As a child of WWII, I deeply empathize and sympathize with the plight of the Ukrainian people. The brutal, unprovoked attack by Russia on Ukraine bears an uncanny similitude with Nazi Germany’s attack on Poland in 1939.
In 1939, an overwhelming Nazi juggernaut subdued a courageous but underequipped Polish army in a matter of days. The same fate awaits Ukraine which is no match for the Russian giant.
But this unthinkable aggression could be the beginning of the end for the wolf in sheep clothing who has ruled Russia for the last 20 years. Invading a weaker country is one thing; keeping it indefinitely under its thumb is another one.
The similitude of Hitler’s and Putin’s actions is undeniable. Russia is already the largest country in the world with an enormous area of 17,098,250 square kilometers. By comparison, Canada, the second-largest country in the world is half its size with 9,879,750 square kilometers.
But still, this is not enough for the Kremlin’s ogre. Like Hitler, he wants to extend his hegemony over an even larger area. But unlike in 1939, the Russian people are not overwhelmingly enthusiastic about their Capo di tutti capi’s actions. Small demonstrations have already started in Russia and around the world, and they will intensify as days go by.
The Russian people will also feel the pain. In the coming weeks, due to the economic pressure applied by the West, oligarchs and plain folks alike will see their standard of living deep significantly. Soon they will start to grumble, and later, when pressure intensifies, no amount of vodka is going to prevent them from rioting.
The end will come with the imploding of the Kremlin’s monopoly. It will start when the Russian casualties will become known to the public at large, and intensify with the increased cost of living. It might take a little while, but plain Russian folks are not as fanatical as the Hitlerian hordes. They don’t crave more territory, they just want more freedom and a better standard of living
Just like in the Godfather’s saga, the “Capo di tutti capi” will meet his fate at the hands of his own entourage. And it will be a grim ending for the man who desperately wanted to be the unrestricted “Tsar of all the Russias.”
Shortly after the erection of the Berlin Wall, in 1963 President Kennedy said in a speech “ich bin ein Berliner” and today like him, I am saying “I am a Ukrainian”.
Alain