As we strolled the rocky ground where mythic Greek mountains knelt to kiss the Aegean Sea, Europe’s most influential figure waxed with a freedom only ex-President’s can afford.
“Joe told me, why are you so goddamn hung up on becoming part of NATO? I can tell you 1 million reasons why it won’t help you now. Let’s start with a nuclear strike on Kyiv and leave it at that.
If you are still alive a year from now in NATO will be at your beck and call.”
That was a lot to unwrap as we worked our way to the waters edge so I had to pick where to unwrap first. That was easy enough.
What do you mean by a nuclear strike on Kyiv? Was it just a trademark Biden malaprop or more?
“ No he was damn serious. Basically, and he explained this to me in lotta’ detail that I didn’t expect; He explained that as soon as NATO came in Putin would be able to tell his people that it was NATO‘s war on the Slavs and that would be the excuse to use tactical battlefield nukes. Sure, that would give Europe all the excuses in the world to come in with everything they could but by the time we were liberated Ukraine could be literally a no man’s land for 1000 years.
I can remember he said these very words, ‘Do you want to be the battlefield of World War III?”
But you wanted and pleaded so hard for NATO intervention and the planes? You pleaded for planes…
There were never going to be planes. No one was coming to the rescue. It was clear from the beginning I had to beg, get down on my knees and beg. Yes, it hurt… But it was the role I was to play. Ukraine had to win this war on its own. It did. We did. I understand, but I didn’t like it and it still hurts.
I wanted to drill deep into the minutia of the great War To End All Wars, the campaigns, strategy and logistics. The negotiations that presaged the historic surrender of Donetsk. The economic Miracle that has put Ukraine at the fore of world technology, culture and influence. However I knew the Gods had only allotted me a few minutes for this dream interview so I turned to the future.
Do you see a more active role, beyond Liberator Emeritus in the Black Sea Compact of Democracies that has so successfully uplifted the peoples of Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia and Armenia the past twenty years?
”(Chuckling) That is a very small question to spend time on with such a spectacular setting! Liberator Emeritus seems like a pretty nice role to me. Last question.”
How do you explain the enduring rule Vladimir Putin, at the age of 90, has sustained in Russia. Despite the isolation, the ubiquitous poverty and the violent secessions of most of its peripheries including most recently Trans Siberia?
” Let me preface this with an analogy: You can never understand the rationale of a crazy man unless you are also crazy. The crazy man isn’t Putin, he is just the next in an endless line of crazy despots that have ruled Muskovi since Ivan the Terrible chased out the Mongols.
(He thought for a long while)
I don’t know what the Mongols did but they have seemingly forever fucked up the Russian peoples to the point that they forever are making excuses for rulers who dominate and beat on them. They constantly look for the “Other” to condemn, rather than looking within themselves.
I pity them… but the answer doesn’t lie in any one bad man. The answer lies in the heart of every Russian.
Maybe the Gods have condemned the Russians to forever serve as examples to us all. Like Sisyphus up there (waving to the mountains).
Listen to the good whispering in our hearts rather than the evil yelling in our ears.”
And with that the gods concluded my interview, adjourning to their games and laughter at the futile ascension of humanity.