If I were a serious man, say, a columnist for the newspaper Krasnaya zvezda (Red Star, published by the Russian Ministry of Defense —Ed.), I would write with special inspiration about the visit of the Russia’s and Ukraine’s presidents to the Black Sea Fleet and destroyer Hetman Sahaidachny, drawing attention to the fact that this was the first visit by the Russian Federation’s president-elect to the Black Sea Fleet and rejoicing at how the supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces cares for the military. However, as a man not so serious, I can make a simple conclusion. Vladimir Putin continues to devotedly play with toy soldiers. Of course, if there had not been before a flight on a fighter and night on a submarine, if the head of the Russian government had not been late for a meeting with Stanley Fischer and for a Cabinet meeting because of important things to do with the Northern Fleet, and if Colonel Putin had not reminded his compatriots on election eve that they were electing not just a president but a supreme commander-in-chief, then I would perhaps not pay attention to the importance Mr. Putin accorded to the trip to Sevastopol during his first visit to Ukraine. But now I can only state, even without much condemnation, that I get the impression that he came to us only to appear on another warship. He likes this, you see. And, for him, the chief purpose of the presidency is to be supreme.
“Where’s the commander?”
“Commanding.”
We must understand that the still young and energetic new president of Russia looks upon the country he rules as a huge Disneyland all the amusements of which he simply must attend. Vladimir Voinovich, the famous Russian writer, once foresaw such a national leader: in his utopia Moscow 2042, the head of state, a former secret service officer, decided to personally inspect outer space. Why not? He is supreme commander-in-chief. Would you be surprised if Mr. Putin goes into outer space? I would, just a little. If only he were fit enough.
One can make fun of this as much as one likes, but, in my opinion, this feature of the new Russian leader should simply be taken advantage of. It is already clear that Mr. Putin is interested in the Black Sea Fleet much more than in the debts, Kyiv’s flirtation with the West, or the problems of the Russian language. If we help the Russian sailors, they will help us! Let us turn Sevastopol into Fairyland in Putin’s Disneyland! All hands to the pumps! And let Mr. Kuchma stand, binoculars in hand, next to Mr. Putin. Is it so difficult to look through binoculars for a few hours?
And then our debt restructuring schemes, our European integration dreams, and even our negotiations with NATO will be accepted in milder form. For Mr. Putin has a wonderful inclination to being commander-in-chief. We should share his enthusiasm.
