Ukraine is not Russia and we can be thankful about that, especially in the political sphere. Regrettably, this nation cannot easily escape Kremlin leaders’ menacing ways, but will have to do so to ensure the healthy life of a sovereign nation.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s anointment of himself as president for 2012, undoubtedly to be followed by re-election in 2018, could put him in power for nearly a quarter century – not as long as Josef Stalin, but longer than Leonid Brezhnev. He will be 72 years old.
First and foremost, the main victim of Putin’s stranglehold on power is Russia itself. He is contemptuous of his own shrinking, dying and unhealthy nation of 142 million people. He has blocked their ability to change leaders democratically through elections, which are state-managed affairs by Moscow.
Those in society who don’t fall in line – whether they be independent journalists, critical government officials or oligarchs who refuse to bow to Putin – get punished as a lesson for all.
Putin has created a brittle “power vertical” style of governance that is inflexible and inefficient. He is economically inept, preferring to control and reap the benefits that come from Russia’s heavy reliance on energy exports.
Ukraine, however, is a close second in the list of unfortunate victims of Putin’s power. The Russian prime minister does not respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and likely never will.
Ukrainians should recognize this by now and steel themselves against Putin’s continual attempts to keep the nation weak and divided.
The world, generally, will also suffer from Putin’s Napoleonic complexes of great power status. More likely, however, nations will put up with the tyrant because he controls a lot of the world’s energy and nuclear weapons. Ukraine has no such geopolitical influence.
The best way to respond to Putinism – a mix of virulent anti-democratic, pro-KGB attitudes and economic stagnation – has been articulated by President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration.
The keys involve reducing reliance on expensive Russian energy and speeding up efforts integrate with the European Union, economically and politically. Unfortunately, while Yanukovych talks like a democrat he rules like a Soviet leader.
The top line of defense for Ukrainians is to ensure that their elections do not resemble Russian coronations.
Russia and Ukraine are inextricably linked by geography, bloodlines, language, commerce, tradition, religion and culture. These bonds, most likely, will never be broken and many are positive. But where Ukraine needs to make a clean break is in renouncing autocratic rule. And that means no Putins in Ukraine.
