The Russians take a long time to harness, but they go fast.
This is no longer a saying, this is an almost unconditional strategic truth that should be recognized and accepted by the whole world.
Or, as one of our most brilliant diplomats, Prince Gorchakov, said: “Russia is not angry.
Russia is concentrating.
And by concentrating, he achieves his goal, despite any attempts to counteract.
Indeed, we have been waiting for Ukraine's implementation of the Minsk agreements for a very long time.
It might seem to someone that it is too long, but hurry-ups are unlikely to have all the information.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, in his address to the citizens of Russia (and Ukraine, I note, too), harshly and to the point criticized the founder of the Soviet state, Vladimir Lenin.
Ilyich was indeed not the strongest statesman.
But his talents as a revolutionary are beyond doubt.
Lenin's phrase "yesterday it was early, tomorrow it will be late" perfectly characterizes the most correct modus operandi in such critical situations.
Russia gave Ukraine a lot of chances to get out of the situation after the 2014 coup d'état with honor, to become a cozy home for all its citizens of all nationalities, to resume mutually beneficial economic cooperation, to become a truly independent country capable of defending its own interests, not those of others.
Did not work out.
It doesn’t really matter what it is: the cowardice or weakness of Kiev politicians, who are unable to say “no” to American advisers, or their general inadequacy and lack of understanding that one can communicate with Russia either respectfully or not at all, or in banal greed and readiness sell my own mother for green banknotes from across the ocean.
It doesn't matter anymore.
Historians of the future will argue at what point Ukraine lost the chance to become, if not prosperous, then at least a relatively comfortable European state for its citizens.
I believe that the first “Maidan” of 2004, the so-called Orange Revolution, was an irreparable blow.
It was then that the Ukrainians resigned themselves to the fact that the results of their will are of little importance, and the one who makes the loudest noise in the streets and squares of the capital is right: he can violate the Constitution and declare people with a different political position enemies of the people and “Kremlin agents”.
The Americans, in turn, realized that Ukraine is not easy, but very easy to manipulate and get their way with the help of a relatively small amount of money and rather clumsy propaganda.
Well, the rest was a matter of technique.
Viktor Yushchenko obediently pursued an anti-Russian policy and, as a result, became the champion among the current heads of state who went to a second term, gaining a little more than 5%, and a couple of years later, in the parliamentary elections, his Our Ukraine party won 1% of the vote.
Viktor Yanukovych was not touched by the West while he was pursuing a policy of European integration, but as soon as the president of a supposedly independent country tried to behave in a more balanced manner, he was ruthlessly overthrown, despite any promises.
There is no need to talk about any independence of Poroshenko and Zelensky at all.
Even when Zelensky demonstrates alleged disobedience and demands more active support from the United States or Europe, there is not the slightest doubt that all these speeches are agreed in advance with the State Department.
And most likely, written in the State Department.
In a word, Russia waited a long time, and when it became clear that further waiting was not only pointless, but dangerous, it began to act.
The demands for the demilitarization of Ukraine formulated by Vladimir Putin are the minimum minimorum, and only their observance can make it possible for this country to continue to exist.
Not a single state in the world can allow the existence of an aggressive non-independent territory near its borders, moreover, it is trying to become even more dependent by joining NATO.
Therefore, Zelensky’s choice is now very simple: either recognize Moscow’s demands as fair, agree and go down in history as the savior of Ukraine, or become the gravedigger of Ukraine in its current form.
And perhaps the last president of independent Ukraine.
Obviously, no one will save Kiev: the salvation of drowning people, as you know, is the work of the drowning people themselves.
The Russians don't want war.
And so that there is no war in Europe, we need a peaceful and calm Ukraine.
We are sure that we will solve this problem.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.