Putin Doesn’t Forgive or Forget

Russians have long memories. They remember Napoleon’s invasion of their country 200 years ago. Putin the former KGB chief also remembers Hitler who had similar ambitions to Bonaparte. The French and the Germans devastated the Russian Motherland. Putin will never forget. He is a patriot.

While America lost half a million citizens during the Second World War, Russia lost twenty million. That’s 40 times more than the USA. Now Putin sees a new invasion from the West fuelled by his old nemesis godless America. He sees himself as the true champion of Christian values and is backed by the influential Russian Orthodox Church that maintains its own militia. (It also is the biggest importer of alcohol and tobacco into Russia.) President Putin’s support of conservative family values has produced a fan base in the West. Even Donald Trump is an admirer and thought Putin’s invasion of Ukraine a stroke of genius.

Ukraine that has shown great resilience and courage under President Zelenskyy is presently experiencing great difficulty in driving the entrenched Russians out of occupied
territories that border Russia. Both sides know what is at stake. Russia for security want a buffer zone, Ukraine wants her sovereign integrity.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, Putin saw it as the greatest tragedy of the Twentieth Century. The Russians were assured that NATO would not move one foot to the east of
Germany. But now NATO (read the USA) is occupying all of Eastern Europe, once Russian’s sphere of strategic influence.

Could nuclear weapons be used in an attempt to solve the conflict? Possibly. Putin has already indicated his willingness. We live in perilous times. Nothing but God is certain.

— John Carter