwide digital health pass when that was being debated at the federal level in Russia,” Waggaman tells Corbett. “Putin came out and said, ‘Look, I understand that people think I might not support this, but actually I do… And I think we need this digital cattle tag that separates the unvaccinated from the vaccinated.”
Indeed, the Russian government did introduce a “vaccine passport” in November of 2021 ostensibly due to a “record virus surge.” The Moscow Times reported at the time that new legislation was being introduced “aimed at boosting Russia’s sluggish immunization rates amid strong anti-vaccination sentiment.” Although, as Waggaman notes, that legislation had to be shelved due to its unpopularity.
As for the second point, Waggaman says “The Russian government has repeatedly refused to provide even the most basic details about this drug. And if you go back and you [ask] ‘Well, why might that be? …[it’s] because Sputnik-V… is an AstraZeneca knockoff and it was developed in partnership with AstraZeneca.”
Not only is Sputnik-V an AstraZeneca knockoff according to Waggaman, but he notes Russia is now developing two separate mRNA coronavirus vaccines. The Russia-based journalist points out that if Sputnik-V is safe and effective, it would be needless to develop the alternative “vaccines.” Furthermore, he says that data from Argentina, where Sputnik-V was also deployed against COVID-19, showed it and the AstraZeneca “vaccine” have the same “health-destroying properties.” (Those properties, including blood clotting, are demonstrated robustly in the medical literature.)
Although Waggaman doesn’t mention it in the interview with Corbett, perhaps it should also be noted that Putin himself didn’t receive the Sputnik-V “vaccine” until March of 2021. In fact, in November of 2020, Peskov said that Putin couldn’t yet be vaccinated with Sputnik-V because it was not yet licensed.
Regarding Ukraine, Waggaman says “All you have to do is look at what… the stated goals by Vladimir Putin [were] on the morning of February 24 when he announced that tanks were going into Ukraine.” Waggaman notes Putin “said that the Russian military was going to demilitarize Ukraine, de-Nazify it, and he also talked about a prevention of a permanent anti-Russia forming at Russia’s doorstep [and the protection of Donbass, which Waggaman notes as an addendum]… .” Consequently, “all you have to do is go down this list… [and see] Ukraine has never been more militarized than it is now. And not only that, if this war was supposed to prevent NATO expansion or shenanigans, Sweden and Finland [are now] basically in the process of joining NATO.” Waggaman adds “Ukraine has [also] never been more NATO-ized than at any point in its history.”
Waggaman highlights one particular instance that showcases how Putin’s handling of the war in Ukraine has led to outcomes totally contrary to his stated goals for his campaign in the region. The journalist notes that “one of the big feathers” in Putin’s cap so far occurred when the Russian military took Mariupol and captured approximately 300 Azov Battalion members; including the head of the battalion. Instead of trying the members for war crimes or crimes against humanity, however, Waggaman notes Putin traded them for one of his friends (prominent oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk) and 50 Russian soldiers.
“If you’re serious about de-Nazification, you just gave up the best opportunity you ever had for that,” Waggaman says of Putin’s exchange.
“[Putin has] created generational hatred, misery, and despair in Ukraine. And, quite frankly, I’m not sure if any of us would be alive to see the end of that,” Waggaman adds. He asks rhetorically: “How [has] this military conflict made a more neutral or friendly Ukraine?”
Putin’s war in Ukraine has had the exact opposite effect, of course. So much so that SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk now claims that “Nuclear war probability is rising rapidly” and the probability of World War III as well. (Interestingly, David Icke—an author and popular “conspiracy theorist”—has also said WWIII is in the works. Although Icke made his claims back in 2019—at the latest—and claims it’s been in the ownership class’s documents “for ages.”)
Toward the close of the interview, Waggaman discusses the fact that Putin is pushing the rollout of a central bank digital currency for Russia, which many people claim will be used as a social control mechanism for free citizens in the West. Waggaman notes “the real-life operational test of [the CBDC] will begin on April 1 of 2023. So we [get] a nice April Fool’s joke for Russians.”
Feature image: Just Click’s With A Camera
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