"Some say that because of Russia's history (warlike history), armed conflict is in their blood. If it is not Putin calling the shots, then it will be the next guy up. In Russia, there will always be a next guy up. After WWII, Russia is paranoid about being conquered and massacred once again. Now that paranoia is in Russia's DNA. It runs through Putin's blood. Will Putin ever truly want peace? Stay tuned..."
"Never trust a Russian!" That was a shirt I had printed up back in 1983. Why? After doing what I did in the Navy, I knew how Russians thought. How those thoughts often times turned into actions. What happened in 1983 that prompted me to have that shirt made? KAL flight 007. For no reason whatsoever, this flight from New York to Seoul was shot down by a Russian fighter jet. All 267 souls on board were lost. Why did Russia shoot down a Boeing 747 passenger jet? It had accidentally strayed over Soviet airspace and the Russians did not recognize it was a passenger jet. Really? That was typical Soviet BS.
The current KGB trained leader of the Russian Republic is a chip off the old Soviet bloc. This time, instead of shooting down an innocent airliner full of passengers, he surrounded a neighboring country with armor. Then at the right time, he attacked. Without mercy, he attacked. For the next three years, the Russian meat grinder ground up portions of Ukraine. Tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were killed. Schools were bombed. Hospitals were bombed. It was straight out of the Soviet, now Russian, playbook.
Now we stand at the threshold of peace. Ukraine has agreed to some terms which involve having trust that Russia will abide with those terms. That will be a stretch. Putin has some cards on the table right now which show he is large and in charge. He has a bunch of Ukraine soldiers surrounded in that small area of Russia Ukraine was able to take over. Now, the Ukrainians are going to be slaughtered if that is the directed that Putin wants to go down. Putin said if the Ukranian fighters put down their arms and surrender, they will be spared. Really Putin? Just like the passengers on KAL 007 were spared.
Don't get me wrong, I want peace in Ukraine. This is an opportunity for everyone. It is an opportunity for the US and Ukraine to develop some Rare Earth minerals deposits. It is an opportunity for Russia to repopulate after losing over 100,000 troops. It is a chance for Ukraine to once again become the "breadbasket" of Europe. Or - it is the chance for Putin to once again show what a two-faced dictator and butcher he is. This is make or break time for Europe. A wider war or a cease fire.
Now is the time not to poke the bear. Yesterday, it was reported that President Duda of Poland would like the US to deploy nukes in his country. I really don't think that is a good idea right now. Putin is way, way too unstable to have this kind of provocation this close to his motherland. If we do get to a peace, it will be as fragile as fragile can be.
Some say that because of Russia's history (warlike history), armed conflict is in their blood. If it is not Putin calling the shots, then it will be the next guy up. In Russia, there will always be a next guy up. After WWII, Russia is paranoid about being conquered and massacred once again. Now that paranoia is in Russia's DNA. It runs through Putin's blood. Will Putin ever truly want peace? Stay tuned...
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