An Open Letter to Vladimir Putin
by Stephen Lendman
It’s out of character for me to advise a political leader on what I believe is best for his or her country.
I’m writing to you personally because of what I believe is the most perilous time in world history – far more serious than anything preceding WW I and II, as well as throughout the Cold War.
You have detailed intelligence I’m not privy to. You surely know the threat my country poses to yours, many others, and world peace – Trump’s disgraceful JCPOA withdrawal and reimposition of nuclear-related sanctions the latest example.
I’ve explained many times that Washington wants all sovereign independent governments replaced by pro-Western ones, wars of aggression and color revolutions its favored strategies – Russia, China and Iran its key targets for regime change.
America has been hostile to country since the 1917 revolution – with brief periods of better relations, followed by resumed hostility.
I know my country’s history from inception, a deplorable record of belligerence and betrayal – waging endless wars of aggression, consistently and repeatedly breaching treaties, conventions and other deals agreed on.
It can never be trusted. How abysmally it’s treated your country in the post-Soviet period alone is clear proof of its ill intentions.
It’s hostile to you personally for championing world peace and stability, wanting cooperative relations with all other nations, respecting rule of law principles, and advocating multi-world polarity.
Democracy in America is pure fantasy. None whatever exists, an anathema notion from the nation’s founding, rejecting it at home and abroad.
US aims under Republicans and what I call undemocratic Dems pursue goals opposite yours. They want you replaced with pro-Western puppet rule, Washington gaining another imperial trophy.
Conflict in Syria was launched by Obama for regime change. There’s nothing civil about what’s going on.
Trump escalated what his predecessor began, wanting Iran isolated ahead of something similar against its government – using ISIS and other terrorists as imperial foot soldiers, supporting the scourge it pretends to oppose.
Washington considers Russia its mortal enemy, not your “partner” politically, economically or militarily.
Patience isn’t always a virtue – never in dealing with a hegemon seeking unchallenged global dominance, wanting planet earth carved up for profit, people everywhere exploited, sovereign states turned into vassal ones.
I once said Putin’s Russia is back, proud and re-assertive, not about to roll over for Washington.
I strongly support your September 2015 intervention in Syria at the behest of Assad to combat terrorism.
Yet today, US forces control about one-third of Syrian territory, according to its UN envoy Bashar al-Jaafari, a distinguished figure I respect greatly.
I feel the same way about you – but extremely dismayed. Despite combating terrorism in Syria, twice you reduced Russia’s minimal force in the country unwisely, believing war on ISIS was won – clearly not nor against other US-supported terrorists in the country.
Al-Nusra and likeminded groups remain resilient, ISIS weakened but not defeated. US and other foreign-supplied weapons, training and funding support them.
Geneva, Astana and Sochi conflict resolution talks achieved no significant breakthroughs because Washington and its imperial partners want endless war and regime change, not peace and stability.
Passivity in the face of its aggression encourages more of it. Failure to supply Syria with S-300 air defense systems left it vulnerable to repeated attacks – in my judgment heading for something much more serious than already.
The only effective way to deal with US, Israeli and allied aggression is by confronting it forcefully – something you haven’t done, encouraging escalation, I believe things likely heading for full-scale war you haven’t tried to prevent, relying on failed diplomacy.
I’ve explained confronting Washington forcefully is high-risk. Failure to do it, I believe, is higher risk.
Appeasement doesn’t work with hegemons – not with Hitler ahead of WW II or bipartisan extremists in Washington now, their actions risking unthinkable nuclear war if not confronted and stopped.
I urge you to reconsider your current strategy in dealing with Washington. It surrounded Russia with hostile military bases, imposed countless illegal sanctions on numerous individuals and entities.
Your government was falsely accused of “aggression” in Ukraine, “annexing” Crimea, involvement in downing MH-17, meddling in America’s electoral process, interfering in European and upcoming Mexican elections, Brexit, mass doping athletes, mischief-making Russian trolls and bots, cyberwar, sabotage, hybrid warfare, the Skripal incident and more – endless US hostility, including vicious propaganda proliferated by government officials and supportive media.
Failure to forcefully confront US rage for dominance encourages escalated belligerence. Appeasing or inattention to hegemonic Washington risks something far more serious ahead than already.
In the interest of world peace and stability, I strongly urge you to challenge US aggression in Syria to prevent having to defend your homeland against it.
You understand all of the above far better than I do. I wish you’d pursue a course I believe is most effective in dealing with hegemonic Washington and its warmaking partners.
Challenging their imperial agenda forcefully is the only language they understand, the only effective strategy. Years of diplomacy accomplished nothing.
Nor will it ahead with Washington. Continuing what hasn’t worked is defeatism. I hope henceforth you’ll go a different way.
VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at [email protected].
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
