Give us Donetsk! Or a May 9th parade in Donetsk

 Alik Bakhshi

Give us Donetsk! Or a May 9th parade in Donetsk

                                                                                   

  

As reality shows, Russian President Putin is a deeply cynical pragmatist, meticulously and long-term in his plans, secretly from the public, as is typical of a professional KGB officer—an organization in whose ranks Putin faithfully served during the Soviet era. I'm sure Putin has long had the seizure of Crimea and southeastern Ukraine in mind, as well as his claims to the remaining territories the Russian Empire lost with the collapse of the USSR. Putin doesn't hide his regret, equating the disappearance of the Soviet Union with the greatest geopolitical catastrophe. Putin sees his task as president, and in this he is united with the Russian people, as the return to the bosom of the empire of former fraternal peoples who fled the "prison of nations," which, according to the founder of Marxism, is Russia (1). Remember that Putin's first political undertaking was the bloody massacre of the small Chechen people who had sought freedom.(2) In this regard, the Ukrainian Maidan was merely a pretext for the annexation of Crimea and the seizure of southeastern Ukraine, with its densely populated Russian population, which Putin effortlessly turned into a fifth column, having already dispatched Chekist provocateurs and outright fascists to Ukraine, who, with Putin's help, were legitimized in Russia. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that there are Russian army soldiers disguised in civilian uniforms in Donetsk or Luhansk, or even paid bandits and hooligans released from prison.

Bold lies and disinformation, hypocrisy and cynical treachery—these are what guide the Russian president from literally his first steps in the Kremlin. I dare say these same character traits are inseparable from Putin's personality in his everyday life. Putin, without hesitation, is marching toward his intended target over the corpses of residents of buildings deliberately blown up as a pretext for starting the Second Chechen War. Putin is not in the least embarrassed by his blatant, involuntarily humorous lie about the non-participation of the Russian regular army in the annexation of Crimea. The Russian president continues to lie, claiming the alleged absence of Russian special services on Ukrainian territory, sent by him to destabilize the political situation ahead of the presidential elections and seize Ukraine's southeastern region.

It must be said that Putin, in accordance with a carefully crafted plan, launched an active undercover operation against Ukraine, attempting to install a corrupt figure as president. For Moscow, this was a bold and the only correct decision, because

- firstly, a corrupt government will never agree to an association with the EU, as it would be tantamount to signing its own death warrant;

- secondly, a corrupt government is easy for Moscow to keep on a short leash.

Forgive my immodesty, but back in early 2006, I foresaw the danger Yanukovych posed to the Ukrainian people (3,4), and, unfortunately, my fears were not unfounded. Although it took a second attempt, Putin succeeded in bringing Yanukovych to presidential power. The blame here lies primarily with the Ukrainian people. After all, why wouldn't the Maidan have happened a year before the Sochi Olympics? It's unlikely Putin would have dared to resort to aggression at that time. Naivety and indiscriminateness, and perhaps even indifference in electing people to power, ultimately resulted in a catastrophic situation for Ukraine, like a rabbit in the tightening coils of a python. The Kremlin's reliance on Yanukovych fully justified its efforts. During his presidency, Yanukovych handed out command posts in the army and police to traitors to the Ukrainian people, just like himself. This circumstance explains the inaction of law enforcement agencies and the army in response to Russia's blatant aggression.

I believe the Russian army will not stop at Crimea and will invade southeastern Ukraine, because Putin is not the type to easily abandon his goals. Putin absolutely cannot see Ukraine joining the EU, as it runs counter to his "Back to Empire" policy. Moreover, he has gone so far in implementing his plan to seize Ukrainian territory that he cannot afford to stop halfway, otherwise the Russian people, with their great-power worldview, will consider Putin a traitor and a windbag. The likelihood that the Russian army will march in Donetsk on May 9 is quite high. Yes, popular celebration and jubilation are expected in Russia, but what will happen afterward?

It is safe to assume that the Russian people will acquire a bitter enemy right on their border. Moreover, the global community is finally recognizing Russia for what it is: an Evil Empire that was and remains one. Economic isolation is inevitable for Russia, after which the empire will disintegrate, and this time for good.

1. Great Russian Chauvinism and Putin Its Führer. http://samlib.ru/b/bahshi_a/alikbahshi-38.shtml

2. Chechnya and the Road to Power, and or the Revival of the Empire According to Putin.

     http://www.proza.ru/2008/03/22/527

3. Whose Crimea? http://www.proza.ru/2008/03/23/498

4. The Terrible Price for Protection from Rose Revolutions. http://www.proza.ru/2008/03/22/593

22.04.14.