Soviet political logic does not have to make sense to a present-day listener to explain policy. The point is to report how Soviet actors framed their choices while keeping their reasoning distinct from the analysis. The same caution applies to historical officers: quoting their recorded claims does not amount to adopting them. This offers a useful source-reading rule. Evidence about what people believed does not establish that those beliefs were sound.
Notable Point · 2:58-3:24
Explaining Soviet logic without endorsing it
Reporting a regime's reasoning does not endorse it, a useful caution for interpreting Soviet naval policy and historical testimony.