The events in Iraq sometimes have an absolutely unexpected effect on international affairs. In particular, they galvanized the itinerant artists of politics, those who know how to use the pen and give advice to statesmen via the press. Prominent Russian journalist Vitaly Tretiakov offers his advice in the article, “A ‘Major Mistake’ of the US and a Major Answer of Russia,” (Literaturnaya gazeta, No. 12). The message is: they made a mistake, and we have to answer - in a big way. The gist of this “major answer” is that we must all unite. It is clear against whom, but the question is with whom and how. First, with the European Union. It would be nice to conclude a full-scale treaty calling for “mutual defense if any of the parties were attacked.” But what is most interesting for the Ukrainian reader begins with the word, secondly.
Mr. Tretiakov thinks “the world is obviously being repartitioned.” And, while the US is establishing an order of its own wherever it can, Russia must not be late. The time has come to restore Greater Russia consisting of Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia proper. In other words, the once popular idea of “how to reorganize Russia” is being broached again with fresh enthusiasm in the face of America’s big mistake. “Today we have perhaps one last chance to achieve this,” Tretiakov writes. How? The elites of the four countries must enter into negotiations. Therefore, the referendum in which the Ukrainian people unambiguously asserted their independence makes no sense. What really matters is that the elites should make a deal. And what if they do not? What if one of the countries flatly refuses to be part of this Greater Russia? Then, according to Mr. Tretiakov’s plan, strict measures should be taken. Then “Russia ought to drastically change its immigration policy and suggest that all ethnic Russians of the given country move to Russia.” To this end, “all the required financial conditions for such resettlement” will be provided.
Another component of the Big Brother’s “major answer” is telling the world about “the structure of the new world order.” Reading all this, I try to imagine the consequences of the proposal to move millions of “Russian people” and wonder at what can strike the head of an individual unable to drop the idea of Russia’s magnificence and understand that really great answers are usually backed by something more than words. With the USSR gone, the time of great answers has ended. What has remained is, to quote a popular saying, “big ambitions with poor munitions.”
