Retired US general anticipates anti-Putin Russian official will 'disappear shortly'

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey told MSNBC on Monday evening that the latest statements from a top Russian general will likely end his life. Former Russian Ambassador Michael McFaul tweeted Monday about the Russian general's opposition to President Vladimir Putin, calling it "a big deal."

"General Leonid Ivasho was a respectful and hawkish leader in the Russian Ministry of Defense," explained Chris Jansing. He "played a major role in the Pristina standoff with NATO in 1999. Do you agree, speaking as a general yourself, is that a big deal?"

"Oh yeah, I think so," said McCaffrey. "This is not the west. These are not retired flag officers supporting presidential candidates. This guy was a mainstream hard-line Soviet-style commander. And for him to come out and publicly criticize Putin over this pending military operation is simply astonishing. I would be surprised if he does not disappear shortly. But he must have done it, sensing support among the armed forces."

McCaffrey went on to say that Putin has used brutal military forces to intimidate foreign countries.

"He is a threat clearly, to Poland, the Baltic nations," he continued. "So, the west has to wake up to this massive threat. Ukraine will not be the end of it. But to Putin, the Ukraine is mother Russia. He sees it slipping away, developing western values. On the European Union for the economy. So he is tempted to act. I think now he thinks he's in a box and cannot figure out how to get out of it."

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Russian general will probably disappear soon: retired US generalwww.youtube.com