The Humiliation of Our Free World

“Don’t expect that once you take advantage of Russia’s weakness, you will receive dividends forever. Russians always come for their money. And when they come — do not rely on the agreements you signed, allegedly justifying [your actions]. They are not worth the paper they are written on. Therefore, it is worth either playing fair with the Russians, or not playing at all.” -Otto von Bismarck

What we expected has happened on a greater scale than we imagined. Perhaps we were warned while we were at the height of a free world, but that doesn’t change anything. We may hear all kinds of commentary and interpretation of this “blitzkrieg” that Vladimir Putin has wrought, that it’s is unprecedented, it is the first time since World War II that this has happened and borders will be redrawn. No! This is merely a new strike in a battle that has been raging since World War II. It is not unprecedented. Wars have been fought in Eastern Europe since 1988, in places like Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, Moldova and Yugoslavia. NATO struck Belgrade in 1999. It was the first European capital to see rockets fall, and was close to Sofia.

This is not an attack on democracy. In Ukraine, crime and corruption are increasing due to many reasons, including deals by Joe Biden and his family. This is due to many reasons, some of which involve the Biden family and its deals. The regime in Kyiv is no better than the regime in Minsk or Moscow.

Early on Thursday morning, our free world experienced its greatest indignity as Putin began deconstructing the great country of Ukraine. He did it quickly, with morally righteous and unspoken coldness inherent to overly emotional tyrants. The help that NATO, the U.N. and the U.S. provided was as valuable as vomit. Western military specialists and diplomats have given up. Russia is racing through its neighboring country and no one can stop it. You may find patriots here and there, willing to risk their life to be called a “hero of Ukraine.” And the most depressing part? Aside from the slight panic in certain cities, Ukrainians are accepting the invasion. Acceptance. There are no rallies, no Euromaidan and no volunteers willing to join the Eastern Front. But why? Because they all know what the outcome will be if they try to stand up to a monstrous military machine. This is not a patriotic war, but a way to clear up family grievances.

This is a war between the U.S. and Russia — or more specifically, Moscow’s revenge on Washington.

Putin won before he came to Ukraine. He will “liberate” Donetsk and Luhansk and will enforce the same ultimatum: “Stay away from my borders!” One thing we’re asking ourselves is which countries are next. Is it Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia?

It is futile to ask who is right or wrong. That’s for historians and politicians to determine. History holds all the answers. So what? It is important for us to know what will happen because every war effects our lives.

This is a personal war between Putin and the Russian imperial spirit. It is revenge. Russia messed with Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. No one expected it would attack Ukraine. A population of 42 million cannot do anything. If this is not a message directed at the group of small countries we belong to, I don’t know what it is.

What will we see next? Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoner, the arrests of “Ukrainian fascists,” moral indignation.

What will follow? The decay of Ukraine? A civil war and the separation of Lviv? Will Russia dominate the Black Sea? Or Odessa? We don’t have to speculate. Putin has already decided and NATO can’t do anything about it. If NATO makes a mistake, China will take what belongs to it.