Mysterious War In The East…

Today, Donald Trump is taking center stage on the global arena. He does so confidently, cheerfully, easily, and even, in some ways, effectively. This pleases far from everyone. But it also doesn’t upset everyone. It all depends on one’s stance regarding the Ukrainian conflict. Some insist on continuing the confrontation, others on resolving it. Yet both sides, while longing for a comprehensive and just peace, suspect Trump — without any prior agreement — of trying to deprive them of victory. Thus, both sides shiver slightly as they listen to Trump, who is passionately advocating for peace. Because everyone has their own idea of peace. And no one wants to give up peace — especially not peacefully.

WHAT IS A JUST PEACE?

Each side has its own vision. The peace that Russia intends to establish is completely unacceptable to the Western coalition. And vice versa. For Ukraine’s allies, peace means the total and final defeat of Russia. Only such a peace will be considered just.

Well, one can understand these allies. They have invested so deeply in Ukraine in the hopes of establishing this “just peace” that now they have no way out. Hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars and euros have already been spent by the West, led by the United States, in the “pursuit” of this peace. All kinds of advanced deadly weaponry, the most powerful communication tools, and satellite intelligence have been sent — and continue to be sent — to Ukraine. In anticipation of swift victory, hundreds of military specialists have been deployed there, followed by waves of “wild geese,” as mercenaries are called worldwide — all thrown into helping Kyiv in the name of victory and the pursuit of a just peace. But the aftertaste turned out to be sour.

Victory is nowhere in sight. Although, if one believes the free democratic press of the West, which followed military echelons into Ukraine, it — meaning victory — is just around the corner. But Ukraine never really had mountains. (They only appeared in 1945 after Moscow’s decision to incorporate Transcarpathia, which Hungary wouldn’t mind taking back today.) But really, it’s not even about the mountains. There’s simply nowhere for victory to hide there. Western journalists are just looking in the wrong places. During Soviet times, the Western press was called “boastful,” hinting at its questionable quality. Today, it’s more “laudatory.” Everything related to Ukraine is presented to the reader, viewer, or listener in superlative terms. Passionately, using vibrant colors, they tell stories of brave and proud Ukraine, the standard and bulwark of democracy, standing firmly against Eastern despotism to defend democratic ideals. As for the reasons behind Russia’s military operation — not a word. And why bother? It’s much more exciting to spread disinformation in the genre of shock therapy, describing the atrocities of Russian aggressors and the inhuman suffering of defenseless Ukrainians day after day.

Even Maestro Goebbels would envy what today’s zealous disciples are inventing, their actions in the name of just peace easily comparable to military ones. Many even ask: who causes more damage to Russia — the Western media or Western military equipment? What image of Russia is portrayed in these media outlets? A wild, untamed barbarian that neither understands nor respects civilized relations, nor even the human language. The global community must understand: it’s impossible to deal with such a crocodile. Peace with it is out of the question. Peace must be imposed by the West — either by defeating Russia or forcing it to surrender. That, in their view, would be a just outcome of the war. So believe representatives of 51 countries that are actively opposing us on the Ukrainian battlefield.

However, the representative of just one country will never agree with this. One — but what a country! One that is capable not only of rejecting such a peace but also of turning these peacekeepers into a very real and shameful retreat. Russia is no stranger to fighting alone against dozens of opponents. Confrontation with the West has essentially always been on the agenda. Today, due to NATO’s schemes, it has entered a hot phase.

Russia shares part of the blame for this. It trusted the West and psychologically disarmed itself. It withdrew its troops from Germany and, for some reason, didn’t demand the same from the United States. Yes, the Americans would have sharply refused. But what prevented Russia from doing the same? No one could have forced Russia to leave Germany — not even despite the fact that brotherly East Germany no longer existed. Though, if you think about it, it could have been restored. Especially since many East Germans still nostalgically recall their former state.

Russia naively watched as “friendly” NATO rapidly approached its borders. It only woke up from this sweet slumber when the North Atlantic Alliance began to move into Ukraine. It woke up, admittedly, a bit late. And once it did, for some reason, it failed to demand the most critical security issue be addressed: NATO itself — and the return of its borders to those of 1991, before the Soviet Union collapsed. Better yet — dissolve this glorious organization entirely. Like the Warsaw Pact. That would not only be fair — it would be the guarantee of security and lasting peace in Europe. That is what Trump should strive for. Then he might even win a Nobel Prize. The truce he’s pressing on Putin holds no real promise for anyone.

TRUMP CLINIC

That’s what the European Union has recently begun calling the establishment located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. This is the address of the White House, from which initiatives emanate that distress the emotionally shaken European Union. The American president seems unaware of this. He has a completely different approach to the situation. Unlike his predecessor, who did nothing but send weapons to Ukraine and hurl curses at Putin, Trump has decided not to quarrel with the Russian leader, but to have a proper conversation with him. This greatly upsets the sensitive old lady, Europe. Trump has apparently started a quite clear dialogue with Putin. During his election campaign, Trump solemnly promised to end the war in Ukraine almost on the second day of his return to the White House, and he hasn’t forgotten that promise. However, after settling into the Oval Office, he realized it wouldn’t happen quickly—if at all.

There are many reasons why it won’t happen. Chief among them is the united resistance of America’s still-loyal allies. They are outraged not only by the content of Trump’s conversations with Putin, but also by their openly friendly tone. They cannot understand how one can speak so amiably with someone the EU considers a murderer with blood on his hands up to the elbows. The White House’s reconciliatory initiatives are entirely unacceptable to Western Europeans. Reconciliation is not what they want—they want peace, but on the EU’s terms. Period!

But only Russia can put a period at the end of that sentence.

An obstacle to establishing not peace, but even a simple truce, may well be our so-called peacemaker himself. The issue is that, while proposing a truce, he is in no hurry—rather, he is unwilling—to delve into the root causes of the military conflict in Ukraine. And without addressing those, not much can be achieved. At the very least, the war cannot be stopped.

RARE EARTHS

That’s the name of a novel by Vasily Aksyonov. It could also describe what currently interests Trump more than anything else—even more than the war in Ukraine. He doesn’t need the war—in the sense that he wants it ended as soon as possible. Trump, being a supremely pragmatic man, wants to focus on business, and for that he needs peace. Peace and mineral resources.

Today, some unusual words have appeared in the American president’s vocabulary. Like Ali Baba’s brother, he repeats them in every possible way, hoping to open a cave of treasures. Listen to these magical words: scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, erbium, holmium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium…

Yes, these are the very rare earth elements, which Ukraine’s subsoil is rich in—further intensifying Trump’s interest in the country. These rare earths are true treasures. They are used in radio electronics, energy, nuclear, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, chemistry, petrochemistry, glassmaking, and, most importantly, the defense industry.

Trump is eager to get involved in the development—or rather, the appropriation—of these deposits. After all, he wants to make America great again. That’s why he is twisting Zelensky’s arm, demanding that Ukraine sign an openly exploitative resource deal with the U.S. Otherwise, he promises major problems. Possibly, if it weren’t for these rare earth elements, Trump wouldn’t be paying Ukraine so much attention and would instead be dealing with the Panama Canal, annexing Canada and Greenland, or preparing for an inevitable confrontation with China.

THE EU WANTS A NEW LEADER

It’s unclear whether Trump will achieve anything with his reconciliation policy, but one result is already visible: as the so-called leader of the free world (though it’s unclear what it’s free from), Trump now faces serious opposition in the European Union. They are planning to oust him—temporarily—until a new person arrives at the White House. Someone who, if he continues efforts to extinguish the fires of war, will deal with Russia properly—strictly, condescendingly, and without chumminess.

In fact, Trump should have started his peace campaign not with Russia, but with the EU, because it is the EU that is actively egging Ukraine on to keep fighting. But Trump adheres to the Western stereotype that blames Russia for the fighting in Ukraine. Even though it’s clear that the whole thing is the handiwork of the collective West—both the U.S. and the EU. America, it seems, has come to its senses. The same cannot be said of the EU. Their mood is different, and Trump’s actions cause bewilderment. His contacts with Russia have nearly landed him on the EU’s “do-not-shake-hands-with” list.

While harshly criticizing Trump for his unauthorized communications with Putin, the EU has gone on the offensive. In Western Europe, they’ve already begun looking for candidates to lead the free world. Notably, two of the most audacious figures are absent from the list: the would-be Napoleon, the “Gallic rooster” Macron, and the unfortunate flutist from Little Britain, Keir Starmer. Nonetheless, infected with the all-pervasive radiation of Russophobia, they are not sitting idle. At their instruction, the chiefs of their general staffs traveled to Kyiv and held meetings with their Ukrainian counterpart. Afterward, a brief statement was released noting that negotiations had taken place regarding the formation and deployment of an international security contingent in Ukraine as part of the so-called “coalition of the willing,” and the potential structure, size, and objectives of such forces were discussed.

Bravo, indeed. Flags in your hands, O fearless Gauls and Britons! That flag may be the only reminder that you once existed.

For now, the candidates stepping forward to lead the free world are figures of German revanchist origin—Euroführer Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen and the lanky billionaire Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz. The latter, after winning the parliamentary elections and successful coalition talks, has already moved to 1 Willy-Brandt-Strasse in Berlin, the official residence of the German Chancellor. During the election campaign, this newly minted head of the German government made no secret of his long-standing interest in Russia’s regions and his desire to send Ukraine something long-range and powerful. Though, having become chancellor, Merz has refrained from such rash statements—at least publicly.

The Germans are meticulously consolidating control over Europe. Soon, it is quite likely we’ll once again hear the painfully familiar “Deutschland über alles.” Incidentally, Trump is also of German descent. Many note his striking resemblance to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Once upon a time, Trump’s surname was pronounced as it is written in German—Trum(p).

THE STICK AND THE CARROT

All this talk about changing the leader is like a pea off an elephant’s back for Trump. He could easily put an end to it all—just by flexing his power. He lives for the thrill of a good scare tactic. U.S. presidents, as they say, are old pros at this game. Each one has had his own war. And the current one is just getting started—so far with the Houthis. But the real targets are Iran and China.

Russia must be ready for anything in its dealings with America. And it didn’t have to wait long. As if anticipating Putin’s inevitable amendments to his so-called “peace plan,” the 47th President of the United States—much to the delight of his discouraged allies—delivered a very specific threat to Russia. As if picking up his deadly namesake, the AK-47, he declared:
“Given the fact that Russia is currently devastating Ukraine on the battlefield, I am seriously considering the implementation of large-scale economic sanctions against Moscow.”
These would include, according to him, banking restrictions, punitive tariffs, and other financial measures that would remain in place until all hostilities cease and a comprehensive peace agreement is reached.

But even that wasn’t enough for our soloist. Soon came another blast:

“If Russia and I are unable to reach an agreement to end the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I determine that it was Russia’s fault—which it may not be—but if I believe it was Russia’s fault, then I intend to impose secondary tariffs on all oil coming from Russia!”

Take note of the wording: even if Russia isn’t to blame for the continuation of the bloodshed, but Trump personally decides it is, then sanctions will follow. It’s hard not to respond in kind to that sort of logic. Turns out he’s no different from Biden—our dear friend. Or maybe even “better,” as proven by statements from Scott Bessent. This militant, openly gay man heading the U.S. Treasury also confirmed that the U.S. will not hesitate to raise sanctions on Russia to the maximum level. Rubbing his mischievous hands together, he explained with pleasure:

“If we take a scale from zero to ten, I’d say the Biden administration’s sanctions on Russia rated a three. When they left office, it rose to six. I can tell you—we’ll raise it to ten without hesitation!”

What can you say to that? First of all, it’s becoming a tradition to staff the U.S. administration with people of non-traditional sexual orientation. Second, threats toward Russia—those are a cherished tradition too. Russia can expect not only routine pressure but also surprise sanctions. That might happen as soon as tomorrow, when Putin inevitably announces new nuances, amendments, and objections to any proposed ceasefire. And then the peaceful Trump will suddenly turn into a peace-loving (or rather, force-loving) Trump. The stick and the carrot—America’s favorite game. The world saw this recently.

The earthquake in Myanmar, if you recall, claimed more than 3,000 lives. And how many suffered from Trump’s “tariff earthquake”? Millions. But that didn’t faze Trump. During those dramatic days, he was happily playing golf—his favorite pastime.

Trump, after all, is a cowboy—through and through. And he acts like one. He firmly believes that a Colt revolver and a kind word are far more convincing than just a kind word alone. He’ll definitely reach for the “Colt” of sanctions and intimidation. But at this point, what more can scare Russia? At one time, Congress even threatened “hellish sanctions” (which in Russia were mockingly referred to as “sanctions from the rear”). What did that lead to? Russia pulling itself together. In every sense. It balled its fists. It began to truly work. And it believed in itself again.

CANCELING CULTURE

America and the broader global West have always treated Russia with prejudice, arrogance, and hostility. Until recently, they managed to conceal this. But the true face of the West was revealed the moment Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine—an operation provoked and planned by that same West.

The West couldn’t accept that Russia disrupted its plans to occupy Donbas. Immediately, the “canceling” of Russian culture and everything Russian began. The so-called “civilized” West followed the example of Banderite Ukraine, the first to renounce anything Russian. And Europe, in canceling Russian culture, only demonstrated the level of its own. The EU still refuses to understand that Russia is not the real threat. Europe’s threat lies in its own internal problems—not in Russia.

But the EU isn’t yet mature enough to admit that painful fact. It is obsessed with punishing Russia. Flaunting its spiritual and moral superiority, the EU has completely abandoned any notion of civility when it comes to Russia. There’s no more hypocrisy. It’s been replaced with brazenness, rudeness, and even something bordering on the animalistic. What else can you expect from countries that were defeated and occupied by Germany during WWII—and then marched with Hitler against Russia, then called the Soviet Union?

But Russia defeated Hitler and his allies, and liberated Germany and all of Europe from fascism. That’s a humiliation that fat and arrogant Western Europe cannot forgive. And won’t. Now, using the pretext of “defending Ukraine,” it sees a chance to take revenge on Russia. These countries, together with their once-oppressor Germany, have formed a pack again. They long for revenge—for the “wound” of freedom Russia once gave them.

Sixteen packages of economic sanctions aren’t enough for the EU to “properly thank” Russia. They’re working on a 17th. They’re even forming an expeditionary force to aid the dying Ukraine. How will this new “Marlborough’s campaign” end? With fresh Western European blood, of course. At the same time, they’re assembling a so-called “coalition of the willing.” What does this coalition want? War—war and nothing but war. To exhaust Russia, to defeat it, and to feel like winners. But that’s a feeling they will never get to experience.

Someone should whisper to Trump to tell these “foolish Khazars” not to get carried away with the arms race, not to terrorize their own citizens with fantasies of a Russian invasion. He should convince them that Russia has no plans to conquer anyone, that the obsessive idea of delivering a strategic defeat to Russia is just that—a fantasy. If he could do that, maybe Europe wouldn’t be doomed to endless war. First—to the last Ukrainian. And then? To the last German, Frenchman, Dutchman, Dane?

But Trump won’t say that. He got his priorities wrong from the start, convinced that Russia is to blame for everything. And this mistake may cost Europe dearly. While Trump keeps making enticing but ultimately meaningless offers to Russia, stubborn Europe—left to its own devices—will continue to arm itself and Kyiv, guided by simplistic and paranoid logic that once Ukraine falls, Russia will march on across defenseless European countries. All the way to the Atlantic. Maybe even beyond, across the Atlantic itself…

BANDERA INSTEAD OF LENIN

Trump loves grand gestures. “Stop the killing,” he proclaims. Powerful words that tug at the heart. But they quickly lose impact—because they’re just words. But Trump is determined to prove he’s a man of his word. The only problem is—that’s all he proves. Actions are yet to be seen.

Time doesn’t wait. Has our “peacemaker” ever paused to reflect on why this war started in the first place? Will he ever admit that it was America who brewed this bloody mess? It all began when the U.S. decided to radically reformat post-Soviet Ukraine—turn it into anti-Russia. For nearly 35 years—throughout Ukraine’s post-Soviet history—dozens of U.S.-funded NGOs have been diligently sowing their version of “truth, kindness, and eternity,” raising a generation of Ukrainians in a deeply Russophobic spirit.

The results exceeded expectations. By 2014, the Americans were reaping a rich harvest. Tens of thousands of new, well-trained marauders and wreckers poured onto Ukrainian streets. These were young people raised after the collapse of the USSR, carefully nurtured by kind American mentors. They invested not just money (often from now-defunct USAID), but also their souls—or rather, their cowardly and cynical little souls. These youth were given a simple task: break, smash, kill. They became the foot soldiers of the Maidan leadership. And they carried out their job with frightening enthusiasm.

Into their pliable minds was hammered the idea that Russia is the enemy, that the Russian language is the language of Ukraine’s ancient oppressors, and that anyone who speaks it is a fifth column to be destroyed. The new Ukrainian youth found a new leader: the radical nationalist, terrorist, collaborator, and two-time “anti”—anti-Semite and anti-Soviet—Mr. Bandera. In Soviet times, young Ukrainians were called Young Leninists. In the post-Soviet era—they became Young Banderites. And they grew up into full-fledged Banderlogs.

Together with the old, still-surviving Banderites, they became the driving force of the coup d’état now known in their slang as the “Revolution of Dignity” (Revolutsiya Hidnosti).

These words are in quotation marks—as they should be. But the quotation marks are also there to highlight the dubious nature of the phrase. There was no revolution or dignity on the Maidan. There was a putsch, destruction, provocations, and mass killings. Which, in today’s Ukraine, apparently qualifies as “dignified.” The U.S. State Department responded promptly, warning… no, not the Banderites, but President Yanukovych, about the use of force against “peaceful demonstrators.” Otherwise…

The “otherwise” soon led to a sad conclusion for Yanukovych—he fled Ukraine.

I was personally very pleased by that. Why? I’ll explain later.

“COTTON” AND “COLORADOS”

Yanukovych’s flight marked the beginning of large-scale military actions against the peaceful residents of Donbas, who refused to recognize the Kiev “revolutionaries.” For eight years, the regular army of the Kiev regime destroyed Donbas and killed its people. A whole eight years — the Second World War lasted less. Right before the eyes of the entire world, cities and civilians were being destroyed. Or rather, destroyed behind closed eyes. And, in fact, only today, a senior Western official came with open eyes to try to put an end to the crimes of the Ukrainian neo-Nazis.

Will Trump manage to figure out what’s going on? I don’t know, I’m not sure, but I wish him success. He has not yet uttered a word condemning the actions of the Ukrainian authorities against Donbas and its residents. What is the concern of the American president? What is he really trying to achieve? He repeats the same thing like a mantra — to stop the bloodshed. It sounds very humanitarian, but the situation hasn’t moved from a standstill, and the number of the dead keeps growing.

People’s lives are very important, says Trump. Who would argue? But apparently, not all lives are important. There are those who are not considered people. The residents of Donbas are among them — simply because they did not support the Bandera-led coup. Under the inspiring silence of the West, the Maidanites rushed to subdue Donbas, committing monstrous feats there. They kill, loot, abduct people into captivity and slavery, their former compatriots, with impunity. This continues every day, even right now as you read these lines.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that not only the Kiev authorities do not see the residents of Donbas as normal people. The plague of denial has captured the consciousness of many in Ukraine. Even those who did not burn tires on the Maidan or throw Molotov cocktails at unarmed police officers. My once-good friend from Kiev, a witty and seemingly reasonable person, today sharpens his wit on the residents of Donbas — he calls them “cotton” and “colorados.” In the translation from Ukrainian new-speak, this actually means “untermensch.” This is what the Nazis called the residents of this republic — all of them, not just those living in Donbas — when they invaded the territory of the Ukrainian SSR during the Second World War with their “Tigers.” Today, German tanks are once again racing in Ukraine, but now they are “Leopards,” helping Kiev’s neo-Nazis exterminate the “subhumans” in Donbas.

Yes, Donbas has become a bone in the throat of the new Kiev authorities. Imagine, the “untermensch” have made some utterly unacceptable demands! They want to speak Russian, even though they know full well that according to the constitution, there is no such language in Ukraine! They demand autonomy! But where can they find it? It doesn’t exist in Ukraine! According to the same constitution, Ukraine is a unitary state…

Donbas did not and could not find understanding with the Maidan government. Kiev understood this perfectly well and from the very beginning charted a course for war. In this war, or rather this massacre, the regime’s regular troops killed civilians. For eight years, they killed women, the elderly, and the disabled. By shelling kindergartens and schools, they specifically hunted children. Donetsk mobilized miners, tractor drivers, machinists, mechanics, doctors, teachers… Against the aggressors. Kiev pompously called this war the ATO — the Anti-Terrorist Operation. In reality, this operation was Anti-People and Terrorist. As it turned out over time, terrorism became the main and vile method of the Kiev regime in its war against defenseless people.

For all these eight years, Russia was negotiating with Kiev about granting Donbas the status of limited autonomy. Kiev, under the Minsk agreements, was obligated to do this. But all these years, Kiev had been deceiving its Russian counterparts. At the same time, with the approval and generous military support of the West, it shelled Donbas with all kinds of weapons. And when the West’s weapons were enough, Kiev decided to solve the issue with one stroke — through the mass killing of the residents of Donbas.

What this could have looked like can be judged by the actions taken by the Nazis — to our great shame! — when they invaded the Kursk region in August 2024, and some of it they still hold. Russian troops, as on the Donetsk front, are trying with great difficulty to drive the enemy out. In retreat, they leave behind piles of civilian bodies, which they initially used as human shields and then shot when they were no longer needed. Their inhumane actions honestly raise serious doubts about whether Russia is dealing with representatives of a related nation.

BRZEZINSKI’S TESTAMENTS

They are as universal as smartphones, which each of us is addicted to today. Just as the West has become addicted to the teachings of this renowned Russophobe. And indeed, every word of his is like a diamond. Here’s one of his masterpieces: “After the victory over communism, we need the split of Orthodoxy and the breakup of Russia, and Ukraine will help us with this, where treason is the norm of public morality.”

I would probably disagree with the characterization of the public morality prevailing in Ukraine — it’s too harsh. There, I’m sure, decent people still exist. (Although, one is inevitably reminded of an old joke. One Ukrainian is a partisan, two are a partisan squad, and three are a partisan squad with a traitor.) But in general, Mr. Brzezinski pointed the West in the right direction: the church in Ukraine is divided, and Ukraine itself is a testing ground where sophisticated methods of fighting Russia are being worked out.

In fact, it didn’t matter to Brzezinski which Russia he was talking about — the imperial, Soviet, or the current one, which had freed all its sister republics, including Ukraine, with which he always treated with special attention. “The road to Russia lies through Ukraine” — this is another of Brzezinski’s testamentary maxims. And he clarified — through an independent Ukraine, without which Russia would no longer be Russia. That is, Russia, which can easily be taken down. Therefore, everything must be done to ensure that the alliance between them is no longer possible. This is why the West reacted so sharply when talks were held about Ukraine joining the Customs Union with Russia. The West reacted and sparked the Maidan with all its consequences. In fact, it backfired — as a result, Crimea immediately returned to Russia. It’s a pity that only Crimea! Back then, Russia could have easily returned the entire coast along with the pearl by the sea — Odessa. But Putin stopped…

Why did Mr. Brzezinski dislike Russia so much? If we believe George H.W. Bush, he was Jewish. There’s nothing reprehensible about this, except for one nuance: he was Polish-Jewish. It’s unknown when he contracted the virulent anti-Russian sentiments that prevailed in Polish society. But he was so thoroughly infected with them that, in his Russophobia, he outdid even the most natural of Poles. This happens. Right now, a journalist named Vitaliy Portnikov is very popular in Kiev circles. It’s hard to imagine a greater Russophobe and patriot of Ukraine. I knew him as a calm young man, well-mannered and delicate, as Jews often are. But now, he has turned into something quite the opposite: a fiery, hysterical gaze, nervous gestures, a tone of speech that cannot tolerate objections — this is what the desire to outdo the gruff Ukrainians in his hatred — precisely hatred — for Russia and Russians has done to him.

Recently, Zelensky himself, also Jewish by the way, publicly admitted to this. Or here’s another example of someone wanting to appear a bigger Catholic than the pope. I mean Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States. Leaving the White House, Barack Obama, in an effort to prove he was a true American, outdid any white American by seizing almost all the property of the Russian embassy. No president before him had thought of such an outrage. Nearly ten years have passed since then. And only recently, during Russian-American negotiations in Istanbul, the issue of returning our property was raised…

An interesting metamorphosis also occurred with Brzezinski. A Polish Russophobe, he, after eventually gaining U.S. citizenship, became an American Russophobe, dedicating a lot of effort to proving that he was a full-fledged Yankee. They believed him. They believed him so much that they entrusted him with a very responsible position – the post of National Security Advisor under Jimmy Carter. He became the leading ideologist of American foreign policy. With his toxic views on the Soviet Union (Russia) and the Russians, he permanently infected the West. The result of this was the events in Ukraine.

The West is definitely, to the last detail, implementing Brzezinski’s doctrine. Ukraine is detached from Russia, a methodical war of attrition is being waged against Russia, and the West intends to make it endless – fighting a nuclear superpower directly is dangerous. Trump, reproaching his European allies for their stubbornness, asks: “Why provoke Russia and goad them into action?” Our peacemaker is being dishonest – he knows very well that, in reality, the entire policy of the collective West for the last approximately 30 years has been aimed at exactly this, encouraging provocative and confrontational actions from Ukraine. The West has sunk its claws into this former Soviet republic. Ukraine is doomed, the West will strangle it in its embrace if Ukraine stumbles.

A good Ukraine is a warring Ukraine. The war must not stop for a single day. This is a question of the security of the European Union. A fabricated question, I would say. But neither I nor Putin will be believed. The European Union is set on war. This idea was brilliantly expressed by the Lithuanian Defense Minister with the telling surname Shakalene. She, along with her uncompromising Baltic colleagues, believes that after the end of hostilities, Russia will quickly redistribute its forces, resulting in a significant increase in the threat level. Let’s not delude ourselves, this crazy woman is babbling, Russia will use this time after a ceasefire to ramp up its military capabilities. What, I ask, further forces does Russia need to increase? How many more are needed to strip free-spirited Lithuania of its independence? Commenting on such nonsense is counterproductive. (Although, I’ll note in passing, recently another one of my now former friends posted a family photo with his wife and son on social media, accompanying it with the caption, “My son just enlisted as a volunteer in the self-defense unit. I’m both happy and worried.” I know this guy a little. He was born in Moscow to a Russian mother.) I can’t believe that all of this madness is happening for real.)

“WE HAVEN’T EVEN REALLY STARTED YET…”

When meeting with the leaders of the State Duma and heads of party factions, President Putin said: “Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. Well, what can we say? Let them try. We’ve already heard a lot about how the West wants to fight with us ‘until the last Ukrainian.’ This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that this is the direction things are going. But everyone should know that, on the whole, we haven’t really started anything seriously yet.”

This was said on July 7, 2022. By that time, military actions had been ongoing for four and a half months. By that time, Mariupol had been liberated, a very important victory. Personally, I, like everyone else, was waiting for more during those inspiring days. I didn’t understand why, together with Crimea and Sevastopol in 2014, we didn’t initially take all the Black Sea coast and at least five more regions. If we had done that, the Bandera supporters wouldn’t have dared to step into Donbass, and everything would have gone very easily and bloodlessly. But the liberating campaign of our army, unfortunately, didn’t take place. Perhaps at that time, Putin wasn’t aiming for more. The return of Crimea itself was a huge gift for the whole country. But perhaps our president hoped that, once Ukraine came to its senses after the Maidan delirium, it would turn to Russia.

But everything went according to the worst, bloodiest scenario. Eight years of waiting. Eight years of passive observation as people died in Donbass. Innocent people, speaking Russian. All of Russia was outraged and puzzled by the inaction of our authorities. And then the long-awaited day came – February 24, 2022. Russia finally moved to save Donbass. I won’t claim that this fateful decision of Putin’s was supported by everyone. (We can talk about that some other time.) But most were eagerly awaiting news from the front.

Unfortunately, the news wasn’t encouraging. The front line turned out to be tough and impenetrable. The enemy had greatly fortified it over the eight years of so-called “peace negotiations.” For the first time, our prisoners of war were shown, exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners. It was a heavy, sobering sight. Then there was another horrifying sight – they showed how our prisoners were being tortured in Ukraine, shot in the legs, not treated when sick, not fed for days, constantly beaten… Perhaps we should have been psychologically prepared for this turn of events. But, first of all, we didn’t think the enemy would be so stubborn, so ruthless. We were constantly fed upbeat reports about the progress of Russian troops and enemy losses. Moreover, with genuine indignation, they reported that Ukrainian drones were bombing Russian regions, that long-range shells were destroying our energy infrastructure, that Ukrainian saboteurs were terrorizing Russian border areas… I have a question: why is this being reported with such indignation? It’s a war, even if under the pseudonym of a special military operation (SVO). But it’s a real war, with destruction, wounded, and dead. On both sides. They’re trying to convince us that Ukraine doesn’t have the right to defend itself. Some fool invented this nonsense, and another, holding us for complete idiots, imitates indignation day after day. We should be outraged! Outraged that the Ukrainian armed forces attack our territory every day. Outraged that we can’t give them such a thrashing that they would never dare attack us again. And that means it’s time to start fighting for real.

The fourth year of military action is underway. We’re still waiting for real breakthroughs. Putin is hesitating, wasting time. By the time Trump the peacemaker arrives, we’ve made rather modest achievements. Trump sees this and, not wasting any time, has already put Putin on the clock. In the best traditions of our brothers, he stated that Russia has a deadline to reach an agreement on a ceasefire with Ukraine.

“Putin must make a deal with Zelensky, whether he likes it or not,” the American insists without ceremony. He’s betting on April. It’s as if he’s competing with Ovechkin, who also aimed to take Gretzky’s record for goals by April. And he did it. Trump congratulated him but is now waiting for congratulations on a successful deal. Trump – as a businessman and especially as the president of the powerful United States – doesn’t like to lose. Neither does Putin. I think that by Easter, April 20, there will be no deal. No deal on Trump’s terms. There won’t be because Russia hasn’t achieved its goals. Does Trump understand this, wanting to bring Putin and Zelensky to the table? No, he doesn’t, and he doesn’t want to. It’s a shame…

THE MYSTERIOUS WAR

Why do I call it that? Because it really has a lot of mysteries. Let’s start with the fact that we don’t even call it a war, but a special military operation. Over its more than three-year history, it has developed a stable abbreviation – SVO. (Like WWII – for the Great Patriotic War.) That’s the first mystery. The second – the pace of its conduct. It’s incredibly slow. Perhaps Putin can explain a lot, who still can’t give the decisive signal. There seems to be no war, but everything else is there: killed and wounded, victories and defeats… The only thing missing is real progress by our army to the west. We still haven’t fully liberated the territories of the four returned regions.

Here’s another mystery: why can’t we stop the demonstrative, almost daily visits to Kiev by high-ranking visitors? Despite the war, they are met with salutes and pomp. For them, this has become as mandatory as going to the bathroom. They go to show Russia their fearlessness and readiness to help Ukraine to the end. What a circus. (By the way, I’d like to note that according to the latest liberal grammatical trends, they come not to Ukraine, but to Ukraine, and they leave not from Ukraine, but out of Ukraine, which is very painful to the ear.) Why can’t we stop these travels? Why not restrain one of these tourists with a good shell? To discourage the rest…

Isn’t it a mystery that we can’t stop the flow of Western military aid being generously supplied to Ukraine? Why didn’t we immediately close the western border of Ukraine, and why are we still stuck in the immobile east? What are we waiting for? Putin can’t possibly believe that the West will suddenly stop supporting Ukraine – it’s impossible, at least because the West has deeply, I would even say organically, merged with Ukraine, forever tying its fate to it. Ukraine’s defeat will be a defeat for the collective West. They will never agree to that. They’ll agree – in the sense of consent. With the European Union, consent can only be achieved in the form of recognizing its absolute defeat in the SVO. Russia must force it to do so by fully liberating Ukraine. After that, the West will have no one else to help, and it will finally focus on helping itself. It will arm itself for the predicted 2030 military campaign – the inevitable confrontation with Russia. This will inevitably happen, as the strategists there have calculated. The EU has long been itching to clash with Russia. Russia, as we know, doesn’t want that, but it too must prepare. To cool down these hotheads. Russia constantly repeats that it has no intention of invading anyone and insists on only one thing: leave us in peace. Moscow understands that today the West’s behavior is not driven by the fear of being conquered by Russia, but rather by the feverish desire to defeat Russia, to put it in the position of a drinking horse. Moscow will never allow that.

The positions of the sides are irreconcilable. Putin, let’s say, is generally in favor of a ceasefire. But at the same time, he demands answers to a number of questions. We’re talking about the lack of control over the Kyiv regime, the impossibility of controlling the actions of a number of extremist and nationalist units, which answer to no one. Moreover, Kyiv has not abandoned its plans for further militarization of the country. All of these nuances are still on the agenda.

What can Trump answer to this? Will he be able to bring the sides closer together? Hardly. Whether he wants to or not, he stands on the other side and expresses the interests of that side. Yes, he declared himself a negotiator. He even seems to have become one. But an impartial negotiator he will not be. And there will be no ceasefire. And he won’t win a Nobel Peace Prize. Maybe Putin won’t get one either. But that doesn’t matter. Peace is more important than the Nobel Peace Prize. Russia will still establish peace. On its terms. And for that, an unconditional victory is necessary…